buried. And about four hours afterwards, his wife Sapphira, not knowing what had happened, came in. And Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the SPIRIT OF THE LORD? Behold, the feet of them who have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then Sapphira also fell down dead. And the young men who had buried Ananias, came in and found her dead; and carrying her forth, they buried her by her husband. ST. STEPHEN stoned to Death. As the Apostles had not time to divide the money that was collected, they appointed certain persons, called Deacons, to do it. The name of one of these Deacons was Stephen; he was a very good man, a preacher of the Gospel, and had wrought many miracles in the name of JESUS CHRIST. Some of the Jewish Teachers disputed with Stephen that JESUS was not the CHRIST, and they hired false witnesses, who accused him of speaking against the Law of Moses. When Stephen was brought before the Council, and accused of these things, he was not afraid, but told the Rulers plainly, that they were the people who had broken the Law of Moses, and that they had provoked the ALMIGHTY by putting the MESSIAH to death. When the Rulers heard these things, they were so enraged with Stephen, that they condemned him to be stoned to death as a blasphemer; and they cast him out of the city, and cried out with a loud voice, and ran upon him with fury. And they stoned Stephen, who, while they stoned him, called upon GoD, and cried, LORD JESUS, receive my spirit! And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, O LORD! lay not this sin to their charge: and when he had said this, he yielded up his soul and died. |