Luke 1

In this all a Christian's comfort lies. Great was the work of creation, but greater the work of redemption: it cost more to redeem us than to make us; in the one there was but the speaking a word, in the other shedding of blood (Luke 1:51). The creation was but the work of God's…

It was a great honor to Moses to be a temporal savior; but what is it to be the Savior of souls? Christ is called the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69). He saves from sin (Matthew 1:21), from wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

The purest virgin that is, her soul is stained with original sin? Answer. This knot the Scripture unties (Luke 1:35). The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and overshadow you, therefore that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. The Holy Ghost shall…

Faith is the chief work which the Spirit of God works in a man's heart. In making the world God did but speak a word, but in working faith he puts forth his arm (Luke 1:51). The Spirit's working faith is called, the exceeding greatness of God's power.

2. The world was the work of God's fingers (Psalm 8:3). Conversion is the work of God's arm (Luke 1:5). 3. In the creation God worked but one miracle, he spoke the word; but in conversion he works many miracles: the blind is made to see, the dead is raised, the deaf hears the vo…

1. I begin with the first, the Preface to the Preface, vaiedabbur elohim, God spoke all these words, saying, etc. This is like the sounding of a trumpet before a solemn proclamation, [God spoke;] other parts of the Bible are said to be uttered by the mouth of the Holy Prophets (…

This is the diamond in the ring, it outshines all other comforts. 2. If we are fearers of God, we have a reverent awe upon us; we tremble at sin, and fly from it as Moses did from his rod turned into a serpent (Luke 1:50). His mercy is on them that fear him.

But fear your God. And there is honey in the mouth of this command (Luke 1:50). His mercy is upon them that fear him.

The creation was the work of God's fingers (Psalm 8:3). Redemption was the work of his arm (Luke 1:5). In the creation God gave us ourselves, in the redemption he gave us himself: by creation we have a life in Adam, by redemption we have a life in Christ (Colossians 3:3).

I will take away the stony heart, and give you a heart of flesh. Yet further, the power and Godhead of the Holy Ghost appeared in the effecting the glorious conception of our Lord Jesus Christ; the very shadow of the Holy Ghost made a virgin conceive (Luke 1:35). The Holy Ghost…

A king may pardon a traitor, but will not make him one of his privy council: but whom God pardons he receives into favor. I may say to him, as the angel to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:30): You have found favor with God. Hence such as are forgiven are said to be crowned with loving-k…

So Paul says, Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ: Ephesians 1:3: beginning his Epistle with this kind of blessing, that is, by praising God. And so Zachary after the birth of his…

But if we look for any reward at the day of death, we must labor in the works of godliness all the days of our life; for, therefore were we redeemed. Luke 1:74-75. In the whole book of God, we find but one man that lived wickedly, and repented at his end: that is, the thief upon…

1. In life. The Angel did comfort the Virgin Mary, Luke 1.28. The Angel did stop the mouths of the Lions that they could not hurt Daniel, Daniel 6.22.

And therefore by this confession the church of God is distinguished from all other companies of men in the world which believe not, as Pagans, heretics, Atheists, Turks, Jews, and all other infidels. This name Jesus was given to the son of God by the Father, and brought from hea…

2. A righteous man is devoted to holiness: the priests under the law were not only washed in the great laver, but adorned with glorious apparel (Exodus 28:2), the emblem of a righteous man who is not only washed from gross sin, but adorned with inward sanctity; he is what he see…

So Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1): when she received the mercy of a son, 'My soul,' said she, 'rejoices in the Lord' — not in the mercy, but in the God of the mercy. And so Mary (Luke 1:46): 'My soul does magnify the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior' — the word signifies 'to mak…

It is true, the high priest's praying for them was nothing to the soul's advantage of him or them if Christ was not made use of, both by him and by them; yet it was typical, and to show this much, that they were to improve Christ's Intercession as well as his Sacrifice and Satis…

This was Christ's personal privilege; and to lack this, is not our sin: to have it, was Christ's glory: but the nearer any is to God, the more heavenly are the affections. Secondly, when God framed the human nature and human soul of Christ, he created a more noble and carefully-…

Now he was made King, not on such terms, as he might destroy all his subjects, (for all mankind are his subjects to Arminians.) But he is made King (Psalm 72:11) that all nations may serve him; that he should deliver the poor, needy, and helpless; and redeem their souls from vio…

Or else secondly, [In] the bowels, is put for [Instar] Like the bowels, or After the bowels, according to the analogy of the Hebrew phrase: And so then the meaning were this, Like as the bowels of Jesus Christ do yearn after you, so do mine. [Bowels] are a metaphor to signify te…

We look at God as a Father, and we walk before him not in fear, but in liberty; and therefore we are free from the fear of death, to which, some are all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15). Now this is a spirit of liberty, to have the heart set free from all fear…

It is a rule of commerce between us and God. (2.) In your whole conversation, (Luke 1:74-75) "That we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life." A Christian's conversation is a continual act of worship; he ever behaves himse…

The word is a torment, rather than a comfort to you, you are afraid it will be found too true. 4. Do you receive it as the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13) It may be you do not contradict the divine authority in the Scriptures, but do you soundly believe them, and know the cer…

Math. 5. 6. Luk 1:35. Thirdly, Paul here sets downe a notable ground of true religion; That the death of Christ is made voide, if any thing be ioyned with it in the worke of our justification, as a meanes to satisfie Gods justice, and to merit the favor of God.

Zacharie and Elizabs walked in all the commandements of God, and that withoutreproofe before God. Luk 1:6. Ans.

