from the Yirgin Mary, or any of the apostles, is merifr conjecture and speeolatioQ. Enough for ns to know that St. Luke wrote by inspiration of God. Unquestionably he did not neglect the ordinary means of getting know- ledge. But the Holy Ghost guided him, no less than aU other writers of the Bible, in his chc^ce of matter. The Holy Ghost supplied him with thoughts, arrangement, sentences, and even words. And the result is, that what 8t. Luke wrote is not to be read as the ^'w<»d of man,'^ but the "word of God." (1 The». ii. 13.)
Let us carefully hold fast the great doctrine of the plenary inspiration of every word of the Bible. Let us never allow that any writer of the Old or New Testa- ment could make even the slightest verbal mistake or error, when writing as he was "moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter i. 21.) Let it be a settled principle with us in reading the Bible, that when we cannot understand a passage, or reconcile it with some other passage, the fault is not in the Book, but in ourselves. The adoption of this principle will place our feet upon a rock. To give it up is to stand upon a quicksand, and to fill our minds with endless uncertainties and doubts.
Finally, St. Luke informs us of one main object he had in view in writing hie OoepeL It was that Theophilus " might know the certainty of those tilings wherein he had been instructed."
There is no encouragement here for those who place confidence in unwritten traditions, and the voice of the church. St. Luke knew well the weakness of man's memory, and the readiness with which a history alters its shape both by additions and alterations, when it
LUmSy CHAP. I. TBR. 1—4. 5
depends only on word of mouth and report.- What therefore does he do ? He takes care to " write.''
There is no encouragement here for those who are opposed to the spread of religious knowledge^ and talk of ignorance as the "mother of devotion." St. Luke does not wish his friend to remain in doubt on any matter of his faith. He tells him that he wants him to "know the Certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed.''
Let us close the passage with thankMness for the Bible. Let us bless God daily that we are not left dependent on man's traditions, and need not be led astray by ministers' mistakes. We have a written volume, which is "able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. iii. 15.)
Let us begin St. Luke's Gospel with an easiest desire to know more ourselves of the truth as it is in Jesus, and with a hearty determination to do what in us lies to spread the knowledge of that truth throughout the world.
KOTES. LUKB I. 1 — i.
[Gospel accordingto St. Luke.] Our information concerning St. Luke is scanty. It is conjectured by some that he was one of the seventy disciples sent forth by our Lord, in addition to the twelve apostles. (Luke x. 1.) There seems no reason to doubt that he was the companion of St. Paul in his travels, and that he was a ** physician." (Col. iv. 14.) Some have thought that his profes- sion as a physician may be traced in his manner of describing our Lord's miraculous cures of diseases, — and his companionship of St. Paul in his manner of speaking on such subjects as God's glory, and Christ's love to sinners, it is generally agreed that his Uospel was written with a special reference to Q-entile con- verts, rather than Jews. Origen, Jerome, Chrysostom, Ambrose, and others, suppose that St. Paiil refers to Luke and his Gospel, in the words, '* me brother whose praise is in the Gospel." (2 Cor. viii, 18.) — This however is very questionable.
1. — [Many have taken in hand.] Who these "many" were, we do not know. That they wrote with any but good intentions we