At that time appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

for it is of John the prophet Esaias spoke, when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths clear."

now John wore a coat made of camels hair, with a leathern girdle about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild hony.

Then went Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized by John.

but John opposed him, I have need, said he, to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?

and Jesus answer'd, Let it be so for the present, for it becometh us to do whatever is right. then John consented.

After this, Jesus having heard that John was confined in prison, retired into Galilee.

Going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were in a bark with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and Jesus having called them,

Then John's disciples came to him and said, why do the Pharisees, as well as we, observe so many fasts, and your disciples keep none?

James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the publican, James the son of Alpheus, and Labbeus, whose sirname was Thaddeus, Simon the zelot,

in the mean time John having heard in his confinement of the actions of Christ, he sent two of his disciples to ask him,

Jesus answered them, go and relate to John, what you hear and what you see:

As they departed, Jesus said to the people, speaking of John, what did ye go to see in the desert? a reed shaken with the wind?

I declare unto you, among the whole race of prophets, there never appear'd a greater than John the Baptist: (notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of the

Messiah is greater than he.) for ever since the appearance of John the Baptist the gospel kingdom is as it were invaded, and people of the most violent passions enter into it with zeal.

for all the prophets and the law were your guides, till the coming of John.

so John came with fasting and abstinence, and they say, he is mad.

and said to his servants, this is John the baptist, he is risen from the dead, and consequently is invested with miraculous power.

for Herod having secur'd John, bound him, and put him in prison to please Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.

for John had said to him, it is not lawful for thee to have her.

who being before instructed by her mother, pray, said she, order John Baptist's head to be brought here in a charger.

and pursuant to order, John was beheaded in the prison,

they replied, some think you are John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, in private to the top of a high mountain.

then the disciples perceiv'd, that what he said was meant of John the Baptist.

the baptism of John, whence was it? was it a divine or a human Institution? and they reasoned thus with themselves, if we say, it was divine; he will say, then, why did ye not believe him?

but if we say, it was merely human, we are obnoxious to the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

for John instructed you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the licentious believed him. and tho' you saw that, you did not yet repent, so as to believe him.