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declarations and institutions; but also in his actual energetic angels: the Lord is among them as in SINAI, in the holy operations upon their minds.

place. It was not then by the mouths nor by the hands of Verse 52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers angels, as prime agents, that Moses, and through him the persecuted] Ye have not only resisted the Holy Ghost, but people, received the law; but God himself gave it, accompanied ye have persecuted all those who have spoken to you in his with many thousands of those glorious beings. As it is probname, and by his influence: thus ye prove your oppositionable they might be assisting in this most glorious solemnity, to the Spirit himself, by your opposition to every thing that therefore St. Paul might say, Gal. iii. 19. that it was ordained proceeds from him.

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The coming of the Just One] Tov Axalou, meaning Jesus Christ; emphatically called the just or righteous person, not only because of the unspotted integrity of his heart and life, but because of his plenary acquittal, when tried at the tribunal of Pilate, I find no fault at all in him. The mention of this circumstance served greatly to aggravate their guilt. The character of Just One, is applied to our Lord in three other places of Scripture, Acts iii. 14. xxii. 14. and James v. 6.

The betrayers and murderers] Ye first delivered him up into the hands of the Romans, hoping they would have put him to death; but when they acquitted him, then, in opposition to the declaration of his innocence, and in outrage to every form of justice, ye took and murdered him. This was a most terrible charge; and one against which they could set up no sort of defence. No wonder then, that they were instigated by the spirit of the old destroyer, which they never resisted, to add another murder to that, of which they had been so recently guilty.

Verse 53. By the disposition of angels] Eis diaTayas ayyɛλwv. After all that has been said on this difficult passage, perhaps the simple meaning is, that there were ranks, dataya, of angels attending on the divine Majesty when he gave the law a circumstance which must have added greatly to the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion; and to this, Psal. lxviii. 17. seems to me, most evidently to allude. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even many thousands of

by angels, diarayels di' ayyeλwv, in the hand of a Mediator. And as they were the only persons that could appear, for no man hath seen God at any time; therefore the apostle might say farther, (if indeed he refers to the same transaction, see the note there,) the word spoken by angels was steadfast, Heb. ii. 2. But the circumstances of this case are not suffici ently plain to lead to the knowledge of what was done by the angels in this most wonderful transaction; only we learn from the use made of this circumstance by St. Stephen, that it added much to the enormity of their transgression, that they did not keep a law, in dispensing of which, the ministry of angels had been employed. Some think Moses, Aaron, and Joshua are the angels here intended; and others think, that the fire, light, darkness, cloud and thick darkness were the angels which Jehovah used on this occasion; and to which St. Stephen refers; but neither of these senses appears sufficiently natural, and particularly the latter.

Verse 54. They were cut to the heart] AIETPIOVTO, they were sawn through. See the note on chap. v. 33.

They gnashed on him with their teeth.] They were determined to hear him no longer; were filled with rage against him, and evidently thirsted for his blood.

Verse 55. Saw the glory of God] The Shekinah, the splendor or manifestation of the divine Majesty. And Jesus standing on the right hand of God] In his official character, as Mediator between God and man. Stephen had this revelation while in the sanhedrin; yet he had not been forced out of the city. See ver. 58. Verse 57. They-stopped their ears] As a proof that he had uttered blasphemy, because he said he He saw Jesus

for as

Stephen charges them with

A. M.cir. 4035. A. D. cir. 31.

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50 Hath not my hand made all these | cised in heart and ears, ye do always A.M. cir.3035.
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fa-
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircum-thers did, so do ye.

An. Olymp. things?

cir. CCII. 3.

A. D. cir. 31. An. Olymp. cir. CCII. 3.

a Exod. 32. 9. & 33. 3. Isai. 48. 4.

b Lev. 26. 41. Deut. 10. 16. Jer. 4. 4. & 6. 10. & 9. 26. Ezek. 44.9.

Verse 50. Hath not my hand made all these things?] Stephen, certainly had not finished his discourse, nor drawn his inferences from the facts already stated: but it is likely, that as they perceived he was about to draw conclusions unfavourable to the temple and its ritual, they immediately raised up a clamour against him, which was the cause of the following very cutting address.

Verse 51. Ye stiff-necked] Enλypotρaxyλoi; a metaphor taken from untoward oxen, who cannot be broken into the yoke; and whose strong necks cannot be bended to the right or to the left.

