will ''tam hearts/^ — ^tum fhem from ignoranoe to know- ledge, from carelessness to thonghtfiilness, from sin to God. — ^He is one who will " go before the Lord," — ^he will delight in nothing so mudi as being flie messenger and herald of Jesus Christ — ^He is one who '^ will make ready a people for the Lord." He will strive to gath^ out of the world a company of believers, who will be ready to meet the Lord in the day of His appearing.
For such ministers let ns pray night and day. They are the true pillars of a Church, — Hie true salt of the earth, — ^the true light of the world. Happy is that Church, and happy is that nation, which has many such men. Without such men, learning, titles, endowments, and splendid buildings, will keep no Churdi alive. Souls will not be saved, — good will not be done, — Christ will not be glorified, excepting by men full of the Holy Ghost.
Notes. Jajxm I. 13—17.
13. — [His name John.'] The word John means " the grace, gift, or mercy of the Lord." Cruden.
15 — [Drink neither wine nor strong drink. "] From this it would appear that John the Baptist was a Nazarite, or person separa- ted hy special vow to the Liord. See Num. vi. 3.
17. — [Spirit and power of Elias.'] Theophylact properly remarks on this expression, that " as Elias is the precurs(»- of Christ's second advent, so also John is the precursor of the first advent" Let it be carefully noted that Gaoriel does not say that John shall be Elias himself, but that he shall go "in the spirit and power of Elias." The real advent of Elias, to fulfil the prophecy of Malachi, is, in aU probability, a thing yet to come.
[to turn the heart of the fathers to the children.] This is a dark and difficult expression, and one which seems to perplex the commentators much. The most likely explanation is that of De Dieu. He considers it to mean, *' the fathers upon, or together with, the children," — that is, all ages, and all sorts of people, — parents and children together. He supports this view by the Septuagint version of Exodus xii. 8. Montanus, Yatablus, Barradius, Hammond and Watson take the same view. So also does Bengel, and .quotes in support of it the Septuagint version of Genesis xxxii. 11.
LXJKB, CHAP. I. VSK. 18— fi5. 17