THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE The Argument Concerning the penman of this history, the certain time when he wrote it, and the occasion of his writing of it, we have little in holy writ; and there is such an uncertainty in traditions, as it is hardly worth the labour to transcribe what men have but…

Luke’s evangelical history hath this peculiar to itself, that whereas the histories of the other evangelists are written to the whole world, having no particular inscription, or dedication, Luke dedicates his to a particular person, named Theophilus; for though that name signifieth one that loveth…

The Holy Ghost, for infinitely wise reasons, giveth us here an account both of the time when John the Baptist was born, and also of his parentage. It was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, that is, he who was the son of Antipater: not Herod the tetrarch of Galilee, of whom you read Luke 3:1,…

That they were not righteous by a perfect legal righteousness, being not guilty of any sin, is certain, for so there is none righteous, no, not one; but so righteous, as that God accepted them, and looked upon them as righteous; as Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness,…

Amongst all earthly blessings, there is nothing we more desire than children, in whom we have a kind of perpetuity, living in our species and in our posterity when we are dead in nature.

The priests were multiplied to an exceeding number; we find an account of more than four thousand upon the return out of the captivity of Babylon, Ezra 2:36–39; they were doubtless afterward multiplied to a far greater number.

We are told, that the order of the Jewish daily service was this: twice in the day the priests whose course it was to minister, or such of them whose lot it was, went into the holy place to burn incense, according to the law, Ex. 30:7.

Though we translate it appeared, yet in the Greek it is, there was seen of him. An angel indeed was there; whether the angel Gabriel or not, or in what form he appeared, it is not said.

We are naturally affrighted at sudden and unusual things, but especially at any Divine appearances, whether God himself takes a shape, or authorizes an angel to do it. So was Daniel, Dan. 10:7–8; and Manoah and his wife, Judg. 13:20; and Paul, Acts 9:1–18.

Although the great God useth so to show himself to the best of his own people, as to imprint upon them a sacred awe of his majesty, yet he never suffereth the souls of his people to sink under those apprehensions. The first words the angel saith to Zacharias are, Fear not, Zacharias.

None ought to have so mean thoughts of these words of the angel, as to think that they are only expressive of that affection which commonly discovereth itself in us when God giveth us sons, especially after a long barrenness, but of a further joy and gladness his parents should have upon a…

We have a natural ambition to be great, but it is only to be great in the sight of men; thence one man coveteth riches, another honours and reputation; but the true greatness is to be great in the sight of the Lord, who doth certainly judge with the truest and most infallible judgment.

God was last spoken of, he must therefore be the him mentioned here, before whom John the Baptist was to go, according to the prophecy, Mal. 4:5–6; from whence is an evident proof that Christ was the Lord our God, before whom John the Baptist came, in the spirit and power of Elias, and therefore he…

The words are much the same with those of Abraham, Gen. 15:8, Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it, viz. the land of Canaan? And Mary, Luke 1:34, when the same angel had told her she should have a child, Luke 1:31, saith, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Gideon also asked a sign,…

It is by some observed, that before the captivity of Babylon we read of no name of any angel, who have no names as we have, but assume names to declare the nature of their ministration; and that Gabriel signifieth, the power, or the strength, of God, because the declaring of the gospel, which the…

While the priest was in the holy place, the people were in that part of the temple called the court of Israel, or the court of the people, praying: when he had done, he came out, and blessed them according to the law, Num.

How long after those days the Scripture saith not, but it is probable it was soon after, as in the case of Abraham, and in the case of Manoah’s wife, Judg. 13:3, who conceived presently after the revelation.

In the sixth month, that is, after Elisabeth’s conception; thus it is expounded afterward, Luke 1:36. The angel Gabriel, the same angel that had appeared in the temple to Zacharias, who seemeth to have had a special ministration with reference to that part of God’s will which was predictive of the…

Virgins betrothed, until the consummation of their marriage, were ordinarily kept in their friends’ house: thither came this angel, and saith, Hail, thou that art highly favoured. The word translated hail signifies, Rejoice thou, or is as much as, God save thee.

It seemeth that she did not only hear a voice, and saw an ordinary appearance, but the appearance of the angel was attended with some manifestation of the glory of God, which affected her, and made her wonder what the meaning of this should be, that God should send an angel to her, and with such a…

This expounds those words, thou that art highly favoured, Luke 1:28, and lets her know that he came upon no ill design unto her, neither upon any human errand, nor yet with any message of evil tidings from God, for she was one for whom God had a favour.

These three verses contain the substance of the angel’s message or errand to the virgin, to tell her she should be the mother of a Son, by what name she should call him, and what he should be.

There are some would excuse Mary in this reply, and tell us these words spake in her no doubt that the things spoken by the angel should not come to pass, only admiration, or a desire to be further acquainted which way God would effect such a wonder of providence.

The Holy Ghost (who is also called here the power of the Highest) shall come upon thee; it is a phrase which signifieth a special and peculiar influence of the Holy Spirit: thus we read of the prophets, that the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, 2 Chron.

What a particular notice doth God take of the children of men! he knoweth our relations: thy cousin Elisabeth. Here some make a question how Elisabeth, who was one of the daughters of Aaron, Luke 1:5, and consequently of the tribe of Levi, could be cousin to Mary, who was of the house of David, and…

Once have I spoken, (saith Job, Job 40:5) but I will not answer. In like manner the virgin speaketh: I will dispute no more; I am the Lord’s servant, let him do with me whatsoever he pleaseth.

Many think that this city where this Zacharias lived was Hebron, before called Kirjatharba, Josh. 14:15, for that was a city in the mountainous part of Judah, one of the cities of refuge, and belonging to the priests, Josh. 20:7; but whether it was so or not cannot be certainly determined.

