180 



LT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY, ON 



that Paul said, " I am ready .... to die at Jerusalem for the 

 name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts xxi, 13). After our Lord's 

 arrival at that city, the multitude had cried out, " Away 

 with this man" (Luke xxiii, 18), and when, years afterwards, 

 Paul entered Jerusalem, the crowds uttered the same hostile 

 words, " Away with him " (Acts xxi, 36), repeated soon 

 afterwards on the same day with added vehemence, " Away 

 with such a fellow from the earth ; for it is not fit that he 

 should live " (Acts xxii, 22) ; for other instances see Luke xxii, 

 42 ; Acts xxi, 14, etc. 



Stephen is introduced in the Acts towards the close of his 

 hfe. He was indeed filled with the Spirit (Acts vi, 5, 10 ; vii, 

 55, see also vi, 3) ; special attention is therefore drawn to his 

 statement, that the Jews always resisted the Holy Ghost (vii, 51), 

 of Whom the book of Acts testifies so fully. 



The account of the death of Stephen therefore brings before 

 us the rejection of the Third Person of the Trinity by the 

 Jews, and it strongly reminds us of the record of the rejection 

 of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Crucifixion by the same people, 

 told in the Gospels. 



Double Eeminders. 



But St. Luke, in his second book, has further reminded us 

 of our Lord's earthly Ministry by what we may call a doubled 

 process : he has told us of various events in the history of two 

 very prominent Christian leaders, which not only show a strong 

 resemblance to each other, but they also unite in reminding 

 us of our Lord's career on earth. 



In the Acts, Luke tells the doings of Peter, and, much more 

 fully, those of Paul. It is interesting to notice a few of the 

 number of similar occurrences in the history of each, which 

 Luke has chosen for record, reminding us of corresponding 

 events in the hfe of our Lord. Some are resemblances, some 

 are contrasts. Both apostles had power to heal the sick (iii, 1-10 ; 

 xiv, 8-10) ; both had also a personal curative power ; so that 

 the shadow of one (v, 15), and handkerchiefs or aprons from the 

 others (xix, 12), cured the sufferers. Both also raised the dead : 

 Peter restored Tabitha to hfe (ix, 36-42), and Paul Eutychus 

 (xx, 9-12). Both had divine worship offered to them : Peter 

 by Cornelius (x, 25-26), and Paul by the people of Lystra (xiv, 

 11-18). 



