SCENES IN THE LIVES
OF
SAINT STEPHEN. TIMOTHY, SAINT MARK,
AND
SAINT LUKE.

OF good men it is right to speak,
Those good men who did move,
The hearts of men in early times,
With works and words of love.

And though these good men suffer'd loss
Of every earthly good,
To preach the Gospel of the Lord,
Who bought us with His blood;

And though their history is mark'd
With suffering and with tears,
And though each day and hour they met
Much trial and great fears,—

Yet they examples are to us,
Who now on earth do live,
For all must suffer loss and shame,
Who in the Lord believe.

When Christ ascended up on high,
He left His love behind,
To cheer His servants here on earth,
And bless the heavenly mind.

And though we suffer here on earth,
And toil through all our days;
Yet after death, in Heaven we'll spend
Eternity in praise.

Then let us evermore be bold
And true in a good cause,
And never turn from what is right,
To gain the world's applause.

The brave and good who lived of old,
The truth with courage told,
And every danger calmly met,
So fearless, free and bold.

Of Stephen good, this book will tell,
Of whom you all have heard;
Who was the first, who did become
A martyr for the Lord.

St. Stephen was the first who fell
By persecution's wrath,
He was the first who did give up
To violence his breath.

The first to die a martyr's death
To lay his body down;
While up to Heaven his spirit flew,
To seize a martyr's crown.

He was a mighty man indeed,
And full of love divine,
And when he did the truth proclaim,
His countenance did shine.

He was a man of learning too,
And did great wisdom show,
He spake the word of God with power
Wherever he did go.

He wrought beside, great miracles,
To prove his doctrine true,
And did confront with flaming zeal,
The Gentile and the Jew.

The Apostles him did set apart,
To labour for the Lord,
And well he did fulfil his trust,
Both by his deed and word.

He was a man of prayer and faith,
And full of holy fire,
To know and teach the love of God,
Did his warm heart aspire.

BUT soon the cruel enemies,
With wicked hate conspired,
To take away the good man's life,
With Satan's malice fired.

With anger they confronted him,
With them he did dispute,
And though they were in numbers strong,
He did their words confute.

He stood with boldness up before
His unrelenting foes,
And with the strongest truth of God
He did their speech oppose.

And though they threaten'd him with death
And clamor'd all around,
With wisdom, love and patience too,
Did he their words confound.

And when they found that they could not
Against him aught prevail,
With words they stirr'd the people up,
And falsely did assail,

With charges great of blasphemy
Against the Law, and God,
And hired men to witness to
Their false and wicked word.

They brought him up before the priests,
And treated him with scorn,
But all saw that his countenance
With Angel-glory shone.

And then the high-priest said to him:
"Tell us—are these things so?"
Then Stephen rose, and from his lips,
The words of truth did flow.

His mind was clear, his heart was free,
He fear'd nor death nor shame,
But to the list'ning multitude
With boldness did proclaim,

The Gospel of the Son of God,
The Saviour's dying love,
Who to redeem the sons of men,
Came down from Heaven above.

He gave them all the history
Of Moses and the Law,
Of what the Kings and Prophets heard,
And what their fathers saw.

He told them of the wickedness
Of the rebellious Jews,
Of how they did the Prophets treat,
And did the Lord refuse.

He told them how the Lord was kind
To them in all their ways,
And how He did their hardness bear
For many, many days.

With plainness he did then recount
How they the Prophets kill'd,
And show'd themselves in all their acts
Stiffnecked and self-will'd.

And then he held up Jesus Christ,
The object of their scorn,
And told them plainly they had kill'd
The Just and Holy One.

That they the murderers were of Him
Who came to save our race,
Who every where show'd forth to men,
Such loveliness and grace.

When they heard these things, they gnash'd
Upon him, in their hate,
For well they knew within their hearts,
He did the truth relate.

But though their looks were very fierce,
And threaten'd him with harm,
His soul was fill'd with heavenly peace,
And free from all alarm.

He steadfastly to Heaven did look,
And saw his Saviour, Lord,
And saw His form in glory stand
At the right hand of God,

And said: "The heavens are open wide,
The Son of Man doth stand,
With glory bright arrayed, and near,
The Majesty's right hand."

AS STEPHEN spake, his countenance
Was fill'd with sacred light,
And all around him where he stood
Did flame with glory bright.

But now they could no longer bear,
To hear his faithful word,
They stopp'd their ears, and cried aloud,
And all with one accord,

Ran on the good and holy man,
And cast him to the ground;
And hateful cries, and murd'rous stones
Soon fill'd the air around.