Uncircumcised in heart and ears] This was a Jewish mode of speech, often used by the prophets. Circumcision was instituted not only as a sign and seal of the covenant, into which the Israelites entered with their Maker; but also as a type of that purity and holiness which the law of God requires; hence there was an excision of what was deemed not only superfluous but also injurious: and by this cutting off, the propensity to that crime which ruins the body, debases the mind, and was generally the forerunner of idolatry, was happily lessened. It would be easy to prove this, were not the subject too delicate. Where the spirit of disobedience was found; where the heart was prone to iniquity, and the ears impatient of reproof and counsel, the person is represented as uncircumcised in those parts; because devoted to iniquity, impatient of reproof, and refusing to obey. In Pirkey Eliezer chap. 29. "Rabbi Seira said. There are five species of uncircumcision in the world, four in man; and one in trees. Those in man are the following:

by Christ and the apostles. 2. Because they were uncircumcised in ears, they would neither hear nor obey Moses, the prophets, Christ, nor the apostles.

As your fathers did, so do ye.] They were disobedient children, of disobedient parents: in all their generations they had been disobedient and perverse. This whole people, as well as this text, are fearful proofs that the Holy Spirit, the almighty energy of the living God, may be resisted and rendered of none effect. This Spirit is not sent to stocks, stones, or machines, but to human beings endued with rational souls; therefore it is not to work on them with that irresistible energy which it must exert on inert matter, in order to conquer the vis inertia or disposition to abide eternally in a motionless state, which is the state of all inanimate beings: but it works upon understanding, will, judgment, conscience, &c. in order to enlighten, convince, and persuade. If after all, the understanding, the eye of the mind, refuses to behold the light; the will determines to remain obstinate; the judgment purposes to draw false inferences; and the conscience hardens itself against every check and remonstrance; (and all this is possible to a rational soul, which must be dealt with in a rational way,) then, the Spirit of God being thus resisted, is grieved, and the sinner is left to reap the fruit of his doings. To force the man to see, feel, repent, believe, and be saved, would be to alter the essential principles of his creation, and the nature of mind; and reduce him into the state of a machine, the vis inertia of which was to be overcome and conducted by a certain quantum of physical force, superior to that resistance which would be the natural effect of the cer

"1. Uncircumcision of the EAR. Behold their EAR is uncir- tain quantum of the vis inertia, possessed by the subject, on cumcised, and they cannot hearken, Jer. vi. 10.

"2. The uncircumcision of the LIPS.. How shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised LIPS? Exod. vi. 12.

"3. Uncircumcision of HEART. If then their uncircumcised HEARTS be humbled, Lev. xxvii. 41. Circumcise therefore the FORESKIN of your HEART, Deut. x. 16. Jer. iv. 4. For all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the HEART, Jer.

ix. 26.

❝4. The uncircumcision of the FLESH. Ye shall circumcise the FLESH of your FORESKIN, &c. Gen. xvii. 11.”

Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost] 1. Because they were uncircumcised in heart; they always resisted the influences of the Holy Spirit, bringing light and conviction to their minds; in consequence of which, they became hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; and neither repented at the preaching of John, nor credited the glad tidings told them

and by which, this agent was to operate. Now, man cannot be operated on in this way, because it is contrary to the laws of his creation and nature; nor can the Holy Ghost work on that as a machine, which himself has made a free agent. Man therefore may, and generally does resist the Holy Ghost: and the whole revelation of God, bears unequivocal testimony to this most dreadful possibility, and most awful truth. It is trifling with the sacred text, to say, that resisting the Holy Ghost here, means resisting the laws of Moses, the exhortations, threatenings and promises of the prophets, &c. These it is true, the uncircumcised ear may resist; but the uncircumcised heart is that alone, to which the Spirit that gave the laws, exhortations, promises, &c. speaks: and as matter resists matter; so spirit resists spirit. These were not only uncircumcised in ear, but uncircumcised also in heart; and therefore they resisted the Holy Ghost, not only in his

They are incensed against him :

A. D. cir. 31.

a

CHAP. VII.

e

he has a glorious vision.

A. M. cir. 4035. 52 Which of the prophets have not| 55 But he, being full of the Holy
An. Olymp. your fathers persecuted? and they
cir. CCII. 3. have slain them which shewed before
of the coming of the 'Just One; of whom ye
have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the dispo-
sition of angels, and have not kept it.

