_John_ therefore baptized two summers, and _Christ_ preached three. The first summer _John_ preached to make himself known, in order to give testimony to _Christ_. Then, after _Christ_ came to his baptism and was made known to him, he baptized another summer, to make _Christ_ known by his testimony; and _Christ_ also baptized the same summer, to make himself the more known: and by reason of _John_'s testimony there came more to _Christ_'s baptism than to _John_'s. The winter following _John_ was imprisoned; and now his course being at an end, _Christ_ entered upon his proper office of preaching in the cities. In the beginning of his preaching he completed the number of the twelve Apostles, and instructed them all the first year in order to send them abroad. Before the end of this year, his fame by his preaching and miracles was so far spread abroad, that the _Jews_ at the Passover following consulted how to kill him. In the second year of his preaching, it being no longer safe for him to converse openly in _Judea_, he sent the twelve to preach in all their cities: and in the end of the year they returned to him, and told him all they had done. All the last year the twelve continued with him to be instructed more perfectly, in order to their preaching to all nations after his death. And upon the news of _John_'s death, being afraid of _Herod_ as well as of the _Jews_, he walked this year more secretly than before; frequenting desarts, and spending the last half of the year in _Judea_, without the dominions of _Herod_. Thus have we in the Gospels of _Matthew_ and _John_ all things told in due order, from the beginning of _John_'s preaching to the death of _Christ_, and the years distinguished from one another by such essential characters that they cannot be mistaken. The second Passover is distinguished from the first, by the interposition of _John_'s imprisonment. The third is distinguished from the second, by a double character: first, by the interposition of the feast to which _Christ_ went up, _Mat._ viii. 19. _Luke_ ix. 57. and secondly, by the distance of time from the beginning of _Christ_'s preaching: for the second was in the beginning of his preaching, and the third so long after, that before it came _Christ_ said, _from the days of _John_ the Baptist until now_, &c. and upbraided the cities of _Galilee_ for their not repenting at his preaching, and mighty works done in all that time. The fourth is distinguished from the third, by the mission of the twelve from _Christ_ to preach in the cities of _Judea_ in all the interval. The fifth is distinguished from all the former by the twelve's being returned from preaching, and continuing with _Christ_ during all the interval, between the fourth and fifth, and by the passion and other infallible characters.