cast him out of the city, and stoned him." "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Like his blessed Master, he prayed for them that did the wrong--setting us an example that we should forgive injuries, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us. When Stephen "had said this, he fell asleep." The death of a faithful follower of Christ is but a sleep, from which he will awaken in the presence of the Lord. Thus died the first martyr; "and devout men," that is, true believers, "carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him"; as well they might, when they thought of their own loss. In reading this history, let us remember that this same Jesus, Whom Stephen saw at the right hand of God, still liveth there, to make intercession for us. When Stephen was stoned, "the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." Those persons, upon whose witness or testimony any man was executed, were, by the law, required to cast the first stone; thus, as it were, taking upon themselves the guilt of murder, if they had become _false_ witness. The witnesses who had accused Stephen of blasphemy, prepared to do their part by taking off their long upper robes, so as to have freer use of their arms: the garments thus taken off, were placed under the charge of some one who had also been active in getting the victim condemned. Saul was a young man, neither poor nor ignorant: he was a Jew, born at Tarsus, a city in Cilicia; and under the care of Gamaliel, (who had advised that the Apostles should be let alone,) he had been strictly brought up as a Pharisee, and was filled with an intense hatred of all who believed in Jesus. He "was consenting unto the death of Stephen," anxious for it. Nor was he satisfied with one victim: for he took an active part in "the great persecution of the church," which arose in Jerusalem at this time. The violent behaviour of the Jews, scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, "all the disciples except the Apostles." How it happened, that the Apostles were allowed to remain in peace at Jerusalem, we do not know; but it was needful that they should for the present remain there, to direct and govern the affairs of the Church, and bring more believers into it; and therefore the Lord protected them in Jerusalem, that the Gospel might first be fully preached to the Jews, as had been appointed. Mean time, by driving so many disciples out of Jerusalem, the Jewish rulers did the very thing they wished to prevent: for wherever these disciples went, they did not cease to speak of the Messiah; thus spreading the knowledge of the Gospel over the country, and bringing many believers into the Church.