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rate the heroic piety of ancient wor-
thies, diftinguished in the annals of
religion; whofe ftory presenteth us
with occurrences, not, like those re-
lated in fecular hiftories, of use only
to politicians and generals, but uni-
verfally interesting; inftructing us in
the art of governing the little king-
dom within; of atchieving the great-
eft conquefts, and gaining the moft
glorious victories; fince "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 task, 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.

THE author of the following Con fiderations was directed, in the choice

of

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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 of St. Mary Magdalen College, upon the anniversary of the nativity of St. John the Baptift, before a learned and moft refpectable audience. The fa→ vourable manner, in which they were then heard, hath encouraged him to revife, enlarge, and digeft them into their present form. The reader hath now before him a compleat hiftory of the Baptift, extracted from the Evangelifts, 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 seemed to fuggeft, for the confirmation of faith, and the advancement of holiness.

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An attentive perufal of the fubfequent pages may, it is hoped, be of service to the younger ftudents in theology, with a view to whom, and to those more particularly of the Society, whose welfare and profperity the author is bound by every tie to confult and promote, as they were at firft compofed, fo they are now publifhed; that, beholding the glories which difplay themselves in the exalted character here offered to their infpection, they may be fired with a noble ambition to bear their teftimony to the best of masters, and, from a well spent retirement, come forth bright examples of temperance and purity, zeal and knowlege, integrity and conftancy, to preach Repentance, and proclaim Sal

vation.

CON

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