ged the eating of idolothytes. For he does not once refer to either of these in the preceding part of the epiftle.

I fhall only add, that I am much inclined to think that the apostle, in the ufe of the word annivos true, ver. 20. primarily refers to the truth or faithfulness of God, as bearing witness concerning his Son. It cannot be refused that a confiderable part of the chapter relates to this. The apoftle, when speaking of the teftimony of the Spirit, ver. 6. had afferted that he is aa truth. He had spoken of the witness of God as greater than that of man, ver. 9. and declared the heinous iniquity of those who reject it, ver. 10. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar. He had particularly declared the great fubject of this teftimony, ver. 11. This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. As in ver. 20. he speaks of the Son as eternal life, it is very natural to think that he would allude to his atteftation in this character. This verfe, indeed, feems to be a compend of all that he has faid directly on the fubject, from the fifth verfe downward; of the coming of the Son of God, ver. 5, 6. of the veracity of God the Father as a witnefs, ver. 9-11. of the union of believers to Chrift, ver. 12. of his Deity, as he is the object of faith and of prayer, ver. 13.-15. and of eternal life as in him, and difpenfed by him, ver. 11, 12, 13. 16. Thus, the apoftle fhews whence fome believe the divine record, while others reject it, making God a liar. The Son hath given them an underflanding that they may know him that is true, that is, that they may know God as faithful. By this gift, he unites them to himself, as infinitely worthy of their trust. And we are in him that is true, in his Son Jefus Chrift. The character anbivos true, is familiar with this infpired writer, as denoting the Son. It occurs in the fame form as here, without any fubftantive, Rev. iii. 7. He that is true; and chap. xix. 11. He is called faithful and true; and he is fo

called

called as The Word of God, ver. 13. The apoftle, having afcribed to the Son that truth which, in this place, is evidently appropriated to God as an effential perfection, makes a natural transition to the universal truth of his effence as God. He does not change his idea. He only extends it. For the veracity of God in a foederal character flows from the truth of his effence. It is because he is God, that he changes not, that he cannot lie. The fecurity of those who are in the Son, with refpect to eternal life, is at the fame time declared. This is the true God, and eternal life.

This view of the paffage affords a ftrong collateral proof of the authenticity of the feventh verfe. For the veracity of the Spirit, as a witness, having been already declared, we have here a declaration of the veracity of the Father, and of the Word. Thus, we have a particular atteftation of the faithfulness of each of the Three that bear record in heaven.

CHAP. III.

Additional Evidence, from the New Teftament, of Chrift being the Logos.

As a proof of the juftnefs of that view which has

been given of the term Logos, it may not be improper to mention fome other paffages of the New Teftament, in which it evidently occurs in the fame fenfe. John, undoubtedly, had a peculiar pleasure in the use of this term. For, not to mention fome other places, where, as fome apprehend, he uses it as a perfonal character, there is one, the application of which adverfaries themselves cannot deny. This is Rev. xix. 12, 13.

They confider it as an eafy matter to understand the meaning of this name. But the Spirit of God certainly leaves it as a mystery. He had a name written that no one knew but he himself. Is this name unknown as to the very expreffion? It will not be faid that this is meant. For the divine expreffes it in the next verfe, His name is called, The Word of God. How, then, is it unknown? Undoubtedly, as to its full import, and the mystery contained in it. For it may be understood as referring to his ineffable generation, to his being in the Father, and alfo to his official character, as he is both the Father's Counsellor, and his.Interpreter. In whichfoever of these lights it be viewed, it exceeds our comprehenfion. There feems to be an allufion to the reply given by this illuftrious Perfon to Manoah; Wherefore afkeft thou after my Name, feeing it is wonderful? Judg. xiii. 18. Some apprehend that there is also a reference to the words of Agur, Prov. xxx. 4. What is his Name, and what is his Son's Name, if thou canst tell? Socinians, indeed, evidently think far more of their wifdom, than Agur did of his. For they are not at a loss to tell the Name of the Son and Word of God. It deferves our notice, however, that Dr P. in another work, makes the following acknowledgment: "The rea"fon why John calls Chrift the Word of God, was probably "his feeing that name or title written upon his thigh, in "the Revelation, which is fuppofed to have been written "before his Gospel +." He is here speaking of the introduction to the Gofpel. When these illuftrations were published, he preferred the other fenfe of the term Logos, as denoting an attribute. But he was not fo fully fatisfied that it could bear this fenfe only. Elfe, why did he give a reafon, which appeared to him probable, for its being used as a perfonal character? He alfo fays, "Chrift being caled "the

