This short, weighty, artless, candid dedication, belongs to the Acts, as well as the Gospel of St. Luke. Many have undertaken — He does not mean St. Matthew or Mark; and St. John did not write so early. For these were eye witnesses themselves and ministers of the word.... [ Continue Reading ]
To write in order — St. Luke describes in order of time; first, The acts of Christ; his conception, birth, childhood, baptism, miracles, preaching, passion, resurrection, ascension: then, The acts of the Apostles. But in many smaller circumstances he does not observe the order of time. Most excellen... [ Continue Reading ]
The course of Abia — The priests were divided into twenty — four courses, of which that of Abia was the eighth, 1 Chronicles 24:10. Each course ministered in its turn, for seven days, from Sabbath to Sabbath. And each priest of the course or set in waiting, had his part in the temple service assigne... [ Continue Reading ]
Walking in all the moral commandments, and ceremonial ordinances, blameless — How admirable a character! May our behaviour be thus unblamable, and our obedience thus sincere and universal!... [ Continue Reading ]
The people were praying without, at the time of the incense — So the pious Jews constantly did. And this was the foundation of that elegant figure, by which prayer is in Scripture so often compared to incense. Perhaps one reason of ordaining incense might be, to intimate the acceptableness of the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Zacharias was troubled — Although he was accustomed to converse with God, yet we see he was thrown into a great consternation, at the appearance of his angelical messenger, nature not being able to sustain the sight. Is it not then an instance of the goodness is well as of the wisdom of God, that th... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy prayer is heard — Let us observe with pleasure, that the prayers of pious worshippers come up with acceptance before God; to whom no costly perfume is so sweet, as the fragrancy of an upright heart. An answer of peace was here returned, when the case seemed to be most helpless. Let us wait patie... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall be great before the Lord — God the Father: of the Holy Ghost and the Son of God mention is made immediately after. And shall drink neither wine nor strong drink — Shall be exemplary for abstemiousness and self — denial; and so much the more filled with the Holy Ghost.... [ Continue Reading ]
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn — None therefore need be ashamed of "preaching like John the Baptist." To the Lord their God — To Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall go before him, Christ, in the power and spirit of Elijah — With the same integrity, courage, austerity, and fervour, and the same power attending his word: to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children — To reconcile those that are at variance, to put an end to the most bitter quarrels,... [ Continue Reading ]
Zacharias said, Whereby shall I know this? — In how different a spirit did he blessed virgin say, How shall this be? Zacharias disbelieved the fact: Mary had no doubt of the thing; but only inquired concerning the manner of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God — Seven angels thus stand before God, Revelation 7:2; who seem the highest of all. There seems to be a remarkable gradation in the words, enhancing the guilt of Zacharias's unbelief. As if he had said, I am Gabriel, a holy angel of God: yea, one of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou shalt be dumb — The Greek word signifies deaf, as well as dumb: and it seems plain, that he was as unable to hear, as he was to speak; for his friends were obliged to make signs to him, that he might understand them, Luke 1:62.... [ Continue Reading ]
The people were waiting — For him to come and dismiss them (as usual) with the blessing.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hid herself — She retired from company, that she might have the more leisure to rejoice and bless God for his wonderful mercy.... [ Continue Reading ]
He looked upon me to take away my reproach — Barrenness was a great reproach among the Jews. Because fruitfulness was promised to the righteous.... [ Continue Reading ]
In the sixth month — After Elisabeth had conceived.... [ Continue Reading ]
Espoused — It was customary among the Jews, for persons that married to contract before witnesses some time before. And as Christ was to be born of a pure virgin, so the wisdom of God ordered it to be of one espoused, that to prevent reproach he might have a reputed father, according to the flesh.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women — Hail is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or hast found favour with God, Luke 1:30, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David. The Lord is with thee... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall be called the Son of the Highest — In this respect also: and that in a more eminent sense than any, either man or angel, can be called so. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David — That is, the spiritual kingdom, of which David's was a type.... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall reign over the house of Jacob — In which all true believers are included.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee — The power of God was put forth by the Holy Ghost, as the immediate Divine agent in this work: and so he exerted the power of the Highest as his own power, who together with the Father and the Son is the most hi... [ Continue Reading ]
And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth — Though Elisabeth was of the house of Aaron, and Mary of the house of David, by the fathers side, they might be related by their mothers. For the law only forbad heiresses marrying into another tribe. And so other persons continually intermarried; particularly the f... [ Continue Reading ]
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord — It is not improbable, that this time of the virgin's humble faith, consent, and expectation, might be the very time of her conceiving.... [ Continue Reading ]
A city of Judah — Probably Hebron, which was situated in the hill country of Judea, and belonged to the house of Aaron.... [ Continue Reading ]
When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary — The discourse with which she saluted her, giving an account of what the angel had said, the joy of her soul so affected her body, that the very child in her womb was moved in an uncommon manner, as if it leaped for joy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Happy is she that believed — Probably she had in her mind the unbelief of Zacharias.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Mary said — Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand.... [ Continue Reading ]
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour — She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath wrought strength with his arm — That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah. He hath scattered the proud — Visible and invisible.... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath put down the mighty — Both angels and men.... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath helped his servant Israel — By sending the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
To his seed — His spiritual seed: all true believers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mary returned to her own house — And thence soon after to Bethlehem.... [ Continue Reading ]
His mother said — Doubtless by revelation, or a particular impulse from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
The hand of the Lord — The peculiar power and blessing of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Zacharias prophesied — Of things immediately to follow. But it is observable, he speaks of Christ chiefly; of John only, as it were, incidentally.... [ Continue Reading ]
A horn — Signifies honour, plenty, and strength. A horn of salvation — That is, a glorious and mighty Saviour.... [ Continue Reading ]
His prophets, who have been since the world began — For there were prophets from the very beginning.... [ Continue Reading ]
To serve him without fear — Without any slavish fear. Here is the substance of the great promise. That we shall be always holy, always happy: that being delivered from Satan and sin, from every uneasy and unholy temper, we shall joyfully love and serve God, in every thought, word, and work.... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou, child — He now speaks to John; yet not as a parent, but as a prophet.... [ Continue Reading ]
To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins — The knowledge of the remission of our sins being the grand instrument of present and eternal salvation, Hebrews 8:11. But the immediate sense of the words seems to be, to preach to them the Gospel doctrine of salvation by the remission of the... [ Continue Reading ]
The day spring — Or the rising sun; that is, Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]