70 CHAP. 1. CHAP. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT LUKE. INCE many have undertaken | way of the Lord, make the paths CHAP. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, and all men shall 6 see the salvation of God." III. warns and who came to his SINCE Preface. things, which are fully believed 2 among us, even as they, who were eye-witnesses from the first, and ministers of the word, delivered 3 them unto us; it hath seemed good to me also who having gained exact knowledge of every thing Then he said to the multitudes 7 from the first, to write them unto that were coming forth to be bap4 thee, in order most excellent tized by him, "O brood of vipers! advises "Theophilus, that thou mayest who hath warned you to flee from the people know the certainty of those things the judgments which are approachin which thou hast been instructed. ing? Bring forth fruits worthy baptism. In the fifteenth year of the reign of repentance, and do not say S of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate within yourselves, • We have John the being governor of Judea, and Abraham for our father,' for I Baptist beHerod tetrarch of Galilee, and say unto you, God is able of these gins to preach; his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea stones to raise up children unto and the country of Trachonitis, Abraham. And even now the axe 9 2 and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, is laid to the root of the tree; so Annas and Caiaphas being high- that every tree, which beareth not priests, the word of God came to good fruit, will be hewn down and John the son of Zacharias in the cast into the fire." And the mul- 10 3 desert. And he went into all the titudes asked him, saying, "What country about Jordan preaching must we do then?" And he anthe baptism of repentance for the swered, "Let him that hath two 11 remission of sins, as it is written coats give one to him that hath in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, none, and him that hath food do 4 who saith: "A voice of one cry-likewise." Then came taxgather- 12 ing in the desert, Prepare ye the ers also to be baptized, and said This gospel was written for the use of the Gentile converts to Christianity, A.D. 63 or 64, and bears the name of Luke; who was very probably the same person as is also called Silas and Silvanus. He was the intimate fiend of the apostle Paul, and accompanied him in several of his travels. He appears to have been a native of Antioch, and by profession a physician, Col. iv. 14. He tells us, in a concise handsomely written preface, with what religious solicitude he examined into the historical facts on which Christianity is founded, with what care and caution he had traced the stream to its source, and what application and study he had enployed to digest and arrange these great events ly. CHAP. unto him, "Master, what shall we do?" And he said unto them, 13" Exact no more than what is appointed you." Then the soldiers 14 also asked him, saying, " And what must we do?" And he said unto them," Use no violence nor injustice to any one, and be content with your wages, the ap Christ; IV. the devil said unto him, «As CHAP. 15 Now while the people was in ex-time, and said unto him, "I will 6 Announces pectation, and all were reasoning give thee power over all these, pearance of in their breasts whether he were the and the glory arising from the posChrist, John said unto them all, session of them, for unto me it is 16" I indeed baptize you with water; delivered, and to whomsoever I but one mightier than I is com- please, I give it. If therefore thou 7 ing, the string of whose shoes I wilt worship me, all this shall be am not worthy to untie, he will thine." And Jesus answered, "Be- 8 baptize you with a purifying spirit gone, Satan! for it is written, 'Thou 17 and with fire; whose fan is in shalt worship the Lord thy God, his hand, and he will thoroughly and pay religious service to him: cleanse his floor, and lay up the alone." And the devil carried him 9 wheat in his garner; but will burn to Jerusalem, and set him on a wing, up the chaff with unquenchable of the temple, and said unto him, 18 fire." And with many other ex"As thou art the son of God, 10 hortations to this purpose, did he throw thyself down from this place; preach unto the people. for it is written, He will give his 11 angels charge concerning thee to keep thee safe, and on their hands will they bear thee up, lest at any time thou strike thy foot against a stone." And Jesus answered, "It 12 is said, Thou shall not try the Lord thy God." And when the 13 devil had ended every trial, he went from him for a time. 19 is imprisoned. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him about Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and all his other 20 evil deeds, added one more to them by shutting up John in prison. 21 Now when all the people had Baptism of been baptized and Jesus was prayJesus. ing after his baptism, the heaven 22 was opened, and the holy spirit descended in a bodily form with a hovering motion like dove upon him, and a voice came ven, saying, Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well 23 pleased." And this same Jesus was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry. CHAP. tion. broad. And Jesus returned in the power 14 of the spirit into Galilee, and a re- His fame on hea-port of him went forth into all the spread acountry round about. And he taught in their synagogues, and was 15 applauded by all. Now Jesus returned from Jordan full of a holy spirit, and was led Tempta- by that spirit into the desert, where he was forty days under the trial 2 of the devil. And in those days he ate nothing, but at the end of 3 them, he was at last hungry. And What And he came to Nazareth, where 16 he had been brought up, and went, as his custom was, on the Sabbath- happened day into the synagogue, and stood in the sy up to read. And the book of the nagogue at prophet Isaiah was delivered unto him, and he opened the book at 17 the place where it was written, Nazareth. The spirit of Jehovah is upon 18 * See Isaiah lxi. 1, 2, just before chap. xlix, in Selections from the Old Testament. IV. IV. to throw him down headlong; but CHAP pers on, CHAP. me, because he hath anointed me to publish glad tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to cure the broken hearted, to proclaim to the cap- And he went down to Caperna- 31 tive freedom, and to the blind re- um, a city of Galilee, and taught Jesus cures covery of sight, to set at liberty the them on the Sabbath days, and they an insane 19 bruised; to proclaim the year of were greatly astonished at his doc20 acceptance with Jehovah." And trine, for his word was with authohe closed the book, and gave it rity. And in the synagogue there 33 again to the proper officer, and sat was a man with an unclean spirit, down; and the eyes of all in the and he cried out with a loud voice, synagogue were fixed upon "Ah! what hast thou to do with 34 him. 21 Then he began to say unto us, Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou them "To-day this part of scrip- come to punish us? I know thee, ture is fulfilled in your ears.' who thou art, the holy one ofGod." 22 And all gave their testimony of And Jesus rebuked him, saying, 35 admiration to those graceful words" Be silent, and come out of him." which proceeded out of his mouth, And when the demon had thrown and said, "Is not this the son of him in the midst of them he came 23 Joseph?" And he said unto them, out of him, without doing him any. "Ye will doubtless say unto me hurt. And all were struck with 36 this proverb, Physician heal astonishment, and spake among thyself.' What we have heard themselves, saying, "What a done by thee in Capernaum do voice is this! With authority and 24 here also in thine own town. But power he commandeth the unclean verily I say unto you, no prophet spirits and they come out." And a 37 is acceptable in his own town. report of him went abroad into every 25 Now I say unto you: There were part of the country round about. many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up so that there was no rain for three years and six months, when there was a great famine 26 throughout all the land; yet to none of them was Elijah sent, but he was sent only to a widow at 27 Sarepta, a city of Sidon. And malepers were in Israel, in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of them was cleansed; but Naaman, 2 Kings v. the Syrian, alone was cleansed." 28 And all in the synagogue were filled with anger when they heard 29 these things, and rose up, and drove him out of the city, and were for carrying him to the brow of the lal on which their city was built, 1 Kings xvii. Then he arose and went out of the 38 mother. synagogue into Simon's house. Now Peter's and miracles of which they had showed 3 He wanted not the testimony of mad- others. CHAP V. ent parts of their vessels to land, they left all CHAP. and followed him. V. Now, when it was day, he went forth into a lonely place, and the He preach- multitudes sought him, and came es in differ- to him, and would have detained Galilee. him that he might not depart from 43 them; but he said unto them, "I must preach the glad tidings of the kingdom of God to other cities al-And Jesus stretched out his hand, 13 and touched him, saying, "I will, be thou clean ;" and immediately the leprosy departed from him. And Jesus charged him to tell no 14 man: "But go," he said, "show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses command And while he was in a certain 12 city, a man full of leprosy fell on his A leper face, when he saw Jesus, and be- healed; sought him, saying, "Sir, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." so, for to this end was I sent." 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee. CHAP. V. Now, as the multitude was pressing upon Jesus, to hear the word of Call of Pe- God, while he stood by the lake of ter, James Gennesaret, he saw on the edge of and john. the lake two vessels, which the fish-ed, for a testimony unto them." ermen had left and were washing 3 their nets, So he went into one of the vessels which was Simon's, and asked him to put off a little from the land; and he sat down and taught the multitudes out of 4 the vessel. And when he had done speaking, he saith to Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." 5 And Simon answered, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the 6 net ;" and on doing this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net was going to break. Then they beckoned to their part-finding any way to bring him in beners in the other vessel, to come cause of the multitude, they went and help them. And they came up to the housetop, by the outer and filled both the vessels, so that stairs, and let him down through 8 they almost sank. Now Simon the trap-door in the roof, and so Peter seeing this, fell down at the brought him by the inner stairs knees of Jesus, saying, Depart into the midst of them, in the prefrom me, for I am a sinful man, O sence of Jesus. And when he saw 20 9 Lord!" For astonishment seized their faith, he said, "Man, thy him, and all his companions, at the sins are forgiven thee!" draught of the fishes which they the Scribes and the Pharisees began 10 had taken; as it also did James and to reason among themselves, sayJohn, the sons of Zebedee, who ing, "Who is this man that speakwere partners with Simon. But eth so wickedly? who can forgive Jesus said to Simon, "Be not sins but God alone?" Now Jesus, 22 afraid, henceforth thou shalt catch perceiving their reasonings, an11 men." And when they had brought swered, Why are you reasoning But the report of Jesus spread abroad 15 more and more, and great multitudes came together to hear him, and to be cured by him of their infirmities. But he withdrew into 16 desert places, and prayed. On a certain day as he was teach- 17 ing, and Pharisees and teachers of and a the law, who had come from paralytic. every town of Galilee, and Judea, and from Jerusalem, were sitting by, the power of the Lord was with Jesus to cure the people. And be- 18 hold! some men brought upon a couch a man with a palsy, and were seeking how to bring him in, and lay him before Jesus. But not 19 1 By persuading them to obey the gospel. Then 21 V. Levi or called. Y. VI. plucking corn on the CHAP. in your hearts? Which is easier? | with the old. And no one putteth CHAP, to say, Thy sins he forgiven new wine into old skins; if he 23 thee,' or to say, Arise, and does, the new wine will burst those 37 24 walk;' but that ye may know that skins and be spilled, and the skins the son of man hath power on earth be destroyed; but new wine must to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick be put into new skins, and then of the palsy), I say unto you, both are preserved together." Arise, and take up thy couch, and Now on the first Sabbath of the CHAP. go to thy house." And immedi-second month, Jesus went through ately he rose up before them, took the corn fields, and the disciples and in 25 up the couch on which he had been plucked the ears of corn and ate, lying, and went home glorifying rubbing them with their hands. Sabbath. God. And great amazement seized But some of the Pharisees said un- 2 all, and they glorified God; and to them, "Why are ye doing what 26 were filled with fear, saying, We is not lawful to be done on the Sabhave seen strange things to-day." bath?" And Jesus answered, 3 27 After these things, Jesus went "Have ye not read so much as forth, and saw a taxgatherer, nam- this, what David did when himself: Matthew ed Levi, sitting at the place where and his companions were hungry; custom was received, and he said how he went into the house of God, 4 28 unto him, "Come with me ;" and and took and ate the show-bread he left every thing and arose, and which the priests only are allowed 29 went with Jesus. And Levi made to eat, and gave also to his coma great entertainment for him at panions." And he said unto them, 5 his house, and there was a great "The son of man is master even of company of taxgatherers and others the Sabbath." 30 at table with them. But the Scribes and Pharisees among them murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do ye eat and drink with 31 taxgatherers and sinners ?" Jesus answered, 66 They that are well need not a physician, but they that 32 are sick; I came not to call righteous men,but sinners to repentance." And some said unto him, "Why Disciples do the disciples of John fast often and pray, but thine eat and drink?" And he said unto them, "Do ye 34 wish the companions of the bridegroom to fast, while the bridegroom 35 is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall depart from them; then will they 36 fast in those days." And to illustrate what he said, he spoke also these parables, "No one putteth a patch from a new garment upon an old one; if he does, he both maketh a rent in the new garment, and the patch from the new agreeth not 33 vindicated for not fasting; Jesus curet a man with bath. Now on another Sabbath he s went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there 4 withered whose hand was withered, and the hand, on Scribes and the Pharisees watched the Sabhim whether he would work a cure on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him. But he 8 knew their thoughts, and said to the man with the withered hand, Rise up and stand in the midst:" and he arose and stood. Then said Jesus 9 unto them, "I will ask you a question. Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil to save life or to destroy it?" And after 10 looking round upon them all, he said unto the man, "Stretch out thy hand ;" and he did so, and the hand was restored to its soundness like the other. Then they were 11 wholly confounded, and debated with each other, what they should do to Jesus. Now in those days he went out 12 |