By the Word, here, or [Greek or Hebrew], on what account soever he be so called, either as being the Eternal Word and wisdom of the Father, or as the great Revealer of the Will of God unto us, Jesus Christ the Son of God is intended. This is on all hands acknowledged, and the context will admit of no hesitation about it. For of this ⟨p. 62⟩Word, it is said, that he came into the World, v. 10. was rejected by his own, v. 11. was made flesh and dwelt amongst us whose glory was the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, v. 14. called expressly Jesus Christ, v. 17. the only begotten Son of the Father, v. 18. The subject then treated of is here agreed upon. And it is no less evident that it is the design of the Apostle to declare both who, and what he was of whom he treateth. Here then, if any where, we may learn what we are to believe concerning the person of Christ; which also we may certainly do, if our minds are not perverted through prejudice, whereby the God of this world doth blind the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. Of this Word then, this Son of God it is affirmed that he was in the beginning. And this Word if it doth not absolutely and formally express Eternity, yet it doth ⟨p. 63⟩a preexistence unto the whole Creation which amounts to the same. For nothing can preexist unto all Creatures but in the nature of God which is eternal; unless we shall suppose a creature before the Creation of any. But what is meant by this expression, the Scripture doth elsewhere declare. Prov. 8. 23. I was set up from everlasting before the beginning, or ever the earth was, John 17. 5. Glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Both which places as they explain this phrase, so also do they undeniably testify unto the Eternal preexistence of Christ the Son of God. And in this case we prevail against our Adversaries, if we prove any preexistence of Christ unto his Incarnation, which as they absolutely deny, so to grant it, would overthrow their whole heresy in this matter. And therefore they know that the testimony of our Saviour concerning himself, if understood in a proper intelligible ⟨p. 64⟩sense, is perfectly destructive of their pretensions. John 8. 58. Before Abraham was, I am.
By the Word, here, or 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, on what account soever he be so called, either as being the Eternal Word and wisdom of the Father, or as the great Revealer of the Will of God unto us, Jesus Christ the Son of God is intended. This is on all hands acknowledged, and the context will admit of no haesitation about it. For of this ⟨p. 62⟩Word, it is said, that he came into the World, v. 10. was rejected by his own, v. 11. was made flesh and dwelt amongst us whose glory was the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, v. 14. called expresly Jesus Christ, v. 17. the only begotten Son of the Father, v. 18. The subject then treated of is here agreed upon. And it is no less evident that it is the design of the Apostle to declare both who, and what he was of whom he treateth. Here then, if any where, we may learn what we are to believe concerning the person of Christ; which also we may certainly do, if our minds are not perverted through prejudice, whereby the God of this world doth blind the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. Of this Word then, this Son of God it is affirmed that he was in the beginning. And this Word if it doth not absolutely and formally express Eternity, yet it doth ⟨p. 63⟩a preexistence unto the whole Creation which amounts to the same. For nothing can preexist unto all Creatures but in the nature of God which is eternal; unless we shall suppose a creature before the Creation of any. But what is meant by this expression, the Scripture doth elsewhere declare. Prov. 8. 23. I was set up from everlasting before the beginning, or ever the earth was, John 17. 5. Glorifie thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Both which places as they explain this phrase, so also do they undeniably testifie unto the Eternal preexistence of Christ the Son of God. And in this case we prevail against our Adversaries, if we prove any preexistence of Christ unto his Incarnation, which as they absolutely deny, so to grant it, would overthrow their whole heresie in this matter. And therefore they know that the testimony of our Saviour concerning himself, if understood in a proper intelligible ⟨p. 64⟩
