Luke 3

2. To murder a person whose office is sacred, and comes on the King of Heaven's mission: the murdering of him may be the murdering of many. Herod added this sin above all, that he shut up John the Baptist in prison (Luke 3:20). Then much more to behead John in prison.

But, this one place of scripture (if there were no more) is alone sufficient to prove the lawfulness of war under the Gospel, if it be used according to God's will and word. When the Soldiers came to John Baptist, and asked him What they should do? he bids them not leave off the…

Malachi 2:10. Have we not all one father, etc. Luke 3:38. Which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. And in Isaiah 36. Christ is called the father of eternity, because all that are truly knit to him, and born anew by him, they are eternally made the sons of God.

He is a Father in regard of nature (Hebrews 12:9) because he created and governs all things. In this regard he is called the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9), and Adam is called the Son of God (Luke 3:38). He is a Father in respect of grace, because we are regenerate by him, and…

Notable is that speech of our Savior (John 5:35, speaking of John): He was a burning and a shining light, not only a shining light to give clear instruction in the knowledge of the Messiah, and the true meaning of the Law, but withal a burning light; so as that he had a notable…

He regarded not to walk in all the commandments of the Lord, and then as he cut short with God in reformation, and did not fulfill to walk after the Lord, therefore God cut Jehu short of all the hopes of grace that ever he might have attained, to verse 32. So that if we cut at a…

And that we may thus follow Christ's Example, and be Partakers with him in his Glory, we had need to be much in Prayer for his Spirit. Christ himself, though the Eternal Son of God, obtained the Holy Spirit for himself in a way of Prayer, Luke 3:21, 22. Jesus being baptized, and…

Also that he went through Egypt, and led them in the wilderness like a flock (Exodus 11:4; Psalm 78:52). Now this place is alleged by (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23) and applied to John Baptist, as if these things were foretold of him, and very rightly: for he was t…

Whereby we see how far it pleased the son of God to abase himself for our sakes; that he would not only be fed with ordinary food, but was also content to be deprived of understanding for a time, and to sustain all our infirmities according to his human nature; for this can not…

It was, I think, for the same reason that he chose a virgin betrothed to a man There is no foundation for Origen’s opinion, that he did this for the purpose of concealing from Satan the salvation which he was preparing to bestow on men. The marriage was a veil held out before th…

17. Therefore all the generations from Abraham till David are fourteen generations; and from David till the Babylonish migration are fourteen generations; and from the Babylonish migration till Christ are fourteen generations. Luke 3:23-38 23. Jesus was supposed to be the son of…

6. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a leather girdle about his loins, and he ate locusts and wild honey. Luke 3:1-6 1. And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his…

8. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Luke 3:15-18 15. And while the people were waiting, and while all were thinking in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ:

11. And a voice came from heaven, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-23 21. And it happened, that, while all the people were being baptized, "Quum baptizaretur omnis populus;" -- "en baptizant tout le peuple;" -- "in baptizing all the people." when Jes…

10. And now also the axe is laid at the root of the trees: every tree, therefore, which yields not good fruit, is cut down, and is thrown into the fire. Luke 3:7-14 7. He said therefore to the multitudes, which went out, that they might be baptized by him, Offspring of vipers, w…

15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the Gospel. Luke 3:19-20 19. Now Herod the tetrarch, when he was reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the wicked actions which Herod did,

This narrative is at present omitted by Luke, because he had explained it on a former occasion; and for my own part, as I am unwilling to annoy my readers by writing the same thing twice, I shall handle this passage with greater brevity. The allusion is to his exposition of Luke…

It cannot be doubted that he then engraved an uncommon Mark on the hearts of these two men, that they might at length perceive that in speaking he had breathed into them a divine warmth. For though the word of the Lord is always fire, yet a fiery rigor was at that time manifeste…

This is related Matth. 3. 16. Luke 3. 22. John 1. 32.

Third, this repentance that has been described, is indeed the special condition of remission of sin. This seems very evident by the Scripture, as particularly, Mark 1:4: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins. So, Luke…

And besides these, the publicans who were some of the most infamous sort of men, came to him, inquiring what they should do to be saved. And the soldiers, that were doubtless a very profane, loose, and profligate sort of persons; they made the same inquiry (Luke 3:12, 14): 'Then…

For they hear not what is said, indeed they reckon it not to be spoken to them, but to the wretched sinner, who has need of it, they need it not. John the Baptist does call them the generation of vipers (Matthew 3 and Luke 3), and even so does Christ also (Matthew 12 and 16). Th…

The first degree of murther is Anger, not anger simply: but rash and indiser[]et anger towards a brother: and by Brother, he means, first, one Iew with an other, to whome Christ spake; secondly, one neighbour with an other, whether Iew or Gentile: for by creation we are all bret…

He preached not to them, Fight no more, Kill no man; but gives them directions how they should conduct themselves in their calling: which he would not have done, if he thought their calling itself unlawful. He bids them do no violence, accuse no man falsely; but be content with…

They smile at the curses of the poor, and grow fat with their tears. They have forgotten Christ's caveat (Luke 3:14): Do violence to no man. Ahab violently took away Naboth's vineyard (2 Kings 21:11).

