which they saw? Christ present in the flesh. As they saw Him, and believed concerning the
Body, so do we see the Body; let us believe concerning the Head. Let what we have respectively
seen help us. The sight of Christ helped them to believe the future Church: the sight of the
Church helps us to believe that Christ has risen. Their faith was made complete, and ours
is made complete also. Their faith was made complete from the sight of the Head, ours is
made complete by the sight of the Body. Christ was made known to them “wholly,” and to
us is He so made known: but He was not seen “wholly” by them, nor by us has He been
“wholly” seen. By them the Head was seen, the Body believed. By us the Body has been seen,
the Head believed. Yet to none is Christ lacking: in all He is complete, though to this day
His Body remains imperfect. The Apostles believed; through them many of the inhabitants
of Jerusalem believed; Judæa believed. Samaria believed. Let the members be added on, the
building added on to the foundation. “For no other foundation can any man lay,” says the
Apostle, “than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.”3568 Let the Jews rage madly, and
be filled with jealousy: Stephen be stoned, Saul keep the raiment of them who stone him,
Saul, one day to be the Apostle Paul.3569 Let Stephen be killed, the Church of Jerusalem
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dispersed in confusion: out of it go forth burning brands, and spread themselves and spread
their flame. For in the Church of Jerusalem, as it were burning brands were set on fire by
the Holy Spirit, when they had all one soul, and one heart to God-ward.3570 When Stephen
was stoned, that pile suffered persecution: the brands were dispersed, and the world was set
on fire.
7. And then intent on his furious schemes, that Saul received letters from the chief of
the priests, and began his journey in his cruel rage, breathing out slaughter, thirsting for
blood, to drag bound and to hurry off to punishment whomsoever he could, and from every
quarter that he could, and to satiate himself with the shedding of their blood. But where
was God, where was Christ, where He that had crowned Stephen? Where, but in heaven?
Let Him now look on Saul, and mock him in his fury, and call from heaven, “‘Saul, Saul,
why persecutest thou Me?’3571 I am in heaven, and thou in earth, and yet thou persecutest
Me. Thou dost not touch the body, but my members thou art treading down. Yet what art
thou doing? What art thou gaining? ‘It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.’ Kick as
thou wilt, thou only distressest thyself. Lay aside thy fury then, recover soundness. Lay aside
evil counsel, seek after good succour.” By that voice he was struck to the earth. Who was
struck to the earth? The persecutor. Lo, by that one word was he overcome. After what wast
thou going, after what was thy fury carrying thee? Those whom thou wast seeking out, now
3568 1 Cor. iii. 11.
3569 Acts vii. 58.
3570 Acts iv. 32.
3571 Acts ix. 4.
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke xxiv. 36, ‘He himself stood in the midst…