The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 241

address was advRncing to an appeal to faith on the basis of the new outpouring of the Spirit: "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation," A great ex11orople to us to le&d men through conviction of sin to acceptance of grace-through the sense of wh11ot they are to the hope of what they may be in Christ.-R. Vers. 64-60.-The prot<>-martyr. I. An EXAMPLE. 1. Distinguished faith over• coming the world, the flesh, the wicked one. 2. Spiritual 11ision, Heaven opened, New world under the government of Christ. 3. Patience and love, after the example of Jesua. The influence of Christ's martyrdom on all other martyrs. The sermon on the mount exemplified. II. A new Divine BEAL npon the truth. 1. Sufferings and death in their relation to t.estimony. Necessity of martyrdom in a world like ours. Effect on the popular mind, 3. Contrast of the old and the new in the scene. 'l'he weakness of the persecutors, the strength of the persecuted. The two kingdoms must be set face to face. Righteous- ne~s against falsehood and violence. Argument is renounced, therefore the martyr's death is a public exhibition of the enemy's weakness ; he is compelled to resort to vio- lence. Show that all through Church history this is the case. 'l'he conversion of Con- stantine quickly followed the persecution of Diocletian. The cruelty of Rome brought about a reaction in the popular mind which paved the way for the Reformation. 3. In every darkest hour of God's people there is some point of light which holds the future within it. Saul is in that scene. His conversion partly the fruit of it. The Spirit began to work, goading him with conviction. So the blood of martyrs has always seed of truth to water: the blood of Stephen watered conviction in Saul's heart. 4. A wonderful testimony to the reality of the work of the Spirit. How the signs increased I From the gifts of Pentecost to this manifestation of Divine glory to a dying man, calling upon Jesus to receive his spirit, and so confirming, as with a light coming down directly out of heaven, all the facts of the gospel-a risen and glorified Redeemer, able to forgive sins, receiving the spirits of his disciples into heaven, giving them com- plete victory over the sufferings and darkness of their last hour. May we die the death of the righteous !-H. Vers. 1-53.-The recital of a nation's spiritual pedigree-its leading suggestions, Technically the description of a defence may very justly be applied to the long stretch of these verses. They no doubt do stand for Stephen's formal defence. He has been very mildly challenged by the high priest to say whether the "things" laid to his charge "are so." And he loses not a minute in replying. He replies, however, in his own way. That way is somewhat indirect. His tone betrays some sense of his being in some sense also master of the situation. He tempts us much to feel that much may be rend between the lines, and we soon come to convince ourselves that the real drift of the personal defence is laid on the lines of a national indictment-and that national indictment very little else than the4 barest recital of the pedigree of tbe nation in question. Stephen does not make it too apparent at first-any more than once on a time Nathan did, when he appeared to condignly judge David-but he puts before himself and hearers the nation of Israel as it now is, and takes in hand to say ~hat it came from and along what way it has come to this present. The places of judge and judged almost seem turned, both in the matter and the manner of Stephen. It is very pos~ihle that (as Stephen never Jived to put in writing nor to repeat what he now said) there is some disjointedness in the language as it is now before us, and some lacunre, and (though many doubt the suggestion) that interruptions, especially just at the close, determined the form of some parts of Stephen's strong accusation. On the other hand, we have to remember that probably nowhere do we read language fresher from the dictate of the Holy Spirit. The recital of the spiritual lineage of this nation reveals- L A SERIES OF PROVIDENTIAL INTERPOBITIONB OF THE MOST HARKED CHARACTER, These occur in more shapes than one. 1. There is the originating sovereign choice and sovereign call of Abraham (ver. 2). 2. The express command to him whither he is to go and where awhile to dwell (ver. 3). 3. Express promises vouchsafed to him and his seed, and covenant made with him (vers. 6-8). 4. An unfailing, providential guidance of him and his linear descendants, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. This name Jose1>h does not fail to lead Stephen to recite (1) the providence that wonderfully OII, vn.1-60.] THE A.OTB OF THE APOSTLES. 237