Here we have Christ's commission to establish his kingdom upon earth, the authority on which that commission is based, and a gracious encouragement to undertake and go through with it. The commission is, properly speaking, twofold—missionary and pastoral; but there is a sort of third intermediate department, holding of both, linking the two together, and forming, if I may so speak, the point of transition between the missionary and the pastoral departments of the work prescribed—I mean that of baptizing. "Go, make disciples of all nations"—"Subjugate the world to me; bring all nations to the obedience of faith." This is the missionary work. This done, "Baptize the converts in (or into) the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Generally speaking, this was to afford the converts an opportunity of making public profession of the faith they had embraced—to be a solemn declaration of their principles and purposes, and their formal separation from a world lying in wickedness.

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