Gospel. Luke i. 57. (s) LISABETH'S full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60. And his mother answered and said, "Not so; but he shall be called “John." 61. And they said unto her, "There is none of thy kin"dred that is called by this name. 62. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63. And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." And they (0) v. 10. "The Lord God." Hebr. "Adonai Jehovah." "Adonai," which is applied to the Messiah in the two prophetic Psalms, Ps. ii. 4. and Ps. cx. 1. and "Jehovah," which is never applied but to the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost. See post, note on Ps. ii. 4. and note on Ps. cx. 1. Does not this imply that it was to be one of the persons of the Godhead who was to come? The same is to be inferred from the exclamation, "Behold "your God." marvelled all. 64. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea: 66. and all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What "manner of child shall this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and "redeemed his people, 69. and "hath raised up an horn of sal"vation for us in the house of his "servant David; 70. as he spake "by the mouth of his holy pro 66 phets, which have been since "the world began: 71. that we "should be saved from our ene"mies, and from the hand of all "that hate us; 72. to perform "the mercy promised to "fathers, and to remember his 66 our holy covenant, 73. the oath "which he sware to our father "Abraham, 74.that he would grant "unto us, that we, being de"livered out of the hand of our "enemies, might serve him with"out fear, 75. in holiness and righ"teousness before him, all the days (p) "His arm." So Is. liii. 1. "To whom "is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" (q) v. 11. "Shepherd." The Messiah is elsewhere spoken of under the name of a shepherd. See ante, 58. note (g) on Matt. ii. 5. and ante, 149. on John x. 11. (r) "Shall gather, &c." i. e. shall be to his followers what a shepherd who so treats his lambs is to his flock: full of tender attention and care. (s) See ante, p. 7. where this passage occurs, and is commented upon. (h) A spirited prophecy, intimating the coming of some extraordinary personage from God, to communicate unusual blessings to God's people. It is generally considered as applying to the coming of the Messiah. (i) v. 3. “The voice, &c." It was the practice of Eastern monarchs, when they went upon an expedition or journey, to send pioneers before them, to open the passes, level the ways, and remove all impediments. The supposition here, that proclamation was made in the wilderness for such a preparation, implies that some uncommon personage was to be expected. St. John the Baptist applies this part of the prophecy to himself; when he was asked who he was, his answer was, "I am "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord, as "said the prophet Esaias, John i. 23." ante, 38. (k) "The Lord." Gr. "Kupis." Hebr. "Jehovah," "the incommunicable name of "God." An intimation that he for whom the way was to be prepared was intitled to Lord, make straight in the "desert a highway for our God." 4. Every (1) valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5. and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord (k) hath spoken it. 6. The voice said, "Cry." And he said "What shall I cry?" "All "flesh (m) is grass, and all the 66 goodliness thereof is as the "flower of the field: 7. the grass "withereth, the flower fadeth: "because the Spirit of the Lord "bloweth upon it: surely the "people is grass. 8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; "but the word of our God shall "stand for ever." 9. O(n) Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O (n) Jerusalem, that bringest that name and yet this is the cry of Christ's forerunner, and it was for Christ the way was to be prepared. See Bellarm. de Christo. lib. i. c. 4. p. 283. & Vaill. 11. (1) v. 4. "Every valley, &c." Baruch v. 7. has the same idea. "For God hath "appointed that every high hill and banks "of long continuance should be cast down, "and vallies filled up, to make even the "ground, that Israel may go safely in the "glory of God." According to Diodorus Siculus, Semiramis, in her journey through Asia, had the mountains and precipices levelled, and raised causeways in the val lies wherever she went. 2 Lowth's Isaiah, 253, 254. (m) v. 6. "All flesh, &c." The object seems to be to contrast the vanity and weakness of all earthly things, with the certainty and stability of what God pro mises. (n) v. 9. "O Zion, &c." or "O thou "that bringest good tidings to Zion, &c." and "O thou that bringest good tidings to "Jerusalem." Wilson's Hebr. Gram. 329. Bp. Lowth in loco. good tidings, lift up thy voice | marvelled all. 64. And his mouth with strength: lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" 10. Behold, the Lord (0) God will come with strong hand, and his (p) arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11. He shall feed his flock like a (q) shepherd; he shall (r) gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. The Gospel. Luke i. 57. (s) ELISABETH'S full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60. And his mother answered and said, "Not so; but he shall be called "John." 61. And they said unto her, "There is none of thy kin"dred that is called by this name. 62. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63. And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." And they وو (o) v. 10. "The Lord God." Hebr. "Adonai Jehovah." "Adonai," which is applied to the Messiah in the two prophetic Psalms, Ps. ii. 4. and Ps. cx. 1. and "Jehovah," which is never applied but to the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost. See post, note on Ps. ii. 4. and on Ps. cx. 1. Does not this imply that it was to be one of the persons of the Godhead who was to come? The same is to be inferred from the exclamation, "Behold your God." - note was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea: 66. and all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What manner of child shall this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of "Israel; for he hath visited and "redeemed his people, 69. and "hath raised up an horn of sal"vation for us in the house of his "servant David; 70. as he spake "by the mouth of his holy pro"phets, which have been since "the world began: 71. that we "should be saved from our ene"mies, and from the hand of all "that hate us; 72. to perform "the mercy promised to "fathers, and to remember his our holy covenant, 73. the oath "which he sware to our father "Abraham, 74.that he would grant "unto us, that we, being de"livered out of the hand of our "enemies, might serve him with"out fear, 75. in holiness and righ"teousness before him, all the days (p) "His arm." So Is. liii. 1. "To whom "is the arm of the Lord revealed ?" (q) v. 11. "Shepherd." The Messiah is elsewhere spoken of under the name of a shepherd. See ante, 58. note (g) on Matt. ii. 5. and ante, 149. on John x. 11. (r) "Shall gather, &c." i. e. shall be to his followers what a shepherd who so treats his lambs is to his flock: full of tender attention and care. (s) See ante, p. 7. where this passage occurs, and is commented upon. BE The Epistle. 1 Peter iii. 8. ye "of our life. 76. And thou, Child, | quietness, through Jesus Christ "shalt be called, The Prophet our Lord. Amen. "of the Highest:' for thou shalt 66 before the face of the Lord go "to prepare his ways; 77. to give "knowledge of salvation unto "his people, by the remission of "their sins, 78. through the ten"der mercy of our God; whereby "the Day-spring from on high "hath visited us, 79. to give light "to them that sit in darkness and "in the shadow of death, to guide “our feet into the way of peace." 80. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. Fifth Sunday after Trinity. The Collect. GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly (t) v. 9. "Evil for evil." St. Paul gives the same advice to the Roman converts, (Rom xii. 17.) "Recompence to no man "evil for evil;" and to the Thessalonians, (1 Thess. v. 15.) "See that none render "evil for evil unto any one." Christianity does not sanction retaliation; on the contrary, it inculcates forgiveness of injuries as an essential duty, and treats the right to avenge as the peculiar privilege of God. "Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith "the Lord, Rom. xii. 19." The example in this respect is furnished by our Saviour, who (according to 1 Pet. ii. 23.) "when ❝he was reviled, reviled not again; when "he suffered, he threatened not." (u) v. 10. "For, &c." What follows to the end of verse 12. is transcribed from Ps. xxxiv. 12. &c. St. Peter therefore uses that authority to inforce the duty he was recommending. (x) v. 13. "Who is he, &c." To follow all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9. not rendering evil (t) for evil, or railing for railing; but knowing contrariwise blessing; that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10. For (u) "he that will love life, "and see good days, let him re"frain his tongue from evil, and 66 his lips that they speak no guile : "11. let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and 66 ensue it. 12. For the eyes of "the Lord are over the righteous, “and his ears are open unto their 66 prayers: but the face of the "Lord is against them that do "evil." 13. And who is (a) he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14. But and if ye suffer for righte ousness' sake, (y) happy are ye: and "be (≈) not afraid of their terror, good, is the surest way to avoid persecu- 66 (y) v.14. "Happy." Our Saviour has given this assurance in his Sermon on the mount, Matt. v. 10, 11. post, "Blessed "are they which are persecuted for righte ousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom "of heaven; blessed are ye when men "shall revile you, and persecute you, and "shall say all manner of evil against you, "falsely, for my sake: rejoice and be ex"ceeding glad, for great is your reward "in heaven." So 1 Pet. iv. 14. "If ye be "reproached for the name of Christ, happy "are ye." " (z) "Be not afraid, &c." Transcribed from Is. viii. 12, 13. God said unto Isaiah, "Say ye not a confederacy, to all them "to whom this people shall say a con "neither be troubled; 15. but "sanctify the Lord God in your "hearts." The Gospel. Luke v. 1. IT came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of (a) Gennesaret, 2. and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3. And he entered into one of the ships, which was (b) Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4. Now, when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, "Launch out into "the deep, and let down your "nets for a draught." 5. And Simon answering said unto him, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: "nevertheless at thy word I will "let down the net." 6. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8. When Simon Peter "federacy, neither fear ye their fear, nor "be afraid; sanctify the Lord of hosts "himself, and let him be your fear, and "let him be your dread, and he shall be "for a sanctuary." The meaning therefore here is, "disregard all earthly per"secutions, fear none but God, and he "shall be a sanctuary against all evils." (a) v. 1. "The Lake of Gennesaret." The same as the sea of Galilee or Tiberias, near which Jesus chiefly lived, appointed his disciples, and performed his miracles. (b) v. 3. "Simon's," i. e. "St. Peter's." (c) v. 8. "O Lord." The change of ap saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me; "for I am a sinful man, (c) O "Lord." 9. For he (d) was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10. and so was also (e) James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which partners with Simon. And Jesus "Fear not; said unto Simon, "from henceforth thou shalt catch "men." 11. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Saint Peter's Day. The Collect. were |
