ative part there is an easy and graceful style which charms
every reader. In the introduction of minute incidents he goes beyond
Matthew, though he has not the circumstantial exactness of Mark. The
agreement of Luke's gospel with the two preceding in its general plan is
recognized at once by every reader. Like them it is mainly occupied with
our Lord's Galilean ministry. In regard to the Saviour's infancy he is
more full than Matthew, the matter of the first three chapters being in
a great measure peculiar to him. He omits a long series of events
recorded by the first two evangelists. Matt. 14:22-16:12; Mark
6:45-8:26. On the other hand he introduces (chap. 9:43-18:30) "a
remarkable series of acts and discourses which are grouped together in
connection with the last journey to Jerusalem. Some of the incidents
occur in different connections in the other evangelists; and the whole
section proves, by the absence of historical data and the unity of its
general import, that a moral and not a temporal sequence is the law of
the gospels." Westcott, Introduct. to Gospel, chap. 7. Very much of the
matter in this remarkable section is peculiar to Luke, and contains
passages of wonderful beauty and sweetness which would have been lost to
the church but for the record of this gospel. Among these are the
mission of the seventy, several miracles, some striking lessons of
instruction from passing incidents, and no less than twelve parables:
the good Samaritan, the unfortunate friend, the unclean spirit, the rich
fool, the barren fig-tree, the lost sheep, the lost pieces of silver,
the prodigal son, the unfaithful steward, the rich man and Lazarus, the
unjust judge, the Pharisee and publican. While the attentive reader
perceives the very near relationship of the third gospel to the first
and second, he notices also the fact that it differs from both of them
more than they do from each other.

"If the total contents of the several gospels be represented by
100, the following table is obtained:

Peculiarities. Concordances.
St. Mark,.........................7........................93
St. Matthew,.....................42........................58
St. Luke,........................59........................41
St. John,........................92.........................8

"From this it appears that the several gospels bear almost
exactly an inverse relation to one