с

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A. M.cir. 4035. An. Olymp. cir. CCII. 3.

A. D. cir. 31.

Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God,

f

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

2 Chron. 36 16. Matt. 21. 35. & 23. 34, 37. 1 Thes. 2. 15. ch. 3. 14. e Exod. 20. 1. Gal. 3. 19. Heb. 2. 2.

d Ch. 5. 33. ch. 6. 5.- Ezek. 1. 1. Matt. 3. 16. ch. 10. 11. Dan. 7. 13.

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declarations and institutions; but also in his actual energetic angels: the Lord is among them as in SINAI, in the holy operations upon their minds.

Verse 52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted] Ye have not only resisted the Holy Ghost, but ye have persecuted all those who have spoken to you in his name, and by his influence: thus ye prove your opposition to the Spirit himself, by your opposition to every thing that proceeds from him.

They have slain them, &c.] Isaiah, who shewed before of the coming of Christ, the Jews report, was sawn asunder at the command of Manasseh.

The coming of the Just One] Tov Aixaiou, meaning Jesus Christ; emphatically called the just or righteous person, not only because of the unspotted integrity of his heart and life, but because of his plenary acquittal, when tried at the tribunal of Pilate, I find no fault at all in him. The mention of this circumstance served greatly to aggravate their guilt. The character of Just One, is applied to our Lord in three other places of Scripture, Acts iii. 14. xxii. 14. and James v. 6. The betrayers and murderers] Ye first delivered him up into the hands of the Romans, hoping they would have put him to death; but when they acquitted him, then, in opposition to the declaration of his innocence, and in outrage to every form of justice, ye took and murdered him. This was a most terrible charge; and one against which they could set up no sort of defence. No wonder then, that they were instigated by the spirit of the old destroyer, which they never resisted, to add another murder to that, of which they had been so recently guilty.

Verse 53. By the disposition of angels] Eis diarayas ayekwy. After all that has been said on this difficult passage, perhaps the simple meaning is, that there were ranks, dara724, of angels attending on the divine Majesty when he gave the law: a circumstance which must have added greatly to the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion; and to this, Psal. Ixviii. 17. seems to me, most evidently to allude. chariots of God are twenty thousand, even many thousands of

The

place. It was not then by the mouths nor by the hands of angels, as prime agents, that Moses, and through him the people, received the law; but God himself gave it, accompanied with many thousands of those glorious beings. As it is probable they might be assisting in this most glorious solemnity, therefore St. Paul might say, Gal. iii. 19. that it was ordained by angels, diarayeis di' ayyeλwy, in the hand of a Mediator. And as they were the only persons that could appear, for no man hath seen God at any time; therefore the apostle might say farther, (if indeed he refers to the same transaction, see the note there,) the word spoken by angels was steadfast, Heb. ii. 2. But the circumstances of this case are not sufficiently plain to lead to the knowledge of what was done by the angels in this most wonderful transaction; only we learn from the use made of this circumstance by St. Stephen, that it added much to the enormity of their transgression, that they did not keep a law, in dispensing of which, the ministry of angels had been employed. Some think Moses, Aaron, and Joshua are the angels here intended; and others think, that the fire, light, darkness, cloud and thick darkness were the angels which Jehovah used on this occasion; and to which St. Stephen refers; but neither of these senses appears sufficiently natural, and particularly the latter.

Verse 54. They were cut to the heart] AIETPIOVTO, they were sawn through. See the note on chap. v. 33.

They gnashed on him with their teeth.] They were determined to hear him no longer; were filled with rage against him, and evidently thirsted for his blood.

Verse 55. Saw the glory of God] The Shekinah, the splendor or manifestation of the divine Majesty.

And Jesus standing on the right hand of God] In his official character, as Mediator between God and man. Stephen had this revelation while in the sanhedrin; for as yet he had not been forced out of the city. See ver. 58.

