which is allowed to Juvenal and Virgil? What! shall some pretty thought of the latter, shall some ingenious stroke of the former conciliate more respect to them, than the noble sentiments of God, the sublime doctrines, and the virtuous precepts of the holy scriptures can obtain for the writers of the bible?

5. We do not pretend, however, to abuse that respect, which it would be unjust to withold from our authors. We do not pretend to say that every obscure passage contains a mystery, or that, whenever a passage appears unintelligible, we have a right to explain it in favor of the doctrine, which we profess: but we think it right to consider any passage in these books prophetical, when it has the three following marks.

The first is the insufficiency of the literal meaning. I mean, a text must be accounted prophetical, when it cannot be applied, without offering violence to the language, to any event, that fell out when it was spoken, or to any then present, or past object.

2. The second character of a prophecy, is an infallible commentary. I mean, when an author of acknowledged authority, gives a prophetical sense to a passage under consideration, we ought to submit to his authority, and adopt his meaning.

3. The last character is a perfect conformity be tween the prediction and the event. I mean, when prophecies, compared with events, appear to have been completely accomplished, several ages after they had been promulged, it cannot be fairly urged that the conformity was a lucky hit: but, it ought to be acknowledged, that the prophecy proceeded from God, who, being alone capable of foreseeing what would happen, was alone capable of foretelling the event, in a manner so circumstantial and exact. All these characters unite in favor of

the text, which we have been explaining, and in favor of the three chapters, which we have, in general, expounded.

The first character, that is, the insufficiency of a literal sense, agrees with our explication. Let any event, in the time of Isaiah, be named, any child born then, or soon after, of whom the prophet could reasonably affirm what he does in our text, and in the other verse, which we have connected with it. A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Unto us a

go

child is born, unto us a son is given: and the vernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The second distinguishing mark, that is, an infallible commentary, agrees with our explication, Our evangelists and apostles, those venerable men, whose mission comes recommended to us by the most glorious miracles, by the healing of the sick, by the expulsion of demons, by the raising of the dead, by a general subversion of all nature, our evangelists and apostles took these passages in the same sense, in which we take them, they understood them of the Messiah, as we have observed before.

The third character, that is, a perfect conformity between event and prediction, agrees also with our explication. We actually find a child, some ages after the time of Isaiah, who exactly answers the description of him, of whom the prophet spoke. The features are similar, and we own the likeness. Our Jesus was really born of a virgin; he was truly Immanuel, God with us: in him are really united, all the titles, and all the perfections, of the Wonderful; The Counsellor, The mighty God,

The everlasing Father; as we will presently prove. Can we help giving a mysterious meaning to these passages? Can we refuse to acknowledge, that the prophet intended to speak of the Messiah? These are the steps, and this is the end of our meditation in favor of the mystical sense, which we have ascribed to the words of the text.

Would to God, the enemies of our mysteries would open their eyes to these objects, and examine the weight of these arguments! Would to God, a love, I had almost said a rage, for independency, for a system that indulges, and inflames the passions, had not put some people on opposing these proofs! Infidelity and scepticism would have made less havoc among us, and would not have decoyed away so many disciples from truth and virtue! Ånd would to God also, christian ministers would never attempt to attack the systems of infidels and sceptics, without the armor of demonstration! Would to God, love of the marvellous may no more dazzle the imaginations of those, who ought to be guided by truth alone! And would to God, the simplicity and the superstition of the people, may never more contribute to support that authority, which some rash and dogmatical genuisses usurp! Truth should not borrow the arms of falsehood to defend itself; nor virtue those of vice. Advantages should not be given to unbelievers and heretics, under pretence of opposing heresy and unbelief. We should render to God a reasonable service, Rom. xii. 1. we should be all spiritual men, judging all things, 1 Cor. ii. 15. according to the expression of the apostle. But I add no more on this article.

Hitherto we have spoken, if I may say so, to reason only, it is time now to speak to conscience. We have been preaching by arguments and syllogisms to the understanding, it is time now to preach

by sentiments to the heart. Religion is not made for the mind alone, it is particularly addressed to the heart, and to the heart I would prove, that our Jesus hath accomplished, in the most sublime of all senses, this prophecy in the text: Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and so on. This is our second part.

II. The terms throne, kingdom, government, are metaphorical, when they are applied to God, to his Messiah, to the end, which religion proposeth, and to the felicity which it procures. They are very. imperfect, and, if I may venture to say so, very low and mean, when they are used to represent objects of such infinite grandeur. No, there is nothing sufficiently noble in the characters of the greatest kings, nothing wise enough in their maxims, nothing gentle enough in their government, nothing pompous enough in their courts, nothing sufficiently glorious in their exploits to represent fully the grandeur and glory of our Messiah.

Who is a king? What is a throne? Why have we masters? Why is sovereign power lodged in a few hands? and what determines mankind to lay aside their independence, and to lose their beloved liberty? The whole implies, my brethren, some mortifying truths. We have not knowledge sufficient to guide ourselves, and we need minds wiser than our own to inspect and to direct our conduct. We are indigent, and superior beings must supply our wants, we have enemies, and we must have guardians to protect us.

Miserable men! how have you been deceived in your expectations? What disorders could anarchy have produced, greater than those, which have sometimes proceeded from sovereign authority? You sought guides to direct you: but you have some

times fallen under the tuition of men, who, far from being able to conduct a whole people, knew not how to guide themselves. You sought nursing fathers, to succor you in your indigence: but you have fallen sometimes into the hands of men, who had no other designs than to impoverish their people, to enrich themselves with the substance, and to fatten themselves with the blood of their subjects. You sought guardians to protect you from your enemies but you have sometimes found executioners, who have used you with greater barbarity, than your most bloody enemies would have done.

But, all these melancholy truths apart, suppose the fine notions, which we form of kings and of royalty, of sovereign power and of the hands that hold it, were realized how incapable are kings, and how inadequate is their government, to the relief of the innumerable wants of an immortal soul! Suppose kings of the most tender sentiments, formidable in their armies, and abundant in their treasuries; could they heal the maladies that afflict us here, or could they quench our painful thirst for felicity hereafter? Ye Cæsars! Ye Alexanders! Ye Trajans! Ye, who were, some of you, like Titus, the parents of your people, and the delights of mankind, ye thunderbolts of war! Ye idols of the world! What doth all your pomp avail me? Of what use to me are all your personal qualifications, and all your regal magnificence? Can you, can they, dissipate the darkness, that envelopes me; calm the conscience, that accuses and torments me; reconcile me to God; free me from the control of my commanding and tyrannical passions; deliver me from death; and discover immortal happiness to me? Ye earthly gods! ignorant and wretched like me; objects like me of the displeasure of God; like me exposed to the miseries of