What fhould hinder me from doing the fame ? OPPORTUNITIES for fuch exercises are continually afforded by the return of those days, whereon we commemorate the heroic piety of ancient worthies, distinguished in the annals of religion; whofe story presenteth us with occurrences, not, like thofe related in fecular hiftories, of use only to politicians and generals, but univerfally interesting; inftructing us in the art of governing the little kingdom within; of atchieving the greateft conquefts, and gaining the most glorious victories; fince "Better a 3 66 "Better is he that ruleth his fpirit, than he that taketh a "city" teaching us how to live the life, and die the death of the righteous; a twofold tafk, which every man hath upon his hands, and in the performance of which he cannot fail, but at the hazard of fomething more valuable than crowns and fceptres. L THE author of the following Confiderations was directed, in the choice of his fubject, by the circumftances of his fituation, fome parts of them having been delivered from the pulpit, as occafion called for them, in the chapel chapel of St. Mary Magdalen College, upon the anniversary of the nativity of St. John the Baptift, before a learned and moft refpectable audience. The favourable manner, in which they were then heard, hath encouraged him to revife, enlarge, and digeft them into their prefent form. The reader hath now before him a compleat hiftory of the Baptift, extracted from the Evangelists, and methodized according to the order of time, in which the events appear to have happened; with fuch obfervations and reflections, as the feveral parts of it feemed feemed to fuggeft, for the confirmation of faith, and the advancement of holiness. AN attentive perufal of the fubfequent pages may, it is hoped, be of fervice to the younger ftudents in theology, with a view to whom, and to those more particularly of the Society, whofe welfare and profperity the author is bound by every tie to confult and promote, as they were at first compofed, fo they are now published; that, beholding the glories which difplay themselves in the exalted character here offered to their infpection, they may be |