but the angel said to Zacharias, don't be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard: and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, whom you shall name John:

and said, no, he shall be called John.

then he made signs for a writing-book, and writ these words, "his name is John:" at which they were all surprized.

under the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas, JOHN, the son of Zacharias, received his divine commission in the wilderness.

As the people were in suspence, every man imagining in his own mind that John might be the Messiah;

to compleat all the rest, Herod confin'd John in prison.

so was James too, and John, the sons of Zebedee, both partners with Simon. but Jesus said to Simon, be not afraid; for the future you shall fish for men.

I came not to call saints, but sinners to repentance. Then they ask'd him, how comes it that John's disciples,

(to whom he gave the name of Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

John was soon inform'd of these transactions by his disciples,

accordingly they came to Jesus, and said, John the Baptist sent us to enquire, if you are he that was to come, or must we look for another?

then he gave them this answer, go, and tell John what you have seen, and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the gospel is proclaim'd to the poor.

When the messengers of John were departed, he address'd himself to the people, and said with relation to John, what did you go to see in the desart? a reed shaken with the wind?

I declare unto you, among the whole race of mankind, there is not a prophet, who is superiour to John the Baptist: yet he that is most inferiour in the kingdom of the Messiah, is greater than he.

all the people, even the publicans, upon hearing him, gave glory to God, by receiving the baptism of John;

but the Pharisees and the doctors of the law rejected the divine offers made to them, refusing to be baptized by John.

for John the Baptist, when he came, abstain'd from bread and wine; yet you say, he is possess'd with a demon.

being come to the house, he suffer'd nobody to go into the room with him, except Peter, John and James, and the young woman's father and mother.

Now Herod the tetrarch was inform'd of all his transactions: and was perplex'd at the relation of some, that John was risen from the dead: whilst others said, Elias appear'd:

but Herod said, John was beheaded by my order, who then can this be, who, they say, performs such strange things? and he desired to have a sight of Jesus.

they answered, some say you are John the Baptist: others, Elias: and others, that you are one of the old prophets appearing again.

About eight days after this discourse, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up a mountain to pray.

Then said John to Jesus, master, we saw one casting out demons in your name, and we oppos'd it, because he does not follow you with us.

his disciples James and John observing this, said, Lord, shall we command fire to descend from heaven, as Elias did, in order to consume them?

One day Jesus had been praying in a certain place, and as soon as he had done, one of his disciples said to him, instruct us about prayer, as John the baptist instructed his disciples.

the law and the prophets were the only rule till John's time: since when, the kingdom of God has been proclaim'd, and all sorts of people strive to be members.

tell me, the baptism of John, was it a divine or a human institution?

if we should assert, it was a human contrivance, the populace would stone us; for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, go, and make provision for our eating the paschal-lamb.