The third is, that they have libertie to liue and serue God without feare of damnation, or any other euill. Luk 1:74. The last is, that afflictions cease to be curses, and are turned to blessings: and for this cause they are delaied and qualified for the good of them which are a…

The second part of Christian liberty is a freedom in good things: and it is fourfold. The first is a freedom in the voluntary service of God (Luke 1:74). We are delivered from our enemies, that we may serve God in righteousness and holiness before him all the days of our lives w…

Thirdly, by inchoate obedience, thus Zacharie & Elizabs are said to have walked in all the commandements of the Lord, without reproofe. Luk 1:6. And thus all the faithfull fulfill the lawe, in labouring to obey God in all his commandements; according to the measure of grace rece…

Here the Prophet means that the kingdom of Christ shall be firm and stable, as Daniel also has witnessed (Daniel 2:44 and 7:14). Likewise the Evangelist Luke: Of his kingdom (says he) shall be none end (Luke 1:33). Wherein it differs from the common condition of other kingdoms,…

We are therefore first of all to seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and not to place our joy and happiness in the abundance of wheat and wine, as hogs that feed in the trough. For as Zechariah sings in (Luke 1:75), the end of our deliverance from sin and Sat…

To this belong the words of Peter, where he says, We are a chosen generation, and that we should show forth the virtues of him who has called us out of darkness, into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And Zechariah sings, That we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies to…

And therefore these are those espousals, in compassion, and faithfulness; whereof Hosea speaks (Hosea 2:19-20). Now he not only allots them an outward court to worship the Lord in, as the people in old time did (Luke 1:10), but he attributes to them a more honorable order, to wi…

But the gate which is now made large, and set wide open to us, was then narrow, and in a manner closed up. For under the law, the people were wont to stay without in the court (Luke 1:10). Nothing now hinders us from entering into the Sanctuary, because the veil of the temple is…

The Angel Gabriel in like manner had respect to this when he brought the message to the Virgin; or rather he expounded this place, because it can be understood of none but of Christ. He shall reign, says he, over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no…

We must not, therefore, look to this passage for ascertaining the common law. Again, it is objected, that Mary, the mother of Christ, was Elisabeth’s cousin, though Luke has formerly stated that she was of the daughters of Aaron, (Luke 1:5.) The reply is easy.

The other matters which we have examined, relating to “the shepherds,” ( Luke 2:8 ,) the “Magi,” ( Matthew 2:1 ,) and “Simeon,” ( Luke 2:25 ,) were intended to prove his Divinity. What Luke relates about John and his father Zacharias, ( Luke 1:5 ,) was a sort of preparation for…

It is a piece of idle sophistry to say, that John's hearers were ignorant people, and that he gave them nothing more than elementary instructions, which fell very far short of Christian perfection. John's office was, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, (Luke 1:17) and…

"Happy are they who, though their wishes are so moderate, that they desire nothing to be granted to them but what is reasonable, are yet in a languishing condition, like persons who are famishing with hunger." Though their distressing anxiety exposes them to the ridicule of othe…

He never forgets the ties which unite all believers to each other and to their exalted Head. Are there any whose sentiments are hardly distinguishable from those things which are most surely believed among us, (Luke 1:1,) and yet who associate with the name of Calvinism all that…

'Tis plain from the Scripture that it is the Tendency of true Grace to cause Persons very much to delight in such religious Exercises. True Grace had this Effect on Anna the Prophetess; Luke 1. 37. She departed not from the Temple; but served God with Fastings and Prayers, Night…

But many in these days have got into a strange antiscriptural way, of having all their striving and wrestling over before they are converted; and so having an easy time of it afterwards, to sit down and enjoy their sloth and indolence; as those that now have a supply of their wa…

For he that beleives on the Son of God has the witness in himself. 1 Joh. 5. 10. But yet as Luke wrote his Gospel to Theophilus that he might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed, Luke 1. 4. that is, to confirm him in the Truth by an Addition of new…

Their meaning must be, that it did so as to the Gifts of Ministerial Prophesie, of Miracles, and of Writing the Mind of God by Inspiration for the Use of the Church; Otherwise there is no Truth in their Observation. For there were afterwards especial Revelations of the Holy Ghos…

He was the greatest of the prophets that came before Christ, as the morning star is the brightest of all the stars (Matthew 11:11). He came to prepare men's hearts to receive that kingdom of God, that Christ was about more fully to reveal and erect (Luke 1:17): 'To make ready a…

And his divine dignity also appeared in the holiness of his conception and birth. Though he was conceived in the womb of one of the corrupt race of mankind, yet he was conceived and born without sin; as the angel said to the blessed virgin (Luke 1:35): The Holy Spirit shall come…

No doubt but Abraham's encouragement in that case was the fruit of prayer, Genesis 24:7 His pious servant also, who was employed in that affair, did both earnestly seek counsel of God, Gen, 24:12 and thankfully acknowledge his gracious Providence in guiding it, Ver. 26, 27. The…

Therefore we find in the time of the sacrifice, still the people were at prayer, they knew the sacrifice, the incense, could do nothing, but as joined with the faith of the sacrificer in prayer. We read (Luke 1:10), when Zacharias the priest was offering the incense within in th…

I will pass over to speak of this matter at this time, for it is not now my intent so to do, lest I go too far from my purpose: that is, that I would have every man to give diligent heed to the songs that are usually sung in our churches or temples, and especially of one, the wh…

Again, Whereas the great means he has appointed for the forgiveness of sins, is by the mediation of the Lord Christ, as we shall afterwards shew, he has on several occasions confirmed his purpose in him, and the counsel of his will by his Oath. By this Oath he promised him unto…