AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N
S,
OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
S
T. L U K E
WE
are now entering into the labours of another evangelist; his name Luke,
which some take to be a contraction of Lucilius; born at Antioch, so St.
Jerome. Some think that he was the only one of all the
penmen of the scripture that was not of the seed of
Israel. He was a Jewish proselyte, and, as some conjecture,
converted to Christianity by the ministry of St. Paul at
Antioch; and after his coming into
Macedonia
(Acts xvi. 10) he was his constant companion. He had
employed himself in the study and practice of physic; hence, Paul calls him Luke
the beloved Physician, Col. iv. 14. Some of the pretended ancients tell
you that he was a painter, and drew a picture of the virgin Mary. But Dr.
Whitby thinks that there is nothing certain to the contrary, and that
therefore it is probable that he was one of the seventy disciples, and a
follower of Christ when he was here upon earth; and, if so, he was a native
Israelite. I see not what can be objected against this, except some uncertain
traditions of the ancients, which we can build nothing upon, and against which
may be opposed the testimonies of Origen and Epiphanius, who both say that he
was one of the seventy disciples. He is supposed to have written this gospel
when he was associated with St. Paul in his travels, and by direction from
him: and some think that this is the brother whom Paul speaks of (2
Cor. viii. 18), whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches
of Christ; as if the meaning of it were, that he was celebrated in all
the churches for writing this gospel; and that St. Paul means this
when he speaks sometimes of his gospel, as Rom. ii. 16. But there is no
ground at all for this. Dr. Cave observes that his way and manner of writing
are accurate and exact, his style polite and elegant, sublime and lofty, yet
perspicuous; and that he expresses himself in a vein of purer Greek than is to
be found in the other writers of the holy story. Thus he relates divers things
more copiously than the other evangelists; and thus he especially treats of
those things which relate to the priestly office of Christ. It is uncertain
when, or about what time, this gospel was written. Some think that it was
written in Achaia, during his travels with Paul, seventeen years (twenty-two
years, say others) after Christ's ascension; others, that it was written at
Rome, a little before he wrote his history of the Acts of the Apostles
(which is a continuation of this), when he was there with Paul, while he was a
prisoner, and preaching in his own hired house, with which the history of the
Acts concludes; and then Paul saith that only Luke was with him, 2 Tim.
iv. 11. When he was under that voluntary confinement with Paul, he had leisure
to compile these two histories (and many excellent writings the church has
been indebted to a prison for): if so, it was written about twenty-seven years
after Christ's ascension, and about the fourth year of Nero. Jerome says, He
died when he was eighty-four years of age, and was never married. Some write
that he suffered martyrdom; but, if he did, where and when is uncertain. Nor
indeed is there much more credit to be given to the Christian traditions
concerning the writers of the New Testament than to the Jewish traditions
concerning those of the Old Testament.
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