3. The confirmation of it by an actual vision of Christ himself —
[They were sufficiently irritated by this reproof; " they were cut to the heart," even as if they had been sawn asunder0; and " they gnashed upon him with their teeth." But the preacher, " being filled with the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly to heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God :" and, being favoured with this vision, he declared to his persecutors what he saw. One might have hoped that this at least would have made them pause; but it inflamed even unto madness: " They cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him."
Here we see how inveterate is that prejudice which insti- gates men to oppose religion : nothing can satisfy them ; nothing can convince them : and the stronger the evidence adduced for their conviction, the fiercer will be their rage against their monitors and reprovers.
We have here also a striking instance of that hypocrisy which usually characterizes the persecutors of religion. They would not stone him in the city, because God had ordered that blasphemers should be put out of the camp before they were stoned d: and they took care that the hands of the witnesses should be first upon hime: but they had not hesitated to suborn false witnesses against him ; nor did they scruple to put to death a man whom they could not convict of any crime. Thus the murderers of our Lord would not venture to put into the treasury the money which Judas had returned, though they had been forward enough to give it him as the price for his Master's blood : thus also it is in every age ; the haters of God will stop at nothing to accomplish their wicked purposes ; but they will " strain out a gnat at the very time that they are swallowing a camel."
Here also we see how God supports his faithful servants. If he leave them in the hands of their enemies as it respects the body, he will supply them with consolations to support the soul. Stephen knew before that Jesus was at the right hand of God: but when he saw him there, and saw him "standing" there, ready to succour his oppressed servant, and to avenge his cause, his mind was fortified, and death was divested of all its terrors.]
Such was the occasion of Stephen's death. We now proceed to notice,
c cunpiovro. <l Lev. xxiv. H — 16, 23. See also 1 Kings xxi. 13, e Deut. xvii. G, 7.
oS2 ACTS, Vil. 51), 60. [1757.
II. The manner of it —
Violent as were the proceedings of his enemies, he was all composure. Behold,
1. His faith —
[He " knew in whom he had believed," and that " He was able to save him to the uttermost." He knew that the soul, when liberated from the body, would continue to exist ; and that its felicity consisted in communion with Christ. To Christ therefore the blessed martyr now addressed himself in prayer, and committed his soul into the Saviour's hands. This was as solemn an act of worship as he could offer ; for it was pre- cisely the same as that which Christ himself had offered to his Father with his dying breath, when he said, " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Yet this act of worship was paid by Stephen to Christ, at the very time when he be- held the Father's glory, and at the very time that he was full of the Holy Ghost. How evident is it from hence that Christ is God equal with the Father! and how evident that a prospect of dwelling for ever in his presence will disarm death of its sting, and support the soul under the most cruel sufferings !