John in his gospel saith was with God, is (in his first Epistle, verse 1) called the “word of life”; and (verse 2) “the eternal life, which was with the Father.” So that He can be in no other sense called the “word” than in that wherein He is called eternal life; that is, “He that hath procured us eternal life” by His coming in the flesh. So also (Apocalypse 19:13) the apostle, speaking of Christ clothed in a garment dipped in blood, saith, His name is “the word of God”; which is to be understood as if He had said His name had been “He that was come, according to the purpose of God from the beginning, and according to His word and promises delivered by the prophets.” So that there is nothing here of the incarnation of a word, but of the incarnation of God the Son, therefore called “the word,” because His incarnation was the performance of the promise; in like manner as the Holy Ghost is called (Acts 1:4; Luke 24:49) “the promise.”