and hi8 Son !fefus Chri(l. So then, Chrifl as he is the Power of God in the Creation ; God faid, and it ~ was created Gen. I. And as he is the Power and the Wifdom of God ro us in Chap. 2. Redemptio~, in whom and by whom we know God, in this refpetl: it is, he is ~ termed the Word : and fo although John and So/~,,JOn affirm the Perfon that was thus ordained to be thus to us, was then exifling, yet the Title given him, importS what he was to be when the World beg~n, and after :he World began, unto the World and to the Samts. And thus John htmfelf, , m hts firll: Epiftle, Chap. r. verf. I,2. explains himfelf, That which wa< fom the Beginning, fays he, and which our (the Apoflles) Hands have handled ofthe Word ofLife, namely Chrill:. Thii Life wcu manifejled, and we fl!ew to you t/:af Eternal Lift 3 '}'hich was with the Father, and wai manifefled to 111. 0 0 So then Chrill: the Word, in order to manifeflation to us, Is termed the Word of Life. And as he is termed the Word in both thefe refpctl:s mentioned : So al– fo, that other TitleJohn gives him of Eternal Life, is in like manner given in re– fpetl: unto what he was ordained from the Beginning, to be to us, I Job. 5· II. Atld this is the Recbrd, that God hath given unto 1H Eternal Life: and this Life ir in hii S011. As well as what he is in his Perfon, even the Fountain of, or Life it felf, in himfelf. So verf. 20. ofthat Chapter, he fpeaks ofhim, This is the true God, and Eternal Lift. To conclude this, When God exhibited him firll: unto the World by a Voice from Heaven, This ii my beloved Son, he adds, hear him. And it is as if he had faid, As he is my Son, fo he is my Word and Interpreter, unto you, the Spedl<f~ from Heaven; as Heb. I 2. 2 5· heis call'd. And fee thefe two Titles of his Son, and oflhe Word, met in that one Proclamation made of him by his Father. Which ofthefe two accounts given, why he is termed My@', or 'the Word,' is mofl to be received, I will not difpute ; becaufe indeed I take in both. In doing which there isno more i.nconveniency to be found, 0 tha~ in interpreting other Sules and Attnbutes ofhts m a double Senfe, and takmg m both ; As in that ofbeing fliled, The Image of the lnv!ftble God, Col. J, Which Parern and other Divines (whom he to that purpofe cites) in his OpufC11la, uponCol. r. I 5· I now come to that other Title more frequent in the Scriptures. CHAP.
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