The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 271

Thie short paragraph ie not only full o( incident, but of stran"ely contrary kind of Incident. It seems at first a mere medley of facts, history's pa"'tchwork, or lika some mosaio pretending to no harmony at all. This first impression, however, soon passes off, and ell.eh incident of the group assumes yet clearer outline and is seen to fit into its place. 'l'he fact still remains, however, that the materials are of very antagonistic kind, and the wonder still remains, broadening more and more clearly to view, that out of all the variety a sovereign power is working a certain unity of result. The martyrdom is at the centre of the subject yet. It is the key of the position. It makes a landmark conspicuous far and wide, and a date for ever memorable. And this paragraph develops to view a fivefold energy resulting from the martyrdom. l, IT BRINGS OUT tN BROAD RELIEF OTHER THAN THE LATE HUMBLING ASPECTS OF Jlt)ll'AN NATURE, (Ver. 2.) Other hearts than those that beat in the breasts of the So.nhedrim are in Jerusalem, other hands than those that stone are at this very moment outside its walls. The triumph has not been an unqualified one. The contrast is a wonderful relief to the strain put on faith, a welcome restorer of hope for human outlook. And one and the same hour shows no doubtful sign of those sternest works, those tenderest offices of which the angel of Christianity would through all the, ages be witness. The storm is spent, and men seek in the morning to bury them- the dead washed ashore. The battle is over, and in the evening men gather their slaughtered to bury them. The cross has done its work, and the sacred body is "begged," and with tenderest care and service is buried. The stoning has :finished, and devout men carry mangled limbs to honoured burial. Christianity has her chivalry, and the chivalry of Christianity is that purest affection which, ming1e·:l with purest faith, before all reverences and mourns her fallen heroes and warriors, though she never excused them while they lived a duty, nor exempted them a pang while they struggled and fought. Most impressive is that which is left to our imagination to fill up. When the last stone had been thrown, and the echoes of howling murderers had died away, and the mob had swept by,-then "devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him." JL IT FINDS OUT THE TRUE DISCIPLES, AND BCATTEBS THEM EACH WITH HIS FRUITFUL INFLUENOE FAB AND WIDE. (Ver. 1.) Persecution-a thing of darkest deeds, a ,ery word of dread-has ever had some crop of most beneficent results. Of it it m:i.y emphatically be said, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Persecution: 1. Tries the sincerity of character. 2. It ascertains the dominance of faith or its comparative weakness. 3. It gives faith much stronger hold on its proper object or objects. 4. It chases away vast quantities of vague thought, vaguer feeling, mists that have long misled, and a habit of doubt that has gone far to undermine the nobility of Christian life. 5. It exerts a· _vast benefit on others. If this be not part of its intention, it is a grand overruled use of it. The happy hour often is touched with the taint of selfishness. The members of happiest family are so united to one another that they render an unfairly small contribution to the happiness that should touch their borders too on all sides. And it has in point of fact often been so with the Church, till," when persecutiou arises" (which "persecution" may "arise" from very various causes, and appear iu very various shapes), it is broken in upon, and those who composed it are separated and spread and many a missionary is made (ver. 1). III. IT FINDS OUT THE "CALLED Al'OSTLEB"-TRUE TO THEIR CALL. (Ver. 1.) The believers were scattered. Some voice, some power, or some pure impulse tied the apostles. The post of duty remains so for them, though it become the post of danger. They are to remain yet in Jerusalem, to guide, to comfort, to keep together the lessened flock, and to face feArlessly the enemy. This word, "except the apostles," should be heard like a trumpet-ea\! by the leaders of Christ's flock, at oll times, in all places. And docs it not indicate that lenders there ought to be, and in this sense, rn.nks of service-hotter so called than ranks of office and dignities-in the Church of Christ? The analogy of all nature says, "Yes," supported not only by tbe "call " and thu special "inspiring" of apostles, but by such a fact as that which underlies this exception, "=pt the apostles." It is left meantime open to us to imagine only why this crisis wa.s 11.ot used by those who persecuted to turn a fierce tide of opposition upon the 268 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [OH. Tm. 1-40.