66
The Acts of the Apostles
he did of the temple, the priest, pretending to be horror-stricken, rent
his robe. To Stephen this act was a signal that his voice would soon be
silenced forever. He saw the resistance that met his words and knew
that he was giving his last testimony. Although in the midst of his
sermon, he abruptly concluded it.
Suddenly breaking away from the train of history that he was
following, and turning upon his infuriated judges, he cried: “Ye stiff-
necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the
Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have
not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed
before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition
of angels, and have not kept it.”
At this, priests and rulers were beside themselves with anger. Act-
ing more like beasts of prey than human beings, they rushed upon
Stephen, gnashing their teeth. In the cruel faces about him the prisoner
read his fate; but he did not waver. For him the fear of death was gone.
For him the enraged priests and the excited mob had no terror. The
scene before him faded from his vision. To him the gates of heaven
were ajar, and, looking in, he saw the glory of the courts of God, and
Christ, as if just risen from His throne, standing ready to sustain His
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servant. In words of triumph Stephen exclaimed, “Behold, I see the
heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of
God.”
As he described the glorious scene upon which his eyes were
gazing, it was more than his persecutors could endure. Stopping their
ears, that they might not hear his words, and uttering loud cries, they
ran furiously upon him with one accord “and cast him out of the city.”
“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he
fell asleep.”
No legal sentence had been passed upon Stephen, but the Roman
authorities were bribed by large sums of money to make no investiga-
tion into the case.
The martyrdom of Stephen made a deep impression upon all who
witnessed it. The memory of the signet of God upon his face; his words,
which touched the very souls of those who heard them, remained in