The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-02-26
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH 2. ... III.


81. "When they heard" It is disputed
whether the speech was finished or not.
His abruptness in closing and the anger
of the Jews at that moment render it prob
able that he was interrupted. "Cut to
the heart" Literally, they were sawn
through, or asunder; A hgurative express;
thirsted for his blood
S.. "Being full" The Greek being
full" implies, not a sudden inspiration
but a permanent state. "The Holy
Ghost" While his hearers yielded more
and more to their violent passions, and
were filled with a carnal fire, and indeed
with a spirit from the bottomless pit, the
soul of this faithful witness was filled, by
the grace of God, with a heavenly fire.
Looked up" We would. see more heay-
ener. "Steadfastly." Fixed his eyes in.
tently. Their rawlings did not distract
him. Into heaven" The question has
been asked how he could see into heaven
from that council chamber, but we should
remember that the Spirit revealed to him
this scene in heaven. The eye OF faith
can see heaven from any spot on earth.
Moses beheld it from the land of Egypt
Heb. IL: ~, Isaiah from the temple lisa.
6: -, Ezekiel from the banks of the Che
bar (Ezek. !: y, Peter from the house top
(Acts 10: ~, John from Patmos, Rev.
/: /. "And saw" There is no indefinite.
ness about this statement. '"The glory OF
God" Saw the Shekinah, for with the
Jews the GLORY" and the ''Shekinah", are
similar terms. It was some visible mani.
festation of the divine splendor, such as
Moses saw on Horeb and Ezekiel at Che
bar. 1t first filled the tabernacle and af-
terward the temple, and shone round the
shepherds, and appeared to the / apostles
permitted to see Jesus triumphing in the
flesh in which He had been crucifed. He
saw Jesus ''in His official character as
mediator between God and man." "Stand-
ing" In other places Jesus is represented
Matt. 26; 64), but here Stephen sees Him
standing. He arose to show the great in
terest with which He watched His dis:
tressed servant and to pour glory and
blessing into his soul until it shone out
from his very countenance. "The right
hand" Christ was exalted to place OF
56. Heavens opened" A fgurative ex-
preston denoting that he was permitted
to see into heaven, as if the eye was per-
mitted to penetrate the eternal world.
"Son of man" This is the only time that
our Lord is by human lips called the Son
of man after His ascension. And why
here? Stephen speaking by the Spirit is
led to repeat the. very words IN whlch
Jesus Himself, before this same council,
had foretold His glorifcation. See Matt.
26: "a. This would tend to exasperate
them still more. They are now told that
He whom they had cruci6ed was exalted
to the RIGHT hand of God,
81. "Cried out" Among other things,
perhaps, that he should be silent or that
he should be put to death. Stopped their
ears" As a proof that he had uttered
blasphemy, because he saw Jesus standing
on the right hand of God. Fearful proof
against them; for if Jesus was at the right
hand of God, then they had murdered an
innocent person, and Gods justice must
speedily avenge His death. "And rushed
mob. Under the Keman laws the Jews
had no authority to inaict capital punish
ment. In this case they did not wait to
take the legal course, but before any SEN
tence was pronounced rushed him to his
S.. Out of the city" According to the
law of Moses. Lev. "a: IA. The person to
be stoned was required to be carried with
out the camp. "Stoned him" The per-
son to be stoned was placed on an eleva'
ton twice the height Of man, from
whence with his hands bound he was
thrown down and then a stone. as much
as two men could carry was rolled down
upon him by the witnesses, after which all
the people present cast stones upon MN.
An old tradition places the scene outside
crucifed. The witnesses" The false
witnesses who had accused Stephen OF
blasphemy. Laid down their clothes.
According to Moses law Deut. II: s., u
the witnesses were required to cas- the
first stone, probably to prevent any care
less or unjust shedding of blood, and be-
fore they entered upon their murderous
work they laid off their outer garments.
"At-feet." They put their garments mere
for safe keeping. "Whose name was Saul
This is the first mention of the. one, who
was afterward the great apostle OF the
Gentiles.
him while he was praying. This IS tne
identical prayer that Christ himself NAG
offered on the cross. Here Is clear Proot
that it is proper to offer prayer, to Jesus
Christ. This place affords a full proof OF
The ;mmaterialitv 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:
60. "Kneeled down. A good position
in which to pray or to die. Cried. II
Stenhen had not prayed the church would
not have had Paul. clay not" Weigh
not, reckon not, place it not in thy bal
an,e against them. The best will and tes-
lament of the Christian is that which
commends: !. The soul to heaven. :; The
body to earth. 8. Friends to. the divine
protection. T. Enemies to divine compass
sion. 'To their charge" COMPARING TINS
with nearly the same request OF his dying
Lord it will be seen how very rlenly th!s
martyr of Jesus had drunf into his Mas, ,,
asleep" He died. "But sleep implies an
awakening" His spirit was welcomed
into heaven and his body sleeps until the
/. "Saul was coasenting." So terrible
was the hatred which this man bore to
Christ and His followers that he delighted
in their destru- ton. "A great persecu-
ton" As the rulers had caused the
death of Stephen, without exciting an IN,
surrection of the people or the resentment
of the governor, they ventured to carry on
the persecution with increasing Vioieneg.
9 "Devout men," Pious Jews. TO his
honorable burial to man of whose inno-
cence and godiiness they were convinced.
Great lamentation." They engaged in. a
solemn mourning for him. This is evi;;
dence that Stephen was not condemned
by the Sanhedrin, for public lamentation
was never made over a condemned person.
Ancient Ornaments Dug Up.
Remains of the ancient Sarmatians have