they were, and in what haste; they ran upon him, though there was no danger of his out-running them: and see how unanimous they were in this evil thing; they ran upon him with one accord, one and all, hoping thereby to terrify him, and put him into confusion; envying him his composure and comfort in soul, with which he wonderfully enjoyed himself in the midst of this hurry; they did all they could to ruffle him.
6. They cast him out of the city, and stoned him; as if he were not worthy to live in Jerusalem; nay not worthy to live in this world; pretending herein to execute the law of Moses, (Lev. 24. 16.) He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall surely be put to death, all the congregation shall certainly stone him. And thus they had put Christ to death, when this same court had found him guilty of blasphemy, but that, for his greater ignominy, they were desirous that he should be crucified, and God over-ruled it for the fulfilling of the scripture. The fury with which they managed the execution, is intimated in that they cast him out of the city, as if they could not bear the sight of him; they treated him as an anathema, as the off-scouring of all things. The witnesses against him were the leaders in the execution, according to the law, (Deut. 17. 7.) The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him, to put him to death, and particularly in the case of blasphemy, Lev. 24. 14. Deut. 13. 9. Thus they were to confirm their testimony. Now the stoning of a man being a laborious piece of work, the witnesses put off their upper garments, that they might not hang in their way, and they laid them down at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul, now a pleased spectator of this tragedy; it is the first time we find mention of his name, we shall know it and love it better when we find it changed to Paul, and him changed from a persecutor into a preacher. This little instance of his agency in Stephen's death he afterward reflected upon with regret; (ch. 22. 20.) I kept the raiment of them that slew him.
II. See the strength of grace in Stephen, and the wonderful instances of God's favour to him, and working in him. As his persecutors were full of Satan, so was he full of the Holy Ghost, fuller than ordinary, anointed with fresh oil for the combat, that, as the day, so might the strength be. Upon this account they are blessed, who are persecuted for righteousness-sake, that the Spirit of God and of glory rests upon them, 2 Pet. 4. 14. When he was chosen to public service, he was described to be a man full of the Holy Ghost, (ch. 6. 5.) and now that he is called out to martyrdom, he has still the same character. Note, They that are full of the Holy Ghost are fit for any thing, either to do for Christ, or to suffer for him. And those whom God calls out to hard services for his name, he will qualify for those services, and carry comfortably through them, by filling them with the Holy Ghost; that as their afflictions for Christ do abound, their consolation in him may yet more abound, and then none of these things move them.
Now here we have a remarkable communion between this blessed martyr and the blessed Jesus in this critical moment. When the followers of Christ are for his sake killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter; does that separate them from the love of Christ? Does he love them the less? Do they love him the less? No, by no means; and so it appears by this story: in which we may observe,
1. Christ's gracious manifestation of himself to Stephen, both for his comfort and for his honour, in the midst of his sufferings; when they were cut to the heart, and gnashed upon him with their teeth, ready to eat him up, then he had a view of the glory of Christ, sufficient to fill him with joy unspeakable; which was intended not only for his encouragement, but for the support and comfort of all God's suffering servants in all ages.
(1.) He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, v. 55. [1.] Thus he looked above the power and fury of his persecutors, and did as it were despise them, and laugh them to scorn, as the daughter of Zion, Isa. 37. 22. They had their eyes fixed upon him, full of malice and cruelty; but he looked up to heaven, and never minded them; was so taken up with the eternal life now in prospect, that he seemed to have no manner of concern for the natural life now at stake. Instead of looking about him, to see either which way he was in danger, or which way he might make his escape, he looks up to heaven; thence only comes his help, and thitherward his way is still open: though they compass him about on every side, they cannot interrupt his intercourse with heaven. Note, A believing regard to God and the upper world, will be of great use to us, to set us above the fear of man; for as far as we are under the influence of that fear we forget the Lord our Maker, Isa. 51. 13. [2.] Thus he directed his sufferings to the glory of God, to the honour of Christ, and did as it were appeal to heaven concerning them; Lord, for thy sake I suffer this; and express his earnest expectation that Christ should be magnified in his body. Now that he was ready to be offered, he looks up steadfastly to heaven, as one willing to offer himself. [3.] Thus he lifted up his soul with his eyes to God in the heavens, in pious ejaculations, calling upon God for wisdom and grace to carry him through this trial in a right manner. God has promised that he will be with his servants whom he calls out to suffer for him; but he will for this be sought unto. He is nigh unto them, but it is in that which they call upon him for. Is any afflicted? Let him pray. [4.] Thus he breathed after the heavenly country, to which he saw the fury of his persecutors would presently send him. It is good for dying saints to look up steadfastly to heaven; "Yonder is the place whither death will carry my better part, and then, O death, where is thy sting!" [5.] Thus he made it to appear that he was full of the Holy Ghost; for, wherever the Spirit of grace dwells and works and reigns, he directs the eye of the soul upward. Those that are full of the Holy Ghost will look up steadfastly to heaven, for there their heart is. [6.] Thus he put himself into a posture to receive the following manifestation of the divine glory and grace. If we expect to hear from heaven, we must look up steadfastly to heaven.
(2.) He saw the glory of God; (v. 55.) for he saw, in order to that, the heavens opened, v. 50. Some think his eyes were strengthened and the sight of them so raised above its natural pitch, by a supernatural power, that he saw into the third heavens, though at so vast a distance; as Moses's sight was enlarged to see the whole land of Canaan. Others think it was a representation of the glory of God set before his eyes, as before Isaiah and Ezekiel; heaven did as it were come down to him, as Rev. 21. 2. The heavens were opened, to give him a view of the happiness he was going to, that he might, in prospect of that, go cheerfully through death, so great a death. Would we by faith look up steadfastly, we might see the heavens opened by the mediation of Christ, the vail being rent, and a new and living way laid open for us into the holiest. The heaven is opened for the settling of a correspondence between God and men, that his favours and blessings may come down to us, and our prayers and praises may go up to him. We may also see the glory of God, as far as he has revealed it in his word; and the sight of this will carry us through all the terrors of sufferings and death.
