Scenes from the life of St. Paul and their religious lessons (1909) (14801726213)

Identifier: scenesfromlifeof00hows (find matches)
Title: Scenes from the life of St. Paul and their religious lessons ..
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Howson, J. S. (John Saul), 1816-1885
Subjects: Paul, the Apostle, Saint
Publisher: London : Religious Tract Society
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University



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ii. i). This word consenting is far from expressing all the hearty-willingness and eager zeal denoted by the originalGreek. And this exact moment was of no lightimportance to St Paul himself, and to the wholeof his subsequent career. How deep an impres-sion it made upon his mind and memory we cangather from his own defence, spoken years after-wards, within the holy precincts where the trialhad taken place. • When the blood of thy martyrStephen was shed,—such were the words,addressed first to the Almighty at a time of earnestprayer, and then afterwards quoted to the Jewsassembled in the Temple court,—I also wasstanding by, and consenting unto his death, andkept the raiment of them that slew him (Actsxxii. 20). Now what were Sauls feelings when he with-Sauls Feelings: drew from the scene, when heSatisfaction turned his back on Stephens dead body, and left it to be buried by those devoutmen (Acts viii. 2), who showed more true moralcourage than the persecutor? Probably the first 12
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ST. PAUL AT THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN. (Acts vii, 58.) DOUBT feeling of an infuriated murderer, when hisvictim is a corpse, is that of vindictive satisfaction.But Saul was something more than a commonplacemurderer. All his soul was excited and heated bythe utmost religious zeal. He classed himself,doubtless, with Jael and Jehu, and those who in oldtimes had done service by extirpating the enemiesof the Lord; and thus the calmness of self-approval (strange as it may seem to us) would, ashe left the scene of murder, mingle itself with thesense of gratified rage. But what were his feelings when the firstemotion subsided, when the still- r • 1 . r —Doubt ness or night came on, whenStephens body was in the grave ? We all knowsomething of the awakening of conscience aftera sin has been committed, when the excitementof passion has gradually ebbed away, and themind can recur to the calmer consideration ofthat past which can never be recalled. Thuswe can all place ourselves in some degree i