The volume now in the reader's hands, is a continuation of the "Expository Thoughts on the Gospels," of which two volumes have been already published. The general design of the work has been so fully explained in the preface to the volume on Matthew, that it seems needless to say anything further…

The Gospel of Luke, which we now begin, contains many precious things which are not recorded in the other three Gospels. Such, for instance, are the histories of Zachariah and Elizabeth, the angel's announcement to the Virgin Mary--and, to speak generally, the whole contents of the first two…

The first event recorded in Luke's Gospel, is the sudden appearance of an angel to a Jewish priest, named Zachariah. The angel announces to him that a son is about to be born to him, by a miraculous interposition, and that this son is to be the forerunner of the long-promised Messiah.

We have, in these verses, the words of the angel who appeared to Zachariah. They are words full of deep spiritual instruction. We learn here, for one thing, that prayers are not necessarily rejected because the answer is long delayed.

We see in this passage, the power of unbelief in a good man.Righteous and holy as Zachariah was, the announcement of the angel appears to him incredible. He cannot think it possible that an old man like himself should have a son.

We have, in these verses, the announcement of the most marvelous event that ever happened in this world--the incarnation and birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a passage which we should always read with mingled wonder, love and praise.

Let us mark, in these verses, the reverent and discreet manner in which the angel Gabriel speaks of the great mystery of Christ's incarnation.In reply to the question of the Virgin "How shall this be?" he uses these remarkable words--"The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the…

We should observe in this passage, the benefit of fellowship and communion between believers. We read of a visit paid by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. We are told in a striking manner how the hearts of both these holy women were cheered, and their minds lifted up by this interview.

These verses contain the Virgin Mary's famous hymn of praise, in the prospect of becoming the "mother of our Lord." Next to the Lord's Prayer, perhaps, few passages of Scripture are better known than this.

We have in this passage the history of a birth, the birth of a burning and shining light in the Church, the forerunner of Christ Himself--John the Baptist. The language in which the Holy Spirit describes the event is well worthy of remark.

Another hymn of praise demands our attention in these verses. We have read the thanksgiving of Mary, the mother of our Lord. Let us now read the thanksgiving of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist.