The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 16

xii. 1). Of these two blessed spirite whl'>se gr<'gation, told the awestruck people that names are revcl\led to ns in the Word of the long delay and the loss nf speech were God. their Rppointed work seems to be in owing to no sudden illueee which he.d seized connretion with the hum1<n re.co and its Zacharias. We know that, in the old daya ene111ies. Gal>riel ie the epcoial messenger of the desert wanderings, the children of of goo,! new,._ He comes to Dnniel, and Israel could not bear to look on tbo face of tells him of the restoration of JerUSRlcm; l\Ioees when he oame down from the mount tn ZachariRB, and announces tl,e birth of hie after dwelling for a brief space in the light son, and declares wl,at his glorious office of the glory or the Eternal. Zacharie.s bad would consist in; to Marv of Nazareth, and been face to face with one whose blessed lot foretells the nativity. Miehael, on the other it was to sta.ud for ever in the presence of hand, appears M the warrior of God. In God. We may well suppoao that there the Dook of Daniel he wars with the enemies lin1,rered on the old man's face, as be left the of the people of the Lord; in Jude and in sanctuary, aomething which told the beholder the Revelation of St. John he is the vic- of the presence just left. torious antagonist of Satan the enemy of Ver. 24.-And after those da.ya his wife the Eternal. The Jews have a striking Elisabeth oonceived, and hid herself five saying that Gabriel flies with two winge., months. Various ?011Bons have beon sug- but Michael with only one; eo God is swift gested for this retirement. It seems most in sending angels of peace e.ndof joy,of which probable that, amn.zed at the augelio an- bleBBOO company the archangel Gabriel is the nouncement, the saintly womau went into rcprC'se11tati ve, while the messengers of his prrfect retirement and isolation for e, oon- wrath and punishmeut,omong whum Michael s:der.,ble period, to prove well the words of holds a chief place, come slowly. That stand the angel, and to consider bow she best in the presenoe of God. could do her part in the training of the "One of the seven expected child, who was to play so mighty Who in God's presence, nee.rest to hie throne, a part in the history of her people. Stand ready at command, and are bis eyes That run through all the heavens, and down Vere. 26-38.-The annu11eiation of the to tlie earth Virgin Mary. The recital contained in t.his Bear his swift commands, over moist and dry, little section is peculiar to this Gospel of O'er sea and laud." St. Luke. It lay ontsicle what may be (' Paradise Lost,' iii. 650.) termed the apostolic tradition. It neither Milton derived his knowledge of the ser,en helps nor mare the ruor,ll or dogmatic teach- from the apocryphal Book of Tobit, where ing of the men trained in the school of in eh. xii 15 we read, •• I am Raphael, one Jesus of Nazareth. It simply_ answers e. of the sei,en holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and question that probably fow of the converts out.before the glory of the Holy One." In of the first quarter of a century which suc- the very ancient Book of Enoch we read of ceeded the Resurrection morning cared t-0 ask. the names of the four great archangels, We do not Hnppose tl.Jat the true story of Michael, Gabriel, Oriel. and Rapltael. the birth of J eaus Christ was any se11ret, ""\ er. 21.-And the people waited for Zacha.ria.s, and ma.rvelled that he tarried any precious mystery in the Church of the 10 long in the temple. The Talmud tells us first days. It was known doubtless to the th:.t even the high priest did not tarry long leading teachers, known to many of their in the holy of holies on the Day of Atone- hearers, but it was evidently unused as a ment. The same feeling of holy awe would popular text for preaching. It probably was induce the miuistering priest of the day to perform his functions with no unnecessary not among those "memoirs " of the apostles d elav and to leave as soon e.s possible the which were read and expounded in the first Loly 'place. 'fbe people prayi?-g in t~e forty years in the public synagogues B □ d in court without were in the habit of wait· the quiet upper rooms of so many of the i11g until the priest on duty ea.me out. of citks of Syria, and in not a few of the towns tLe s,,cred ~inner chamber, after winch of Egypt, Greece, and Italy. Nor is the ti,ev were dismissecl with the blessing. The u,,usu:.l delay iu the appearance of ~acl,a- reason of this doubtful; the wondrous story riu, puzzleJ and disturbed the worslnppers. of the child Jesus' birth would add little to Ver. 2i.-When he oame out, he could the simple faith of the first believers in the not speak unto them ; and they perceived Crucifiod. that he bad seen a vision in the temple. Of miracles and works of wonder they Some-thing iu tLe face of the old ruan, as, uuaLlc t.o d!Jtak, Le made signs to the con- had hear<l enough to convince them that, M. I.1-80,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE.