Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

1. Consider the Preaching of John Baptist, we talk of strictness, but show me among all the Ministers or Saints of this Age, such a pattern of sanctity and singular austerity; the sum of his sermons was repentance, and dereliction of Sin, and bringeth forth fruits worthy of amendment of life. In the promoting of which Doctrine, he was a severe reprehender of the Pharisees, and Sadducees, and Publicans, and Soldiers, and indeed of all men, but especially of those that remained in their impenitency; for against them he denounced judgment, and fire unquenchable; Oh, he had an excellent zeal, and a vehement Spirit in Preaching; and the Commentary upon all his Sermons was his own life; he was clothed in Camels hair, his meat was locusts and wild honey; he contemned the world, resisted temptations, despised to assume false honours to himself, and in all passages was a rare example of self-denial, and mortification; and by this means he made an excellent, and apt preparation for the Lord's coming. O my Soul, that thou wouldst but sit a while under this Preacher; or that thou wouldst but ruminate, and chew the cud; think over his Sermons of repentance, and righteousness, and temperance, and of the judgment to come; ¹and see what influence they have; when Paul preached such a Sermon to Felix, it is said that he trembled; a Sermon of the chaffs burning with unquenchable fire, is enough to make thy heart tremble, if Powerfully delivered, and affectionately received; but see, what effect doth it work on thy heart and life? dost thou feel in thee a Spirit of mortification? dost thou with the Baptist die to the world? dost thou deny thy will of all its natural sinful desires; dost thou abstain from pleasures, and sensual complacencies, that the Flesh being subdued to the Spirit, both may join in the service of God? dost thou kill the lusts of the flesh, by taking away the fuel and incentives of Lusts? this is the work of meditation; it first employs the understanding in consideration of things, and then the will in the reception of things; and both these in order to Grace and a pious conversation: that meditation which determines in notions, or speculations of knowledge, is like the winter Sun that shines, but warms not: O my Soul, consider:

1. Consider the Preaching of John Baptist, we talk of strictness, but shew me among all the Ministers or Saints of this Age, such a pattern of sanctity and singular austerity; the sum of his sermons was repentance, and dereliction of Sin, and bringeth forth fruits worthy of amendment of life. In the promoting of which Doctrine, he was a severe reprehender of the Pharisees, and Saduces, and Publicans, and Souldiers, and indeed of all men, but especially of those that remained in their impenitency; for against them he denounced judgment, and fire unquenchable; Oh, he had an excellent zeal, and a vehement Spirit in Preaching; and the Commentary upon all his Sermons was his own life; he was cloathed in Camels hair, his meat was locusts and wild honey; he contemned the world, resisted temptations, despised to assume false honours to himself, and in all passages was a rare example of self-denial, and mortification; and by this means he made an excellent, and apt preparation for the Lord's coming. O my Soul, that thou wouldst but sit a while under this Preacher; or that thou wouldst but ruminate, and chew the cud; think over his Sermons of repentance, and righteousness, and temperance, and of the judgment to come;