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

For the Preaching of John the Baptist; now was it that the Gospel began to dawn, and John like the Morning-Star, or the blushing day, springing from the windows of the East, foretells the approaching of the sun of Righteousness; now was it that he laid the first rough, hard, and unhewn stone of the building in Mortification, self-denial, and doing violence to our natural affections. I read not that ever John wrought a Miracle; but he was a man of an austere Life: and good Works convince more than Miracles themselves. It is storied of one Pachomius, a soldier under Constantine the Emperor, that his Army being well-near starved for want of necessary Provision, he came to a City of Christians, and they of their own Charity relieved them speedily and freely; he wondering at their so free and cheerful dispensation, enquired what kind of people those were whom he saw so bountiful? It was Answered, they were Christians, whose profession is to hurt no man, and to do good to every man; hereupon the soldier convinced of the excellency of this Religion, he threw away his Arms, and became a Christian and a Saint. To this purpose, I suppose, John the Baptist spent his time in Prayer, Meditation, affections, and Colloquies with God, eating flies and wild honey in the wilderness, that he might be made a fit Instrument of preparation, and dissemination of the Gospel of Christ.

FOr the Preaching of John the Baptist; now was it that the Gospel began to dawn, and John like the Morning-Star, or the blushing day, springing from the windows of the East, foretells the approaching of the sun of Righteousness; now was it that he laid the first rough, hard, and unhewen stone of the building in Mortification, self-denial, and doing violence to our natural affections. I read not that ever John wrought a Miracle; but he was a man of an austere Life: and good Works convince more than Miracles themselves. It is storied of one Pachomius, a souldier under Constantine the Emperour, that his Army being well-near starved for want of necessary Provision, he came to a City of Christians, and they of their own Charity relieved them speedily and freely; he wondering at their so free and chearful dispensation, enquired what kind of people those were whom he saw so bountiful? It was Answered, they were Christians, whose profession is to hurt no man, and to do good to every man; hereupon the souldier convinced of the excellency of this Religion, he threw away his Arms, and became a Christian and a Saint. To this purpose, I suppose, John the Baptist spent his time in Prayer, Meditation, affections, and Colloquies with God, eating flies and wild honey in the wilderness, that he might be made a fit Instrument of preparation, and dissemination of the Gospel of Christ.