in execution, and actually incarnate. So that our Saviour is there called the _word_, not because he was the promise, but the thing promised. They that taking occasion from this place, do commonly call him the verb of God, do but render the text more obscure. They might as well term him the noun of God: for as by _noun_, so also by _verb_, men understand nothing but a part of speech, a voice, a sound, that neither affirms, nor denies, nor commands, nor promiseth, nor is any substance corporeal, or spiritual; and therefore it cannot be said to be either God, or man; whereas our Saviour is both. And this _word_, which St. 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_ xix. 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_ i. 4; _Luke_ xxiv. 49) _the promise_. [Sidenote: Thirdly, for the words of reason and equity.] There are also places of the Scripture, where, by the _word of God_, is signified such words as are consonant to reason and equity, though spoken sometimes neither by prophet, nor by a holy man. For Pharaoh-Necho was an idolater; yet his words to the good king Josiah, in which he advised him by messengers, not to oppose him in his march against Charchemish, are said to have proceeded from the mouth of God; and that Josiah, not hearkening to them, was slain in the battle; as is to be read (_2 Chron._ xxxv. 21, 22, 23.) It is true, that as the same history is related in the first book of Esdras, not Pharaoh, but Jeremiah, spake these words to Josiah, from the mouth of the Lord. But we are to give credit to the canonical Scripture, whatsoever be written in the Apocrypha. The _word of God_, is then also to be taken for the dictates of reason and equity, when the same is said in the Scriptures to be written in man’s heart; as _Psalm_ xxxvii. 31; _Jer._ xxxi. 33; _Deut._ xxx. 11, 14, and many other like places. [Sidenote: Divers acceptions of the word prophet.]