The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 243

ineffnce&ble in themselves. But even all this is as nothing, for they now drag their glory in the dust, and are for flinging it away for ever. 'l'he recital sbows- III. A SERIES OF SUGGESTIVE RETRIBUTIONS. This aspect of his subject, it may be gupposed, Stephen purposed to keep in some check for a time. Yet: 1, It is implied, for those who certainly well knew all the history of Joseph and bis brethren, in the allnsion to the exaltation of Joseph, and his brethren's repairing to him for corn, and finally his father and family becoming as it were his permanent ~nests (vers. 9- 14). 2. It is again implied (see the manifest hint of some kind of ver. 36) in the _iusti fying of Moses' unconscious taking up of his ,·ale as reformer and deliverer of his brethren (vers. 24--26), and in the parallel condemnation of those whose blindness, not seeing it, led them to say tauntingly, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?" 3. It is most emphatically stated of the idolatrous Israelites. God" turned, and gave them ttp" (ver. 42). And the fact of this being able to be viewed either as one long• continued course of retribution or retribution frequently repeated shows that, as Stephen approaches the end of his speech, he is preparing to give greater prominence to this matter. So far, then, the striking moral features of this history consist of unparalleled opportunity, reckless disregard of it and Heaven's own distinctest and most impressive kind of warnings. But the whole case of Stephen is not over till it is observed how he either purposely exhibits or is made the means of exhibiting- IV. THE AIM, THE USE, THE LESSONS OF TH.AT FAMILY LINEAGE, MADE TO BE Il.LUSTBIOUB, ALL MISERABLY FORFEITED, AT LEAST FOB THE FAll:JLY ITSELF. For: 1. The aim and use of all, if they had not been absolutely lost, would have obviated the necessity of any defence at all on the part of Stephen; and in particular would have rendered unnecessary his allusion to David, to Solomon, and to the nature of the dwelling-place of the" Most High," as also his quotation of the prophet's rapt, inspired, and foreseeing language (vers. 46-50). It seems evident that Stephen was far from being supremely anxious oo the subject of his own persona.I defence; he is bent on something far beyond and above this. But so far a.s he wa.s at all anxious about it, it was here that the point of it lay. Whatever he had said about "this place," and about "the customs of Moses," and about "this Jesus of Nazareth," who had power to "destroy this temple and build it up in three days," and who was the end and aim and substance of all" the Law and the prophets," was near to finding its solution, for those who had "ears to hear," at the point at which Stephen is found quoting that prophet (ver. 50). But all was lost on those whose nation had been educating fourteen hundred years if haply they might see this very thing and not lose it. 2. The lessons of a. moral and individual nature are now to be yet more shown spilled on the ground. Yes, spilled, as Stephen's blood itself was spilled. Instead of having learnt or now learning, they are" cut to the heart;" they gnash with their teeth; they cry ont with a loud voice; they stop their ears; they run upon Stephen with one accord; they cast him out of the city ; they stone him. It was the evening of hope for many of that audience when Stephen began to speak. When he has ended evening has declined into a mournful, dark, despairful night. A hundred times they have been warned in their own family history, and their fathers cry to them from the very tombs. But what can they hear who "step their ears"? .And what can any hear who do likewise?-B. Vers. 23-29.-MarkB of the born reformer. Conversion does not by any means purport to create new powers of mind or to substitute new qualities of heart, but to direct aright the powers which are already the gifts of nature or creation-to direct. them to right and worthy objects, and to fill them with right and worthy energy. Bo i:.lso inspiration does not purport to override natural sources of knowledge and natural gifts, so as to obliterate the prevailing marks of indi vidnal character and even individual peculiarity. So neither, once more, do what we often call special providences purport. w make the forces of native character hide themselves, and supersede them by what is artificial and in a sense even superficial, thougli it comes from heaven. It is, indeed. doubtful whether we have a very happy phrase in the expression" special" providence. Perhaps we rather mean that providence occasionally strikes us more because it does what is unexpected or what seems to us specially remarkable for somo reason or another. In any other sense, there certainly was a time when the most "special" providence might have seemed to be found in the fact that " not a sparrow fa.lleth t,o OIi, VIL 1-60,] THE AC'fS OF THE APOSTLES.