This prophecy, therefore, not being fulfilled in Jesus, according to the literal and obvious sense of the words as they stand in Isaiah, it is supposed that this, like the other prophecies cited in the New Testament, is fulfilled in a secondary, or typical, or mystical sense; that is, the said prophecy, which was literally fulfilled by the birth of the son foretold by the prophet, was again fulfilled by the birth of Jesus, as being an event of the same kind, and intended to be secretly and mystically signified either by the prophet or by God, who directed the prophet’s speech.  If the reader desires further satisfaction that the literal and obvious sense of this prophecy relates to a son to be born in Isaiah’s time, and not to Jesus, he is referred to the commentator Grotius, and to Huetius’ Demonstrat.  Evang. in loc., to the ancient fathers, and to the most respectable of the modern Christian. commentators, who all allow and show, that the words of Isaiah are not applicable to the birth of Jesus in their literal sense, but only in a mystical, or figurative, or allegorical sense.

Again, Matthew gives us another prophecy, which he says was fulfilled.  He tells us, that Jesus was carried into Egypt; from whence he returned after the death of Herod, (Mat. ii.) “that it might be fulfilled, which was of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘out of Egypt have I called my son.’” Which, being word for word in Hosea, (ch. xi. 1) and no where else to be found in the Old Testament, are supposed to be taken from thence; where according to their obvious sense they are no prophecy at all! but relate and refer to a past action, viz., to the calling of the children of Israel out of Egypt, which will, I think, be denied by few.  This passage, therefore, or as it is styled, prophecy, of Hosea, is said by learned men among Christians to be mystically, or allegorically, applied, in order to render Matthew’s application of it, just; and they say all other methods of some learned men to solve the difficulty arising from Matthew’s citation of this passage, have proved unsuccessful.

Again, Matthew says, (ch. ii.) “Jesus came, and dwelt at Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘he shall be called a Nazarene;’” but as this passage does not occur in the Old Testament at all, we are precluded from ascertaining whether it be literal, mystical, or allegorical.

Jesus says of John the Baptist, (Mat. xi. 14) “This is Elias that was for to come,” wherein he is supposed to refer to these words of Malachi, (ch. iv. 4) “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord,” which, according to their literal, and obvious sense, are a prophecy, that Elijah or Elias was to come in person (which we know from the New Testament, as well as elsewhere, was the constant expectation of the Jews.) Besides, this Elijah was to come “before the great and terrible day of the Lord,” which has not yet arrived; and, therefore, this prophecy of Malachi, referred to by the evangelist, was certainly not literally, but only mystically, fulfilled in John the Baptist.