Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-10-10
STEPHEN, THE MARTYR.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Pictures Him to
His Audience
In Five Different Attitudes-He Talks OF
the Glories of Heaven and Urges
His Hearers to Keep Their
Eyes Fixed Upon 1t, as
Stephen Did.

Talmage chose the inspiring story o
the stoning of Stephen, and pointed
out the Heavenly lessons we nigh
learn from the martyrs dying mo
ments. The text he selected was
'sBehold, see the heavens opened.
Acts vii. $780,"
Stephen had been preaching rousine
sermon, and the people could not stant
It. They resolved to do as men would
sometimes like to do in this day, i
they dared, with some plain preacher
.of righteousness, kill him. The only
way to silence this man was to knock
Che breath out Of him. So they rushed
Stephen out Of the gates Of the city
and with curse, and whoop, and below
they brought him to the cliff, as was the
.custom when they wanted to take away
life by stoning. Having brought him tc
the edge Of the cliff they pushed him off.
After he had fallen they came and
looked down, and seeing that he was
mot yet dead they began to drop stones
upon him, stone after stone. Amid this
horrible rain of missiles Stephen clam
ibers up on his knees and folds his
hands, while the blood drips from his
temples; and then, looking up, he makes
two prayers-one for himself and one
for his murderers. lord Jesus, receive
my spirit" that was for himself. "Lord
lay not this sin to their charge;" that
was for his murderers. Then, from
pain and loss Of blood he swooned and
fell asleep.
! want to show you to-day five pic
lures.
Stephen gazing into heaven. Stephen
looking at Christ. Stephen stoned.
Stephen in his dying prayer. Stephen
ASLEEP.
First, look at Stephen gazing into
heaven. Before you take leap you
Ewant to know where you are going to
Hand. Before you climb ladder you
want to know to what point the ladder
breaches And twas right that Stephen,
within few moments of Heaven.
should be gazing into it. We would all
do well to be found in the same pos
ture. There is enough in Heaven to
keep us gazing. A man Of large wealth
may have statuary in the hall, and
paintings in the sitting-room, and
works Of art in all parts Of the house,
but he has the chief pictures in the art
gallery, and there hour after hour you
lan walk with catalogue and glass and
,ver- increasing admiration. Well,
Heaven is the gallery where God has
Eathered the chief treasures of His
calm. The whole universe is His
alace. In this lower room where
1e stop there are many adorn-
lents; tessellated floor of amethyst,
nd on the winding cloud-stairs are
eretched out canvas on which COM
~ Gingle azure and purple, and SAT-
on, and gold. But heaven is the gal
ry in which the chief glories are
sthered. There are the brightest
bfs. There are the richest crowns.
}Sfe are the highest exhilarations. st.
says of it: 1.-THE kings Of the
th shall bring their honor and glory
gtoit." And see the procession form
and in the line come all empires,
Sdthe stars spring up into an arch
The hosts to march under. They
III step to the sound Of earthquake
be pitch of avalanche from the
Atain, and the flag they bear is the
lAof q consuming world, and all |
~ turns out with harps and trum-
myriad-voiced reclamation Of |
se1sdominions to welcome them in,
the kings Of the earth bring
por and glory into it. Do you
Nhat good people often stand,
Rhen, looking into Heaven?
Jmany friends there.
6A.S not man here so isolated in |
here is some one in Heaven I
b he once shook hands AS a
llder the number of his celes-
Nftances very rapidly multi.
have not had one glimpse Of
the night we kissed them
they went away; but still
0l Eing at Heaven. AS when
friends 60 across the sea
@. Athe dock, or on the steam
AZ ntch them, and after awhile
q the vessel disappears, and
~ Is only patch Of sail on the
= pm that is gone and they are
iIltht, and yet we stand look
VIE1me direction; SO when our
Ray from us into the future
Up looking down through
lnaln(l and gazing and gazing as
~ ~ NAkpected that they would
rEtand on some cloud and
r vAl Eglimpse of their blissful
I'D faces.
CA AForshg to join their colnpan-
~ ~ c9 years and the days go
sasA1sa: m that they break your
- Mipers Of pain and sor-
'buAment keep gnawing at
nd will stand, like Ste
lhkzVs shaSg safsa since eea y ~Dn Ssw
At. You woSder if they would
re your face NOV, SO changed
~ Ieen with trouble. You wonder
QU the myriad delights they have,
re IS much for you as they used
- they gave you q helping hand
their shoulder under your bur-
You wonder If they look any
ma sometimes in the eventide,
Ye house Is all quiet, you wonder
LIQUID call them by their frst
they would not answer, and
And on aosun otirnae 1,,v IL ,..1.. ~