A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

1. The forerunner of Christ's coming in his public ministry was John the Baptist; He came preaching repentance for the remission of sins, to make way for Christ's coming, agreeable to the prophecies of him, Is. xl.3.4.5. and Matth. iv.5.6. It is supposed that John the Baptist began the ministry about three years and an half before Christ; so that John's ministry and Christ's put together, made seven years, which was the last of Daniel's weeks; and this time is intended in Dan. ix▪27. "He will confirm the covenant with many for one week." Christ came in the midst of this week, viz. in the beginning of the last half of it, or the last three years and an half, as Daniel foretold, as in the verse just now quoted: "And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." John Baptist's ministry consisted principally in preaching the law, to awaken men and convince them of sin, to prepare men for the coming of Christ, to comfort them, as the law is to prepare the heart for the entertainment of the gospel.

A very remarkable out pouring of the Spirit of God attended John's ministry; and the effect of it was, that Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, were awakened, convinced, went out to him, and submitted to him baptism, confessing their sins. John is spoken of as the greatest of all the prophets who came before Christ: Matth. xi▪11. "Among those that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist;" i e. he had the most honourable office He was as the morning-star, which is the harbinger of the approaching day, and forerunner of the rising sun. The other prophets were stars that were to give light in the night; but we have heard how those stars went out on the approach of the gospel-day. But now the coming of Christ being very nigh, the morning star comes before him, the brightest of all the stars, as John the Baptist was the greatest of all the prophets.