Had it been reckoned to him, as a descendent from Adam, he had not been a fit high priest to have offered sacrifices for us; as not being separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:25). Had Adam stood in his innocency, Christ had not been incarnate, to have been a Mediator for sinners, an…

So says Christ, Go teach all nations baptizing them (Matthew 28:19). So did the Baptist, and the Apostles, they preached the Gospel to them whom they baptized (Luke 3:3; Acts 2:38; 8:12, 37; 10:47; 16:15, 33). 1. A Sacrament without the word is but an idle ceremony: no more than…

Holy parents commended by the Holy Ghost have been careful in performing this duty, as Abraham (Genesis 24:4), Isaac (Genesis 28:2), Naomi (Ruth 3:1), and others: indeed Hagar had learned this duty in Abraham's house (Genesis 21:21). But the perfect pattern (which surpasses all…

2. For the saints of God themselves, let us see by some instances, what issue they have had of their entering into temptation. I shall name a few: Adam was the son of God (Luke 3), created in the image of God, full of that integrity, righteousness and holiness which might be and…

Satis amplum alter alteri Theatrum sumus. But the gracious purpose of God, to impart his goodness appears in this, that he has made himself such a multitude of sons, not only angels, that are so called, but man, a little lower than they in nature — yet dignified with this name i…

Thus by creation the angels are said to be the sons of God (Job 38:7): "When he was laying the foundations of the earth, the sons of God shouted for joy" — that is, the angels. And thus Adam also was called the son of God (Luke 3, last verse). Thus by our first creation, and wit…

Many men do sin, and most men are liable (being tempted) to sin in their callings. There are many temptations attend and wait on every calling; and were I to speak to men of any calling, I would follow the example of Saint John (Luke 3:10, etc.), who spoke to every one according…

And (1 Samuel 15:22-23) he calls his sin rebellion and stubbornness; thus cuttingly did he reprove King Saul. Saint John was not afraid to tell Herod of his wickedness, and to his face too (Luke 3:19). Saint Paul would not spare Saint Peter, when he found him tripping and dissem…

It is a common saying by which persons excuse their own and other men's sins, that they are no man's foes but their own, they wrong none but themselves; if that were as true as it is false, yet therefore sin should not be committed; but sinners are God's foes, they are injurious…

A [illegible] the corruption, [illegible] the [illegible] of those to whom the Word is spoken and blessed. The [illegible] soldiers, the refuse publicans, all [illegible] and stand [illegible] at the [illegible] of [illegible] (Luke 3:11-12), they all said, Master, what shall we…

It is that of the apostle (Romans 9:30): The Gentiles who sought not after righteousness, they have attained to righteousness, and yet the Jews who pretended great pains and search that way, they fell short of it. As the Lord presses in upon men before they be aware, and beyond…

Thus it was prophesied (Malachi 3:1), I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come into his temple. Thus was it accomplished by the Baptist, to whom the word of the Lord came, and he came [illegible] in the [ille…

No, no (brethren) the Word reveals none, our Savior accepts of no such agreement, he comes upon no such terms to bring any comfort with him, unless any man should be so far forsaken of reason and sense, as to imagine the Lord Jesus would carry the drunkard and his cups, the adul…

What is this kindly and proper fruit? When we are good in our callings and relations. In a magistrate, justice is kindly fruit (Deuteronomy 16:19); in a minister, zeal (Acts 17:16); in a parent, instruction (Deuteronomy 4:10); in a child, reverence (Ephesians 6:1); in a master,…

Yet they were idolaters, murmurers, visibly known to be such. And John the Baptist was obliged to esteem the multitudes, all Judea who were baptized of him (Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7; Matthew 3:2-4), really sanctified and redeemed. Yes, and since there are prophecies under the Messiah,…

These general expressions denote only the believers of all the several nations of the world. So Joel 2:18: 'I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh' — repeated in Acts 2:17 and Luke 3:6: 'All flesh shall see the salvation of God.' Believers are called all nations (Isaiah 2:2…

As for the example of Christ, it nothing upholds their side. He was not baptized before that he was thirty years old (Luke 3:23). That is indeed true: but there is a reason thereof ready to be shown: because he then purposed by his preaching to lay a sound foundation of Baptism,…

And with that the bottomless pit opened, just where I stood; out of the mouth of which there came, in an abundant manner, smoke, and coals of fire, with hideous noises. It was also said to the same persons, 'Gather my wheat into the garner.' (Luke 3:17.) And with that I saw many…

Now faith purifies our hearts, by applying all the commandments of God to our souls, so as that we dare commit no iniquity, and so are clean and marvelously innocent, ashamed, and dare not meddle with any sin. Now the soul stands in awe of God's word, and now faith having purifi…

Close in such duties with next neighbors, rather than with those that are further off. Another occasion of fellowship, was nearness of kindred, and that is evident in the text: The family of the house of David met by themselves, and so the house of Nathan; some take him to be on…

At a time, when there is an appearance of the approach of any glorious revival of God's church, God does especially call his professing people to the practice of moral duties (Isaiah 56:1): Thus says the Lord; keep judgment, and do justice; for my salvation is near to come, and…

To that noisome steam and poisonous exhalation which breathes from the mouth of an open sepulcher, their throat is an open sepulcher (Romans 3:13), that is, out of their throat proceeds nothing but stinking and rotten communication, as the Apostle calls it (Ephesians 4:29). To t…