The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-20
5 ||ISlZIE(agmRez@Es

7 stopped to bribe false witnesses, and
soon had him in jail. A great deal OF
talk is heard in these days about tine
big STICK as if it were a modern de-
vice or the posSeSSion OF some one
official; in truth, the big stick has
been welded by authority through ali
the ages in its contests with reason
and right. ~
favorite weapon in the church and IN
the state. once knew a young man
who had withstood for principles sake
a company of ecclesiastical politicians.
When the fight promised to become
serious, one of the latter bluntly ad-
dressed the young man and SAID, II
you persist in speaking, you VIII lose
your position, and then what VII! you
doe You can not get another like II
that viii pay you so much money.
The young man continued and or
course lost his position. But that only
released him for a vastly larger ana
more remunerative service or the
truth. e.f
This stephen lesson will be taught
apart from the needs OF the times un-
less the truth is brought home that
there is crying demand today for the
martyr spirit in every walk OF Hfe-
Influence" pressure" 'pull," are ex-
erted in politics, society, business, ana
the professions, almost without shame.
The nations hope of salvation from
this bIighting evil resides only in the
men and. women made in Stephen 8
mold, who dare Withstand Such argu-
ments to the uttermost.
An Angels Face, a Lions Voice.
Put on trial. and given a chance to
make his defense, Stephen preached
sermon And what a sermonl 1t rolls
on, rich in its historical alluston, fun
of Information and appeal, albeit
rather gentle and conventional dis
course, such as might be expected
from the lips of the best preachers in
any of the synagogues. That IS, until
it reached the end. Then, with start
ling unexpectedness, this gentle server
of tables. whose face had reminded
the members of the council of the face
of an angel, suddenly is transformer
into a veritable lion of courage and
denunciatiOn.
His speech swiftly descends from
the exposition of the Old Testament to
the lightnings of present appIcauon.
Ablaze with fearlessness and fervor,
Stephen roars as he faces the alright
ed council. 'You obstinate race, heath
en- in heart and ears, you are always
resisting the Holy Spirit; your ances-
tors did it, and so do you. Wh1ch OF
the prophets escaped persecution from
your ancestors? They actually killed
those who told long before of the
coming of the Righteous One, of whom
you, in your turn, have now become
betrayers and murderers; you who re-
ceived the Law as transmitted by
angels, and yet failed to keep it.
That direct application turned the
dignified doctors of the law into raVlng
beasts of fury. Leaping toward the
young man. "they gnashed on him
with their teeth He saw not them,
but ''Iooked up steadfastly into heaven,
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing on the right hand of God"
No heavenly visions for his enemies.
They saw only their daring accuser,
and with one accord, they rushed upon
him and cast him out of the city and
stoned him.
The First Martyr.
ga man must live" runs common
saying, with which we palliate or ex-
cuse all sorts of ignoble conduct. One
can not stand beside young stephen
and say that. 1t is not true. A man
must not live. There is no law in
heaven or earth that requires that he
must live. A man must be true. and
must speak his message, and do his
own work, and play the man. Wheth-
er he live or die is the Lords affair,
and not his.
Life is not worth purchasing at the
price of honor. Stephen showed how
sweet and glorious it is to die, a
martyr to truth. His end was the end
of a man and hero. s'They stoned
Stephen calling upon the Lord, and
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit
And he kneeled down and cried with
loud voice. Lord. lay not this sin to
their charge And when he had said
this, he fell asleep"
Probably no one will speak or write
upon this lesson without quoting ''The
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
church." And it is. But not in any
direct fashion, as some of us suppose
who think that every time a martyr
falls, up springs church. In the
thick of the bewildering transforma-
tions in China, the men on the scene
are only beginning to see any direct
connection between the martyrdoms of
1900 and the gospel triumphs of to-
day. The blood of the martyrs is a
seed that sometimes takes long TO
germinate; but its harvest is sure.
Stephens death links on to Saul's life
and ministry. Had he not died, the
church might not have had it's apostle
Paul. Certainly it would have missed
an example that has been tonic and
inspiration to myriads since.