full import of the

* Vid. Vitring. in Apoc. xix. 12. † Famil. Illuftr. p. 32.

1

"the Word of God, on account of his being in a more emi"nent manner commiffioned to declare the will of God, "they (fome Chriftians in John's time) imagined that he "was meant in many paffages of the Old Teftament, in "which mention is made of the Word of God." For he acknowledges, that it is "an opinion which is known to "have prevailed in his time, that the Spirit which an mated "Christ, having pre-existed, was that Being who formed this "world *."*

Here are feveral important conceffions: Firft, that it was an opinion which prevailed in the time of John, that Christ pre-existed: Secondly, that those who embraced this opinion believed that, in many paffages of the Old Testament, he was called the Word: Thirdly, that he certainly bears this name in the New Teftament: and that John gave him this name, probably because he, in the Revelation, faw it written on his thigh. Now did we use the same freedom with probability, which our author often does, we would deduce from it certain conclufions. And it would naturally occur; First, that the use of this term by John, as a personal character, was a confirmation of that prevailing opinion; Secondly, that he would use it in no other fenfe than that in which it was revealed to him, as fuftained by his Lord, that is, as a perfonal name.

The Doctor however fays; "In contradiftinction to all "this, the apoftle here afferts, that by the Word of God,

we are not to understand any Being distinct from God." What believer in the Trinity ever fuppofed this? The dream be to them that hate our Lord, and the interpretation to bis enemies! But Socinians ftill falfely affume, that a diftinction of perfons neceffarily implies a diversity of being. With them, this is equivalent to the idea of a perfon distinct from the Father. But if it was John's defign to fhew that the Word was only an attribute, there was not merely a N 3

contra

Ibid. p. 31.

contradiftinction to that" opinion which is known to have "prevailed," but a contradiction to that Revelation with which he was himself favoured. If the Revelation was written before the Gospel, how did that which was a Person, when the former was penned, dwindle into a mere attribute before the date of the latter?

But John is not the only infpired writer, in the New Teftament, who gives this name to Chrift. Luke fpeaks of those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and minifters of the Word, chap. i. 2. In calling them eye-witnesses, he has evidently the fame meaning as John, when he says; That which we have feen with our eyes, which we have looked upon,-of the Word of life, &c. 1 Epift. i. 1. How could they be eye-witneffes of the Word, or look upon it, as preached? The term ungerai, rendered minifters, necessarily fuppofes a perfonal character in conftruction with it; according to its conftant ufe in the New Teftament, referring to the fuperior who is ferved, and not to the thing about which their fervice is engaged.

In this fenfe alfo it feems to be ufed by Paul, as his language is recorded by the fame inspired writer, Acts xx. 32. Now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of bis grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them who are fanctified. This language may be viewed as denoting Chrift. For he is joined with God, that is, the Father, in a certain external operation. It properly belongs to a Perfon, to build up, and to give an inheritance. The ufe of the term raçaria favours this fenfe. It denotes the commitment or commendation of a perfon or thing to the care of another; as it is used, Luke xxiii. 46. Acts xiv. 23. 1 Pet. iv. 19. The Gofpel is faid to be commended or committed to men, 2 Tim. ii. 2. but no where elfe are men faid to be commended to it. may well be called the Word of the grace of God. the Word made flesh, he is full of grace.

Chrift For as

Various