It is surely evident from this description of the Creation, that by "the Word," or "Word of God," is merely meant the expression of his will-the utterance of his intention, which to him who is possessed of Divine attributes, is sufficient to accomplish his purposes. What a grand and exalted Idea does this give us of the infinite Perfections of the Divine Being!

It is also obvious from this account, that there appears to be no more than one single person of the Deity, thus speaking all things into existence by his creative voice. For it surely cannot be supposed that by this voice or word, we are to understand a distinct being or person from Him whose voice or word it is this would seem absurd; and besides, "there must, then, be still the voice or word of that voice or word, and this might be multiplied without end, for if the first voice or word be substantial, why not all that follow?" It is also evident that Power, Understanding, Wisdom, Discretion, and Knowledge, are divine attributes, spoken of in a figurative way— but in reality it is no other than God himself exerting his Power, employing his Uunderstanding, Wisdom, Discretion, and Knowledge; and so, also, "the Word of God," is God himself speaking; his "word" is "the breath of his mouth"the one seems explanatory of the other, "He spake, and it was done," "He said, Let there be light, and there was light."

In Genesis 3: 8, It is said, "And they (Adam and his wife,) heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden," and the Lord God called unto Adam, and said, "Where art thou?” &c. It does not appear that a distinct person was intended by "the voice of the Lord God," although spoken of as walking, for the corresponding expression is, "the Lord God called and said," &c. We must, then, understand it to be God himself whose word it was.

If this, then, is the genuine meaning of the expression in the Old Testament writings, it would seem most probable that the Apostle, John, when making use of it, intended to support the same testimony, namely, that it was God himself, by whom all things were made-the great Original from whom all things else derived their existence.

It would give additional countenance to this explanation, if it should appear that there were some persons living in the time of the Apostle who taught that it was not the Supreme Being, by whom the visible Creation was produced, but by a subordinate being, distinct from the Supreme-and this appears to have been a matter of fact. History informs us that it was actually the case with the Gnostics at that time, who

thought that "the material world was not made by the Supreme God, nor that the Supreme Being was the giver of the law of Moses; but that the Supreme God sent Jesus Christ to remedy the defects of the material world and of the Jewish Dispensation-they could not conceive that the evil that is in the world, or any thing imperfect could come from the Supreme Being, whom they considered as purely good."

And viewed in this light, it was with the greatest propriety and force, that the Apostle, John, should express himself in this particular and pointed manner in relation to these suggestions that (in Scripture phraseology,) "all things were made by" "the word of God," which "was in the beginning and was with God, and was," indeed, "God" himself—who spoke all things into existence.

Verse 4. "In him (it) was life." Here we may refer again to Genesis 1: 20, to the end. But, in attributing the existence of all created beings to the word of God, the Apostle had virtually said that "in it was life;" something farther then we may suppose he here intended, namely, that life, which he afterwards says, was "the light of men"—that is, eternal life. The Apostle, Paul, writing to Titus, thus speaks of it: "In hope of eternal life which God promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested his word through preaching." How very similar is this mode of expression to that of the Apostle, John, in his first Epistle-"The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness and shew unto you, that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." And again, chap. 2, ver. 25: “and this is the promise which he hath promised us, even Eternal life." The promise of eternal life, then, is "the word of God." "His commandment is life everlasting." John 12: 50. "The gift of God is eternal life." Rom. 6: 33. "The word of God which liveth and abideth forever." 1 Pet. 1: 23.

Verse 4. "And the life was the light of men." The revealed will of God is, and ever has been, the true faith of men; "for the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Prov. 2: 6. "The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." "God is light." The promise of eternal life, connected as it is with the true way of acceptance with God-with the hope of forgiveness and reconciliation, has ever been a redeeming principle-the source of moral purity, and of all future blissful expectation. Man had no light or knowledge, but what God was pleased to communicate to him, and the only light beyond the grave, shines from the promise

of God; and faith in this promise has been the animating principle of all acceptable obedience in all past ages-in the Patriarchal, as well as under the Mosaic dispensation; so the writer to the Hebrews declares in general terms, quoting the declaration of ancient scripture, "the Just shall live by faith;" and then specifies most of those distinguished characters whom he represents as "declaring plainly that they sought a country," and as "having respect to the recompense of the reward"-as looking for a City which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," and dying in the full belief that God would fulfill his promise; "these all," says he, "died in faith." Verse 5. "And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not." This light, though obscured by error and superstition, guided the Pagan world, like the sun-beam enveloped in mist, although men in that state of darkness did not clearly perceive or comprehend it. Ver. 6 and 7. "There was a man sent from God," &c. The light of which John came to bear witness, was the full communication of the word or will of God, by Jesus Christ-that God was about to visit his people to perform the mercy promised, (as we have seen) to the Fathers," &c. Luke 1: 72.

