Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 2:15

15 And was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord, by the Prophet. Out of Egypt have I called my Son.

True Faith, or assent to a Divine Revelation; always produceth Obedience to the Precept of it. Thus it did in the Wise Men, thus in Ioseph, thus every were in Holy-writ: By which we may learn. That they indeed believe not the Scriptures to be the word of God, who take no Care to live up to the rule of Life prescribed in them. Ioseph not only obeyed but readi[illegible: 1 letter]y, and presently obeyed: When he arose he took the young Child, and Mary his Mother. The Poverty of our Saviours Parents is not obscurely gathered from this hasty motion of Ioseph. His motion was not delayed for the Packing up of Goods, gathering in of Debts, &c. if he lost any thing by his haste, yet he carried with him, the Promise and special Care of God for him, and his; yet he moveth Prudentially, and therefore he beginneth his Journey by Night, when least notice could be taken of his motion. We are not to put God upon working Miracles for our Preservation, tho we have never so many sure Promises, when it may he obtained in the use of means. They are Gods Security given to Creatures, whom he hath indued with reason, and express that we should use it, while we yet trust in his word. We are not told into what part of Egypt Ioseph went, nor how long he staid there: Some say six or seven years, others, but three or four Months. The Text saith: He was there untill the Death of Herod ▪ some say that was before the Paschal Solemnity that year. But these things are great incertainties. It is certain he staid there till Herod dyed, but when that certainly was, we know not, nor is it material for us to be Curious in inquiring. [That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet. Out of Egypt have I called my Son] That it might be fulfilled is a Phrase we often meet with in the New Testament, to declare the Harmony of Scripture, and the Faithfulness of God, in fulfilling the Prophesies, or Promises of the Old Testament. Spanhemius tells us, The Scripture is said to be fulfilled Properly or improperly. Properly two ways, either Literally or Mystically, Improperly, Secondarily, when some suck like thing hap'neth, as was before foretold or spoken of, or an Example is brought Paralel to some former Example. Literally the Scripture is said to be fulfilled. 1. When a thing before Prophecied of, or Promised, cometh to pass. Thus ch. 1.22. the Prophecy Isaiah 7.14. was Literally fulfilled, so Micah 5.2. was Literally fulfilled, Chap. 2.6. by Christ's being born in Bethlehem, so Zech. 9.9. was Literally fulfilled, Chap. 21.5. Or else. 2. When the Type is fulfilled in the Antitype. Thus we read of many Scriptures of the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ, several things about the Paschal Lamb, the Brasen Serpent, Solomon, David, Ionas, &c. Improperly the Scripture is said to be fulfilled: When any thing is reported as done, which [illegible: 1 word] a Proportion to something before recorded in Holy-writ, as spoken or done, thus Christ applieth the same thing to the Hypocrites which lived in his time, which Isaiah spake of those who lived in his time, Isa. 29.13. Chap. 15.7, 8. so 13, 14. Isa. 6.9. this Divines call a Fulfilling, per Accomodationem, aut Transumptionem. The Question is, whether this Scripture which is, Hosea 11.1. was fulfilled in Christ's being carried into Egypt, Properly or Improperly: There is a great Variety of Opinions, those possibly judge best who think that the Israelites going into, and coming out of Egypt, was a Type of Christ's going into Egypt, being preserved there and coming out again, Matthew saith the Scripture was fulfilled, whether Properly or Improperly, is not much material for us to know, I have only added thus much to shorten my Discourse hereafter where we shall meet with this Phrase.