The motion of the child in the womb of the mother after her time of quickening is past, and the more than ordinary motion of it upon some extraordinary cause of joy, is no unusual thing with women in those circumstances; but doubtless as this motion was more than ordinary, so it had a more than…

Elisabeth useth the same words to Mary which the angel had used for her, Luke 1:28; that is, thou art an exceedingly happy woman, not only renowned, but one whom God hath greatly favoured and exceedingly blessed and made happy. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Elisabeth in these words acknowledgeth both the incarnation of Christ, and the union of the Divine and human nature in the one person of the Mediator; she acknowledgeth Christ her Lord, and Mary to be his mother.

By these words Elisabeth declareth that she looked upon the motion of the child in her womb, upon Mary’s salutation of her, as something more than natural.

Some will have this given as a reason why Elisabeth pronounced her blessed, because she believed that what God had said should have its effect; as, Luke 11:27–28, when the woman blessed the womb that bare Christ, and the paps that gave him suck, Christ saith, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear…

We are now come to the famous song of the blessed virgin, upon whom also the Spirit of the Lord comes upon this occasion. She first solemnly gives praise unto God, then by various expressions declareth the power and goodness of God, showing him worthy to be praised, and lastly applies what she had…

Our translators have here rightly translated ταπεινωσιν, low estate. Mary doubtless doth not here commend her own humility, (as some papists would have it), but magnifies God for that he had respect to her who was of so mean and low a condition; for though she was of the family of David, yet that…

That which is observable both in this verse, and in this whole song, is how the blessed virgin attributes all to God, and ascribes nothing to herself, or any merits of her own, much like unto her father David. Ps.

Having celebrated God for his glory and majesty, she here celebrates him for his mercy, which extends to all, but especially is showed to such as fear him.

In these verses the virgin celebrates both the power and justice of God, as she before had done his holiness, and his mercy and goodness. The strength of a man is much seen in the effects of his arm; hence God, who hath no such parts as we have, is yet spoken of as if he had an arm, by which no…

In this sentence the holy virgin celebrates the equity of God in the government of the world, proportioning men in some degrees one to another, that the rapacious qualities of some might not gain all to them, while, others have nothing.

In these verses the blessed virgin celebrates God’s mercy together with his truth, withal she hath here a respect to God’s particular goodness and mercy in the sending of the Redeemer.

It is most probable that she staid with her until she was brought to bed, not leaving her just at the time of her travail, but she staid not long after, but went home: by this time she must herself know that she was with child; and here in the true order of the history cometh in what we had Matt.

The angel told Mary, Luke 1:36, that it was then the sixth month with her; after this Mary was with her about three months, which made up her full time; so she was delivered, and brought forth a son, to show the truth of God’s promises, that we may all learn to give credit to his word.

The law for circumcision, Gen. 17:12, Lev. 12:3, was strictly for it to be performed the eighth day. We find nothing commanded in Scripture, either as to the person who was to perform the office of the circumciser, or as to the place.

It was the parents’ place, the father’s especially, to give children their names. Zacharias was dumb as yet, they therefore made signs to him; he by writing declareth that his name was John, that is, he was so named already by the angel, therefore there was to be no further dispute about it.

The angel, Luke 1:20, inflicted the punishment upon him no longer than until what he had said should be performed; now it was performed, God looseth his tongue, and he praiseth God, by the song which we shall by and by meet with.

By fear here is to be understood an awe and religions reverence of God, caused by these miraculous operations. Fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles, Acts 2:43.

We must not think that Zacharias was before this time destitute of the Holy Ghost, we heard the contrary before, Luke 1:6, but the Holy Ghost at this time came upon him by a particular and more especial impulse; as it did upon the prophets, whom the Spirit moved but at some special times to…

God is not the God of Israel only, but of all the nations of the earth also; but he is peculiarly called the God of Israel, both here and in many other places, Ps. 41:13, Ps. 72:18, Ps.

This was that which God had told them by his prophets, that a mighty salvation should arise to them out of the house of David, by which they should be saved from their enemies. By which enemies the generality of the Jews understood their temporal enemies, made of flesh and blood.

God first gave Abraham his word, Gen. 18:10, then he confirmed it by his oath, Gen. 22:16. The apostle, to the Hebrews, saith, Heb. 6:13, When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.

Thus Zacharias, by an infallible Spirit, expounds the covenants and oaths of God to Abraham and David, not as they appear to us at first view, as if they were promises of a mere temporal kingdom, and a victory for the Jews over their enemies, together with a splendid state for them, which was all…

Zacharias here foretells what came to pass about thirty years after, for it cannot be thought that John began his ministry before the sacerdotal age, especially considering Christ did not begin sooner, Luke 3:23.

To preach the doctrine of repentance to men, that they may obtain remission of sins. But it seems more natural, To teach people that the only way by which they can attain salvation, is not by any righteousness of their own, but by obtaining the free pardon and remission of their sins by Christ and…

In the Greek it is, through the bowels of mercy. An ordinary expression, and very natural, to signify great and deep compassion, Gen. 43:30, 1 Kings 3:26.

Here Zacharias showeth us the end why God visited us with his Son, the Branch, the Light, the Dayspring, the Sun of righteousness. Men were in the darkness of sin and ignorance, dead in trespasses and sins, at war and enmity with God; Christ came to give them the light of gospel revelations, the…

The evangelist having done with Zacharias’s prophetical song, now cometh to tell us what became of John. He saith, the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit. He did not only grow in his bodily dimensions, but in the endowments of his mind.