And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Took care. In an ancient work, which gives the history of the finding of St. Stephen's body, generally considered authentic, and printed at the end of the 7th volume of St. Augustine's works, we find the following account. "Stephen having been stoned without the northern gate, lay there without burial one day and a night, according to the order of the Jewish rulers, that his body might become a prey to birds and beasts, but God did not suffer either to touch it. "
"Then I, Gamaliel, compassionating these servants of Jesus Christ, and desiring to have some share in the faith and religion of this holy man, sent among the Jews some Christians who feared God, dwelling at Jerusalem, to take away privately the body, and bring it in my chariot to my country house, where it was deposited in my tomb towards the east, and we mourned over it for forty days "It is an injury to pray for a martyr, who ought to assist us by his prayers. (St. Augustine, Serm. xvii.)
We see great devotion used in bury...
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And when he said, I see the heavens opened, they stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. (v. 56, 57.) And yet in what respect are these things deserving of accusation? Upon him, the man who has wrought such miracles, the man who has prevailed over all in speech, the man who can hold such discourse! As if they had got the very thing they wanted, they straightway give full scope to their rage. And the witnesses, he says, laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. Acts 7:58 Observe how particularly he relates what concerns Paul, to show you that the Power which wrought in him was of God. But after all these things, not only did he not believe, but also aimed at Him with a thousand hands: for this is why it says, And Saul was consenting unto his death.— And this blessed man does not simply pray, but does ...
If they were devout, why did they make great lamentation over him? They were not yet perfect. The man was gracious and amiable: this also shows that they were men— not their fear alone, but their grief and lamentation. Who would not have wept to see that mild, that lamb-like person stoned, and lying dead? Fit eulogy to be spoken over his grave has the Evangelist recorded, in this one speech, Lay not this sin to their charge.— And made, he says, great lamentation over him.— But let us look over again what has been said.
He mentions the cause of his (angelic) appearance
If they were devout, why did they make great lamentation over him? They were not yet perfect. The man was gracious and amiable: this also shows that they were men— not their fear alone, but their grief and lamentation. Who would not have wept to see that mild, that lamb-like person stoned, and lying dead? Fit eulogy to be spoken over his grave has the Evangelist recorded, in this one speech, Lay not this sin to their charge.— And made, he says, great lamentation over him.— But let us look over again what has been said.
He mentions the cause of his (angelic) appearance Recapitulation, 7:54; 8:2; But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And when he said, I see the heavens opened, they stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. (v. 56, 57.) And yet in what respect are these things deserving of accusation? Upon him, the man who has wrought such miracles, the man who has prev...