Verse 57. They-stopped their ears] As a proof that he had uttered blasphemy, because he said he He saw Jesus

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58 Audcast him out of the city, and stoned him and the witnesses cir. CCII. 3. laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

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God, and saying, Lord Jesus, re-
ceive my spirit.

g

A. M. cir.4035.
.A. D. cir. 31.
An. Olymp.

cir. CCII. 9.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

d

1 Kings. 21. 13. Luke 4. 29. Hebr. 13. 12. Lev. 24. 16.- - Deut. 13. 9, 10. & 17. 7. ch. 8. 1. & 22. 20.—4 ch. 9. 14.

standing at the right hand of God. This was a fearful proof against them; for if Jesus was at the right hand of God, then they had murdered an innocent person; and they must infer, that God's justice must speedily avenge his death. They were determined not to suffer a man to live any longer, who could say he saw the heavens opened, and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God.

Verse 58. Cast him out of the city, and stoned him] They did not however wait for any sentence to be pronounced upon him; it seems they were determined to stone him first, and then prove, after it had been done, that it was done justly. For the manner of stoning among the Jews, see the note on Lev. xxiv. 23.

The witnesses laid down their clothes] To illustrate this whole transaction, see the observations at the end of this chapter.

Verse 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God] The word God, is not found in any MS. or Version, nor in any of the primitive Fathers except Chrysostom. It is not genuine and should not be inserted here: the whole sentence literally reads thus: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit! Here is a most manifest proof that prayer is offered to Jesus Christ; and that in the most solemn circumstances in which it could be offered, viz. when a man was breathing his last. This is, properly speaking, one of the highest acts of worship which can be offered to God;|| and if Stephen had not conceived Jesus Christ to be GoD, could he have committed his soul into his hands?

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dence; and at the same time, shewing the genuine nature of the religion of his Lord, in pouring out his prayers with his blood in behalf of his murderers!

Lay not this sin to their charge.] That is, do not impute it to them, so as to exact punishment. How much did the servant resemble his Lord, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! This was the cry of our Lord in behalf of his murderers; and the disciple, closely copying his Master, in the same spirit, and with the same meaning, varies the expression, crying with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! What an extent of benevolence! And in what a beautiful light does this place the spirit of the Christian religion! Christ had given what some have supposed to be an impossible command, love your enemies; pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you. And Stephen shews here in his own person, how practicable the grace of his Master had made this sublime precept..

He fell asleep.] This was a common expression among the Jews to signify death, and especially the death of good men. But this sleep is, properly speaking, not attributable to the soul, but to the body; for he had commended his spirit to the Lord Jesus, while his body was overwhelmed with the shower of stones cast on him by the mob.

After the word exosμnon fell asleep, one MS. adds ev s in peace; and the Vulgate has in Domino, in the Lord. Both these readings are true, as to the state of St. Stephen; but I believe neither of them was written by St. Luke.

The first clause of the next chapter should come in here, and Saul was consenting unto his death: never was there a worse division than that which separated it from the end of this chapter: this should be immediately altered, and the amputated member restored to the body to which it belongs.

We may farther observe, that this place affords a full proof of the immateriality of the soul; for he could not have commended his spirit to Christ, had he believed that he had no spirit; or in other words, that his body and soul were one and the same thing. Allowing this most eminent saint to have had a correct notion of theology; and that, being full of the Holy Ghost, as he was at this time, he could make no mistake in matters of such vast weight and importance; then these two points are satisfactorily stated in this verse; 1. That Jesus Christ is God; for Stephen died praying to him. 2. That the soul is immaterial; for Stephen in dying, commends his departing spirit into the hand of Christ. Verse 60. He kneeled down] That he might die as the "I. The place of stoning was without the sanhedrin, acsubject of his heavenly MASTER acting and suffering in the|| cording as it is said, bring forth him that hath cursed without deepest submission to his divine will, and permissive provi- || the camp, Lev. xxiv. 14. It is a tradition, the place of ston

1. Though I have spoken pretty much at large on the punishment of stoning among the Jews, in the note on Lev. xxiv. 23. yet, as the following extracts will serve to bring the subject more fully into view, in reference to the case of St. Stephen, the Reader will not be displeased to find them here. Dr. Lightfoot sums up the evidence he has collected on this subject in the following particulars :

Observations on the punishment

CHAP. VII.

of stoning among the Jews.

ing was without three camps. The Gloss tells us, that the || abusing the sacred name with four letters, viz.mm Yeнovan. court was the camp of the Divine Presence; the mountain of the temple, the camp of the Levites; and Jerusalem the camp of Israel. Now in every sanhedrin, in whatever city, || the place of stoning was without the city, as it was at Jerusalem.

