Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/83

Rh his dying Master, who prayed thus for his persecutors, Father, forgive them; and set an example to all following sufferers in the cause of Christ, thus to pray for those that persecute them. Prayer may preach; this did so to those who stoned Stephen; and therefore he kneeled down, that they might take notice he was going to pray, and cried with a loud voice, that they might take notice of what he said, and might learn, First, That what they did was a sin, a great sin, which, if divine mercy and grace did not prevent, would be laid to their charge, to their everlasting confusion. Secondly, That, notwithstanding their malice and fury against him, he was in charity with them, and was so far from desiring that God would avenge his death upon them, that it was his hearty prayer to God, that it might not in any degree be laid to their charge. A sad reckoning there would be for it; if they did not repent, it would certainly be laid to their charge; but he, for his part, did not desire the woful day. Let them take notice of this, and when their thoughts were cool, surely they would not easily forgive themselves putting him to death, who could so easily forgive them. The blood-thirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul, Prov. 29. 10. Thirdly, That, though the sin was very heinous, yet they must not despair of the pardon of it, upon their repentance. If they would lay it to their hearts, God would not lay it to their charge. "Do you think, saith St. Austin, that Paul heard Stephen pray this prayer? It is likely he did, saith he, and ridiculed it then; (audivit subsannans, sed irrisit—he heard with scorn;) but afterward he had the benefit of it, and fared the better for it."

3. His expiring with this; When he had said this, he fell asleep; or, as he was saying this, the blow came, that was mortal. Note, Death is but a sleep to good people; not the sleep of the soul, (Stephen had given that up into Christ's hand,) but the sleep of the body; it is its rest from all its griefs and toils, it is perfect ease and indolence. Stephen died as much in a hurry as ever any man did, and yet, when he died, he fell asleep; he applied himself to his dying work with as much composure of mind as if he had been going to sleep; it was but closing his eyes, and dying. Observe, He fell asleep when he was praying for his persecutors; it is expressed as if he thought he could not die in peace till he had done that. It contributes very much to our dying comfortably, to die in charity with all men; we are then found of Christ in peace; let not the sun of life go down upon our wrath. He fell asleep; the vulgar Latin adds, in the Lord; in the embraces of his love. If he thus sleep, he shall do well; he shall awake again in the morning of the resurrection.

CHAP. VIII. In this chapter, we have an account of the persecutions of the christians, and the propagating of christianity thereby. It was strange, but very true, that the disciples of Christ, the more they were afflicted the more they multiplied. I. Here is the church suffering; upon the occasion of putting Stephen to death, a very sharp storm arose, which forced many from Jerusalem, v. 1..3. II. Here is the church spreading by the ministry of Philip and others, that were dispersed upon that occasion. We have here, 1. The gospel brought to Samaria; preached there; (v. 4, 5.) embraced there, (v. 6..8.) even by Simon Magus; (v. 9..13.) the gift of the Holy Ghost conferred upon some of the believing Samaritans by the imposition of the hands of Peter and John; (v. 14..17.) and the severe rebuke given by Peter to Simon Magus for bidding money for a power to bestow that gift, v. 18..25. 2. The gospel sent to Ethiopia, by the Eunuch, a person of quality of that country; he is returning home in his chariot from Jerusalem, v. 26..28. Philip is sent to him, and in his chariot preaches Christ to him, (v. 29..35.) baptizes him upon his profession of the christian faith, (v. 36..38.) and then leaves him, v. 39, 40. Thus in different ways and methods the gospel was dispersed among the nations, and, one way or other, Have they not all heard?

ND Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison.

In these verses, we have,

I. Something more concerning Stephen and his death; how people stood affected to it; variously, as generally in such cases, according to men's different sentiments of things. Christ had told his disciples, when he was parting with them, (John 16. 20.) Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. Accordingly here is,

1. Stephen's death rejoiced in by one; by many, no doubt, but by one in particular, and that was Saul, who was afterward called Paul; he was consenting to his death, συνευδοκῶν—he consented to it with delight; so the word signifies; he was pleased with it, he fed his eyes with this bloody spectacle, in hopes it would put a stop to the growth of christianity. We have reason to think that Paul ordered Luke to insert this, for shame to himself, and glory to free grace. Thus he owns himself guilty of the blood of Stephen, and aggravates it with this, that he did not do it with regret and reluctancy, but with delight and a full satisfaction; like those who not only do such things, but have pleasure in them that do them.

2. Stephen's death bewailed by others; (v. 2.) Devout men, which some understand of those that were properly so called, proselytes, one of whom Stephen himself, probably, was. Or, it may be taken more largely; some of the church that were more devout and zealous than the rest, went, and gathered up the poor crushed and broken remains, to which they gave a decent interment; probably in the field of blood, which was bought some time ago to bury strangers in. They buried him solemnly, and made great lamentation over him. Though his death was of great advantage to himself, and great service to the church, yet they bewailed it as a general loss, so well qualified was he for the service, and so likely to be useful both as a deacon and as a disputant. It is an ill symptom, if, when such men are taken away, it is not laid to heart. Those devout men paid these their last respects to Stephen, (1.) To shew that they were not ashamed of the cause for which he suffered, nor ashamed of the wrath of those that were enemies to it; for, though they now triumph, the cause is a righteous cause, and will be at last a victorious one. (2.) To shew the great value and esteem they had for this faithful servant of Jesus Christ, this first martyr for the gospel, whose memory shall always be precious to them, notwithstanding the ignominy of his death. They study to do honour to him, whom God put honour upon. (3.) To testify their belief and hope of the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

II. An account of this persecution of the church, which begins upon the martyrdom of Stephen. When the fury of the Jews ran with such violence, and to such a height, against Stephen, it could not quickly either stop itself, or spend itself. The bloody are often in scripture called blood-thirsty; for when they have tasted blood they thirst for