Verse 8. "He (John) was not that light," &c. Verse 9. "That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." This verse has been variously rendered; it is not easy to apply it as it stands, unless we consider the true light here spoken of to denote the same word which spoke all things into existence-which in fact was God himself-whose inspiration hath given to every human being understandingwho hath implanted in every mind a ray of His own brightness-a light to discern between moral good and evil-right and wrong. Ver. 10. "He (it) was in the world," &c.God has never "left himself without witness;" yet "the world by wisdom knew not God."

Though "the Heavens declare his glory, and the firmament sheweth his handy work"-though "the invisible things of him from the creation of the world, are clearly to be seen and understood by the things that are made"-yet men became estranged from this knowledge and "their foolish hearts were darkened."

Verse 11. "He (it) came unto his (its) own, and his (its) own received him (it) not"—that is, nation or people. The Jews were, in a peculiar sense, the people of God-favored with the revelation of the Divine will. The word of God came continually to them by the Prophets; and this was the very same mode of expression, by which it is elsewhere des

cribed, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times past, to the fathers by the Prophets," &c.; yet they repeatedly rejected it, and "thrust it from them." How frequently are the divine complaints made against them on this account: "O, that they had hearkened to my ways," &c. "Which of the Prophets," says Stephen, "have not your fathers persecuted," &c.-Verses 12 and 13. "But as many as received him," (it) "to them gave he (it) power to become sons of God," &c. Those who "received" the word were those who "believed on its name," or in its truth-not only in the then present, but in all past ages, (as well as future,) and they are variously described. Gal. 3: 26. "Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ." Rom. 8:14. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God;" and the Apostle, Peter, describes believers in the word of God, as "being born again by the word of God." 1 Peter, 1 chap. 23, 25: and he adds; "This is the word which, by the Gospel, is preached unto you:" and he terms them "new-born babes," and "obedient children." The Apostle, James, also writes thus: "Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth." Jesus Christ himself said "My brethren are they who hear the word of God and keep (do) it." Luke 8: 21. And again-"The words which I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life;" and "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. If the words of Christ are equivalent to spirit, as he declares, then this language corresponds with that in John 3: 5; "born of the Spirit," &c., as necessary to an admission into the "Kingdom of God." Now, as faith in the word of God is said to have been the operating principle in all acceptable worshippers and servants of God in former ages,-Heb. 11,-so all such were equally "born of the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." "Doubtless thou art our Father," &c. Isaiah 63: 16.

Verse 14. "And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us," &c. Let us turn to the same Apostle's account in another place-1 John 1: 1, 2. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life." If we ask how it could be seen, and heard, and handled, the explanation follows: "for the life was manifested, and we have seen it," &c.—"that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.' "God was manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 3: 16. In what sense, then, is it said by the Apostle, that "the Word was made flesh?" In the first place, it is evident that by the term "flesh," is meant

human nature, or the person of the man, Jesus, for he adds"and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory," and "John bare witness of him." The next point to be ascertained is, what the Evangelist means by "the Word." If the preceding observations afford any elucidation of this expression, and if they do satisfactorily explain the Apostle's meaning, then the term, "word of God," corresponds with "Spirit of God." Of what did John the Baptist bear witness? "I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him, and I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining, the same is he that baptiseth with the Holy Spirit; and I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God."

It was when "the word was made flesh," (whatever be meant by the expression,) certainly not changed into fleshbut embodied, clothed, or manifested-in flesh, "and dwelt among" men, that the Apostle and his fellow-witnesses beheld his glory," "as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So also it was when the Baptist, John, saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him, that by special divine authority, he "bare record that this is the Son of God;" and does not the language of Prophecy correspond to this?

"And there shall come a Root out of the stem of Jesse," &c. and "the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." Isaiah 11: 1, and chap. 43. "Behold my servant, whom I uphold," &c. "I have put my Spirit upon him;" and so eminently was this the case, that we are told, "the Father giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him."

If then the Divine Spirit was given to the Man Jesus without measure, and that not occasionally, but permanently, might it not as truly be said that the Spirit was made flesh, that is, embodied or clothed, or made manifest-in flesh, as that "the Word" was made, or clothed, or embodied, or made manifest -in flesh; since it has been shown that the "Spirit of God," and the "Word of God," are synonimous expressions? Our Lord declares of himself, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father," "I am in the Father, and the Father in me," "the words which I speak, I speak not of myself, and the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works." Does not the Apostle, Paul, bear the same testimony? "It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Col. 1: 19, and 2:9. "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodi