the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

 John was one of the world's supremely effective preachers. Once Chalmers was congratulated on a sermon. "Yes," he said, "but what did it do?" It is clear that John preached for action and produced it. He did not deal in theological subtleties but in life. 