J@fus ofNazareth the only Trueand PronUfed Mefriab. There is yet another folution of this difficulty added of late by a learned perfon e PocoekMifcelan. not. cap. z.) who makes it probable at leaft, that the word Tpg, is of the number of thofe that are tiled in á direst contrary fenf, as trip, to f nr~rife and propbane, 'nil to /ale)? and turf ; M.1, a livingfoul, and a dead carki . And he proves by notable inflances, that it figtaifies, as fometimes 'zazrc , leálf,. Iii fometimes xêa s érdxis0., Great, Illuffriotts, andExcellent. The remaining differences are inconfiderable,'the Pronoun +tt to me, is omitted by ehe Evangelíff, and theReafon of it is evident ; for in the Prophet God fpeaks himfelf in his own perfon, in the Golpel the words are only Hi(iorically recited. t314ntU+1 1IIUUU, Ruler in Tfrael, is paraphrafed by theEvangelill, iyha v&, ásrs air avx µem lotarìr, the Leader that (hall feed my people Wad : affecting his Rule, he adds the manner of it, he (hall do it byfeeding of them, according as his rule is de- clared in thenext words ine the Prophet, Micah g. 4. He (hall ¡farad and feed in the Jfrength of the Lords which words theEvangelíff had refpeer unto. And thus much have we fpokenby the way, for the vindicationof the recital ofthis Teftimony, whole Application in general mitt) the matter in hand is every way unqueftionable, and fo yields us a fecond charaPeriffical note of 'the perfon of the Mellish. The manner of the birth of the Meah, namely that he should be born of a Virgin, is a third charaiîeriffieal note given of him. The firft promife Both fuflìciently intimate that he was not to be brought into the world according to the ordinary courfe of mankind, by natural generation, teeing he was d'rarfr7rxws, and in peculiar manner debgned to be the fedof theWoman, that is to be barn of a Woman without conjuri- ¿ltion of man. Tomake this lign yet the more evident, God gives it forth direaly in a word of promife, Ifa. 7. 10, 11, 12, I3, 14, 15, 16. Mareover the Lard fßake to Ahaz, fáying, ark thee a fign of the Lord thy God, ark it either in the depth, or in the height above ; but Ahaz¡aid, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord; And he laid, hear ye now ye . Houfi of David, Is it a fmall thing foryou to weary men, bist yewill weary my God a f ? Therefore the Lord himfelf(hall give you a fign, Behold, a Virgin than conceive and bear a Son, and call his name Emanuel , [Butter andHoney (hall he eat, that he may know to refuf the evil, and cboofe the good; for before the Child (hall know tv refufe the evil and chaog the good, the Land that .thou abhorreff 'hall be farfaken of both her Kings. This is thePromife and Prophecy, the accomplifhment whereof in our Lordjejus we have recorded, Matt. I. 22, 23. All this war done, that it might be fulfilled which wasfpoken by the Preplan, Behold, AVirgin Jhall be with Child, and ¡hall bring förth a Son, and they f/iall call his name Emanuel. Now this being a thing utterly above the eoarfe ofnaa tore, which never fell out from the foundationof the world unto that day, nor ever shall do fo to the end of it, feting the miraculous power ofGod thall no more in the like kind be exerted; it is an infallible evidence, and demonferative note of the true Me/ah. He and he alone was to beborn ofa Virgin Co alonewas ycfus of Nazareth, and thereforehe alone is the trueMeffiah. The ,fews being greatly preffedwith this Prophecy, and the Accomplilhment of it, do try all means toefeape by breaking through one of them. And we might expeét that they wouldprincipally attempt the dory of the Evangelíff ; but circumflances on that fide are fo cogent againfi them, that theyare very faint in that endeavour. For if it was fo indeed that Jesus was not born of a Virgin as is recorded, and as both himfelf and his Difeiples profeffed, why did they not charge him with 'untruth here- in, in the dayes of his ffefh ? Why did they not call his Mother into queftion, efpeci- ally conhdering that she being efpoufed untoan Husband; they might upon conviétion have put her unto a publiek and lhamefull death ? None of this being done, or once undertaken by theirfore-fathers, no lefs full of Envy and Malice againfl thePerlon and Dot$rine of Defies then them¡lves, and much better furnifhed and provided for filch an undertaking; might any colour be given unto it, then they are, they indi! not much upon the denyal of the Truthof.the Record ; but to relieve themfelves, they by all means contend that the words of the Prophet are no way applicable unto the birth of our Lord fefus , which the Evangelíff reports them prophetically to ex- prefs. And to this end they multiply Exceptions against our interpretation of the Prophecy. Firll, They deny that here is any thing fpoken of the conception or bearing of a Son by a Virgin. For the word here ufed, fay they, f r ttq.) fignifieth any Young Woman, married or unmarried; Yea fometimesan Adulterefl; as Proverbs 30. 18. Co that the whole foundation of our interpretation is infirm ; and the tin?V, here intend- Ff cd, 4. 2i. sf. 22,
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