That which was the primary scope of John's mis- sion was, to bear witness to Christ. But, in conjunc- tion with this, his office was to turn men to God, and thus to prepare them for Christ as his peculiar people. And these are the two great objects of Christianity in the world :
1. To convert men to God —
[It was said of John, " He shall turn many to the Lord their God1." This he was to effect amongst persons of every age in life, and every order in society : he was to " turn the heart of fathers to their children, and the heart of children to their fathers." According to the general effect of divine truth, it must be expected that the Gospel will create only division in families, " setting the father against the son, and the son against the father™:" but his ministry was to operate rather in a contrary way, bringing all the nation, as it were, old and young, to an earnest and harmonious expectation of the Messiah ; " fathers with their children, and children with their fathers." And thus the Gospel is to work on all, without exception ; so that they may move harmoniously, like a river turned by the tide, up towards the fountain-head. However contrary to nature this may be, even like a river ascending a lofty mountain, it shall be effected : for " the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and all nations shall flow unto itn.* Wherever it prevails, it produces this union, this harmony, this progress contrary to the course of nature0: and if, either in individuals or commu- nities, it fails of this object, it is published in vain, and the grace of God is so far " received in vain."]
2. To prepare men for Christ —
[This was done by John, to a very extraordinary degree: for, in a very short space of time, a few months at the utmost, " there went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan ; and were baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sinsp." " He went before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways ; to give knowledge of salvation to them, for the remission of their sinsq."
And this is the great scope of the Gospel ministry — to "preach Christ crucified1;" and to bring all to "behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world s." Every faithful minister has, like John, " to make ready a people pre- pared for the Lord1." It is said in the book of Revelation,
1 Luke i. 16. m Luke xii. 51 — 53. n Isai. ii. 2.
0 Phil. ii. 2. p Matt. iii. 5, 6. i Luke i. 76, 77.
1 1 Cor. i. 23. s John i. 29. l Luke i. 17.