"We are told the reason by the Gemarists, why the place of stoning was without the sanhedrin, and again without three camps, viz. If the sanhedrin go forth and sit without the three|| camps, they make the place for stoning also distant from the sanhedrin, partly lest the sanhedrin should seem to kill the man; partly, that by the distance of the place, there may be a little stop and space of time before the criminal come to the place of execution, if peradventure any one might offer some testimony, that might make for him: for in the expectation of some such thing,

"II. There stood one at the door of the sanhedrin having a handkerchief in his hand, and a horse at such a distance as it was only within sight. If any one therefore say, 'I have something to offer in behalf of the condemned person,' he waves the handkerchief, and the horseman rides and calls back the people. Nay, if the man himself say, I have something to offer in my own defence, they bring him back four or five times one after another, if it be any thing of moment tha the hath to say." I doubt they hardly dealt so gently with the innocent Stephen.

"III. If no testimony arise that makes any thing for him, then they go on to stoning him. The crier proclaiming before him, N. the son of N. comes forth to be stoned for such or such a crime. N. and N. are the witnesses against him; if any one have any thing to testify in his behalf, let him come forth and give his evidence.'

"IV. When they come within ten cubits of the place where he must be stoned, they exhort him to confess, for so it is the custom for the malefactor to confess, because every one that confesseth hath his part in the world to come, as we find in the instance of Achan, &c.

Hence it is, that although they oftentimes accused our Saviour as a blasphemer, yet he was not condemned for this, but because he used witchcraft and deceived Israel, and seduced them into apostacy. And those are reckoned among persons that are to be stoned: He that evilly persuades; and he that draws into apostacy; and he that is a conjuror.

"2. It may farther be questioned, whether our blessed martyr was condemned by any formal sentence of the sanhedrin, or hurried in a tumultuary manner by the people, and so murdered: it seems to be the latter."

2. The defence of Stephen against the charges produced by his accusers, must be considered as being indirect; as they had a show of truth for the ground of their accusations, it would have been improper at once to have roundly denied the charge. There is no doubt that Stephen had asserted and proved JESUS to be the Christ or MESSIAH; and that the whole nation should consider him as such, receive his doctrine, obey him, or expose themselves to the terrible sentence denounced in the prophecy of Moses; whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him, Deut. xviii. 19. for they well knew that this word implied, that divine judgments should inevitably fall upon them. To make proper way for this conclusion, Stephen enters into a detail of their history, shewing that, from the beginning, God had in view the dispensation which was now opening; and that his designs were uniformly opposed by their impious forefathers. That, notwithstanding all this, God carried on his work, first, by revealing his will to ABRAHAM, and giving him the rite of circumcision, which was to be preserved among his descendants. Secondly, to MOSES and AARON, in Egypt. Thirdly, to the whole congregation of Israel, at Mount Sinai; and variously in the wilderness. Fourthly, by instituting the tabernacle-worship, which was completed in the promised land; and continued till the days of Solomon, when the temple was builded, and the worship of God became fixed. Fifthly, by the long race

“V. When they come within four cubits of the place, of prophets raised up under that temple, who had been all they strip off his clothes, and make him naked.

"VI. The place of execution was twice a man's height. One of the witnesses throws him down upon his loins; if he roll on his breast, they turn him on his loins again. If he die so, well. If not, then the other witness takes up a stone, and lays it upon his heart. If he die so, well. If not, he is stoned by all Israel.

"VII. All that are stoned are hanged also, &c." These things I thought fit to transcribe the more largely, that the Reader may compare this present action, with this rule and common usage of doing it.

"1. It may be questioned, for what crime this person was condemned to die? You will say for blasphemy: for we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. But no one is condemned as a blasphemer, unless for

variously persecuted by their forefathers, who departed from the true worship, and frequently became idolatrous; in consequence of which God gave them up into the hands of their enemies, and they were carried into captivity. How far St. Stephen would have proceeded, or to what issue he would have brought his discourse, we can only conjecture; as the fury of his persecutors did not permit him to come to a conclusion. But this they saw most clearly, that from his statement, they could expect no mercy at the hand of God, if they persisted in their opposition to Jesus of Nazareth; and that their temple and political existence must fall a sacrifice to their persevering obstinacy. Their guilt stung them to the heart; and they were determined rather to vent their insupportable feelings by hostile and murderous acts, than in penitential sorrow and supplication for mercy. The issue

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