John i. 1. In the beginning ivas the Word, and the Word teas tvith God, and the Word was God.
WHAT astonishing majesty and dignity are dis- played in these brief but comprehensive words ! The other Evangelists commence their histories at the period of our Saviour's incarnation : but St. John carries us back to eternity itself; and informs us, not only what Christ did and suffered, but who he was. He calls him by a very peculiar name; " The Word ;" and, in other places, "The Word of Lifea;" " The Word of GodV This name, as applicable to the Messiah, was not altogether unknown to the Jews0: and it seems peculiarly proper to the Son, because it is by the Son that God has in all ages revealed his mind to man. And perhaps this very explanation of the term was intended to be conveyed to us by St. John, when he says, within a few verses after my text, " No man hath seen God at any time : the only- begotten Son, who is in the bosom of his Father, he hath declared himd."
But, without dwelling upon matters of conjecture, let us consider,
I. The testimony here given to the Lord Jesus Christ —
a 1 Johni. 1, 2. b Rev. xix. 13.
c See Bishop Pearson on the Creed, pp. 117. 118. d ver. 18.
The beloved Apostle, speaking of the Lord Jesus, here declares,
1. His eternal existence —
[" In the beginning was the Word," even before the crea- ture existed, either in heaven or on earth : and from him every created being derived its existence6. So St. Paul also informs us : " By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things were created by him, and for him : and he is before all things ; and by him all things consistf." Though he was born into the world in time, yet in his divine nature he existed from eternity: "He was the same yesterday, to-day, and for everg:" " His goings-forth were of old from everlasting11:" " He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last'."]
2. His distinct personality —
[From all eternity " he was with God ;" " having a glory with him before the worlds were madek;" and having a perfect participation of all that the Father possessed, whether of wisdom and knowledge1, or of authority and power m. This appears from the council held, as it were, between the Father and the Son, respecting the formation of man"; and man's con- sequent expulsion from Paradise0; and the confounding of the projects of man's apostate race by changing their language at Babelp. Hence the Lord Jesus is said to have " come forth from Godq," even "from his bosom," where had been his ever- lasting abode. The importance of this truth is marked by the repetition of it by St. John, in the words following my text, " The same was in the beginning with God."]
3. His proper deity —
[" The Word was God," even " the mighty Godr," " the great Gods," " God over all, blessed for ever*." " He was in the form of God ; and thought it no robbery to be equal with Godu;" and was therefore rightly "named Emmanuel, God with usx;" and is with truth declared to be " God mani- fest in the fleshy"]
Now, that this is not a mere speculative subject, I will proceed to shew, by pointing out,
e ver. 3. f Col. i. 16, 17. s Heb. xiii. 8.
h Mie. v. 2. ' Rev. i. 8, 11. k John xvii. 5.
1 Matt. xi. 27. m John v. 17. " Gen. i. 26.
0 Gen. iii. 22. p Gen. xi. 7. i John xvi. 27, 28.
r Isai. 9. 6. s Tit. ii. 13. * Rom. ix. 5.
u Phil. ii. 6. x Matt. i. 23. y 1 Tim. iii. 16.