Nebuchadnezzar's Seventh year, continued in his Eighteenth year, and perfe&ed in his Three and Twentierh year, Jer, 52. 28, 29,30. And thus it might be, and probably was, in this Tranſportation. It might be begun preſently after the taking of Samaria, & afterwards continued, unril at laſt the whole Body cf the People was remove ed. And aas ſoon as that wasdone, and-not before, the King of Aſſria brought into their place thoſe new Colonies mentioned 2King 1. 24. Which that it was not done at the t,me of the taking of Samaria, but many years after it, ſeems to me evident, becauſe thoſe Colonies were not brought thither by Shalmanezer, who took Samaris, 2 Kings 18. 10, no nor by Sennacherib, his next Succeflour; but by Eſarhaddon, as is affirmed Ezra 4. 2. who was the Son and Succeſſour of Semacherib, 2 Kings19. 37. and reigned above Fifcy years ; for beſe:ms to have hegun his Reign about the Fourteenth year of Hezekiah's Reign, by comparing : Kings 18- 13. and 19. 3*.
36,37. and {© he reigned with H:zekiah abour Fif:een years, and
withManaſih above forty years,as the Learned SirFohbn Marſbam affirms in his Chronicus Canon, &c. page 495. And this Work of Tranſpor- ting the Remainders of the 1/razlires,and bringing the new Colonies, might not be done till afterwards in the en41 of his Reign: Which
39. 16, Although you deſerve
no S:1gnnor Favour, yer for rhe comfort 6f thoſe teiv Believers which are among you, and to 1:ave you withour excuſe, I ſhall mind you of another and a greater Sign, which God hath promiſed and will in his due time perform; which allo is a piedge of the certain Accompliſhment of all Gocs Promiſes. Or, Surely, as this Particle 15 ſometimes uſed, as Gen 4, 15, Jer: 2, 33- and 5 "* Zech c1.7 f To wit, of your Delivecuice. 1 ofa Virgin, which was-not to come till many Ages after, their Deliverance from the preſent Danger ? Anſw, this was a clear Demonſtration of Gods infinite Power and Good= neſs, and Faithfulneſs, and conſequently of the certain Truth of all Gods promiſes from timeto time, which can never fa as thoſe Attributes of God ſand : And mens F-ith is ej or weak, as they believe them or doub: of them. - Of which ſee Pſalm 77.8. and 78. 19, 20, Rom: 43 20, . 21e proper Remedy for 4haz his Diſeaſe, which was a ſe that God either could nor, or would not deliver the that Promiſe. I fay nor only the aftual Giving, w ter, but even the promiſe of the Meſſiah, which ha
L24:# How was this Birth: aSignof 1, Becauſe
11 ſo 'ONng cher ſtrong And ſo this was 2 cret Suſpicion m. 2. Becauſe
d been made lon
hich was long af-.
delay might be occaſioned by his. Wars, or vrher grert Aff-irs, And ould ſeem to be only my own privare ConjeQure, if the Reader confu't Sir John Marſban's fourth and laſt Chronological Table, inſerred after page 589, of his Work,he will find that Lear- ned Chronolog:r to be of the ſame mind and co make above Fitty years diſta:.ce betwcen the raking of Samaria, and the Tranſl:tio of the new Coionics into thoſe Parrs. And thus theſe Sixry five And ſo this Place agrees with other Scriptures. and the Difficulties objeQed againſt
leſt this
years might well be accompliſhed in his time.
other Interpretations, ſeem to be avoided.
' 9 And the head of Ephraim is » Samaria, andthe *—_ 20. head of Samaria is Remaliah's ſon * : 10r,00y. Believe, ſurely yeſtal not be eſtabliſhed.
Mt believe?
r Or either, ſhal be ; andathe ſenſe is the ſame asin the forego-
#4roecauje ing Verſe, Samaria ſhal corffinueto be the Chief City of the King-
Je ar? nar fablc,or
dom of Iſrael, and Pekah ſhal not conquer Jeruſalem, as he hopec
and deſigned to do, [If you do not believe this and the other Pro+ ſha] #t be miſes of God, but, in diſtruſt of God, ſhal ſeek ro the Afffyrians Pabiiſbid, for Succour, to which I perceive you are inclined, inſtead of that Deliverance and Settlement which you expe&, you ſhal be di- fireſſedand conſumed thereby;the accompliſhment ofwhich Threats ning is recorded 2 Chron 28: 20. And by this Threatning he im-
plics, That if they did rely upon Gods Word and Help, they ſhould be eſtabliſhed, Only hedelivereth it in the form ofa Threate
ning, rather thin of a Promiſe, parfly becauſe he foreſaw that
they would chuſe the worſe part, and bring the Judgment threats
| If ye will not
ple, was the Foundation of all Gods Mercies and Promiſes unto them, 2 Cor. 1. 20. and a pledge of the Accompliſhment of . them: 3. Becauſe this promiſed Birth did ſuppoſe and require the Preſer- vation of that City, and Nation, and Tribe, in and of which the Meſſiah was to be born. ; and therefore there was no cauſe to fear rvat urter Ruirie which their Enemies riow threatned robring upon them- 4. This is one, but nt the only Sign here given,as we all ſce at v. 16.g You who will not believe th.t God alone is able to de- liver you from the united Force of Syr:a and Iſrael, rake notice, for your full ſatisfa&tion, that God is not only able to do - this Work; bur to do far greater and harder things, which. he hath promiſed, and therefore both can and will accompliſh. þ Stri&ly and propere ly ſo called. The Jews, that they may obſcure this plain Texr,and weaken this Proof of the Truth of Chriſtian Religion, pretend that this Hebrew Word ſignifies a young Woman, and riot a Firzin. But chis corrupt Tranſlation is eaſily confuted, 1. Becauſe this Word conſtantly fignifies a irgin in all other places of Scripture where it is uſed, which are Gen: 24: 23, compared with wv: 15 Exod: 2: $8. Pſalm; 68: 25. Canis 1. 3. and 6.8, To which may be added Prov: 30: 19: The way of a Man witha Maid, or a Virgin: F or, chough ir be ſuppoſed that he did delign._ ad deſire to corrupt her, and afterwardsdid ſo ; _ yet ſhe may well be called 2 Virgin. partly becauſe he found hera Virgin, and partly becuſe ſhe ſeemed and retended to others to be ſuch, which made her.more careful co uſe all poſſible Arts topreſerve her Reputation, and ſo mads the diſcovery of her impure Converſation wich the Man more dif. ficult. whereas the filthy praftices of Comman, Harlots are eofily and yulgarly known. 2, —_ the ſcope of this Place, which SL 3 1
ſince, and ofr renewed and was univerſally believed by all the Pere
5 iS
"n |
|
23, FN , Luke r.31 | Or, thou, O Virgia ſhalt call.
*See Ch. 8. 4.
/
* 1 Kings I2. 16,
Chap. VII.
\ andevil; w