Amid a shower of murderous stones,
He did resign his breath;
He boldly braved, and calmly met,
A Christian martyr's death.

And O! what kindness fill'd his soul,
And did his heart enlarge,
He dying pray'd:—"O! Lord, lay not
This sin unto their charge."

He thus obey'd the Saviour's word:
"Pray for your enemies;"
And though they do you persecute,
Ne'er let your anger rise.

Thus Stephen was the first to die,
By cruel violence;
For his attachment, Christ doth give
An ample recompense.

For all whose blood is shed for Him,
He honours high in Heaven,
And unto them, Eternal Life,
And crowns of joy are given.

And there no sorrow and no pain,
No death can ever come;
The saints are there forever blest
In their eternal home.

As I have told—St. Stephen was
The very first to die,
By violence for Jesus' sake,
Since Christ ascended high.

He was the first to testify—
E'en in the midst of shame,
Unto his wicked enemies,
The Saviour's blessed name.

He was the first to whom the gates
Of Heaven were open'd wide,
Receiving one who died for truth,
Since Christ was crucified.

And what a glorious sight he saw,
When he was near to die;
He saw, what others could not see,
His blessed Lord on high.

The blessed Saviour always dwells
According to His word,
With those who love and serve Him here;
And to them will afford

The strength they need to bear them through;
He'll give them sweet repose;
And shelter them, e'en when they are
Assail'd by murderous foes.

For Jesus to His followers said:
"Ye shall my glory share,
And for you far in Heaven above,
Blest mansions I'll prepare.

"Now faithful prove until the end,
Bear every cross and shame;
And to the nations of the earth
My dying love proclaim.

"And I will always be with you,
And when you come to die,
I'll cheer your hearts with heavenly hope,
And bring you up on high."

I'M sure the children all would like
Of Timothy to hear;
He was a preacher of the cross,
And labour'd far and near.

When young, his mother did him train
To love and fear the Lord,
And he was well instructed in
The Saviour's blessed word.

He is a great example held
Of early piety,
Of noble mind, and lovely heart,
And great humility.

Young Timothy the Bible loved,
And did its truths obey;
He loved of good things much to think,
And also loved to pray.

He grew up to be very wise,
Instructed in the truth,
And loved its precepts to obey,
E'en in his earliest youth.

TO Systra the Apostle came,
The great Apostle Paul;
He heard them talk of Timothy,
And right away did call

For him, that he the youth might take,
To go with him abroad,
To help him, as he publish'd far,
The blessed Saviour's word.

The Apostle call'd him his dear son,
And did a father prove;
He cherish'd him where'er he went,
With tenderness and love.

He travell'd here and there with Paul,
And labour'd for the Lord;
And did the Apostle much assist,
In doctrine and in word.

How pleasant 'tis to see the young
Their hearts to Jesus give;
The Saviour loves the little ones,
And will their hearts receive.

And when they grow to manhood's years,
They can to others prove,
That 'tis the source of happiness,
The Saviour's name to love.

So Timothy, when he was young,
Was taught in things Divine.
He loved them much, and he could say,
"Dear Saviour, I am thine."

And when he grew to be a man,
He boldly went to tell
How Jesus came from Heaven above
With sinful men to dwell.

He did not only give his love
To Christ, but served him too,
And labour'd to spread forth His name,
As God would have you do.

For he could best show forth his love
For Christ, by doing good,
By calling sinners to believe
The Lord, who shed His blood.

And though he might soon lose his life,
By telling Jesus' name,
Yet he went forth without a fear,
And boldly did proclaim,

In many lands the Saviour's love,
His love to dying men,
That love which follow'd us in sin,
To bring us back again.

O what a noble heart was here,
For one that was so young;
But if we're young and weak, then Christ
Can make us bold and strong.

WHEN Paul went prisoner to Rome,
He wrote to Timothy—
A letter full of tenderness,
And great simplicity.

And Timothy went up to see
The Apostle Paul at Rome,
And many say, he witness'd there
The Apostle's martyrdom.

And after that to Ephesus,
The youthful hero came,
And unto all the people did
The Saviour's name proclaim.

And he was Bishop of the Church,
And govern'd it with love;
Though he was young, yet he received
All wisdom from above.

Idolatry was raging round,
And every evil way,
And Timothy was grieved to see,
They did not Christ obey.

And he rebuked their wickedness,
With words of burning zeal;
And they, so full of sin and hate,
Made him their anger feel.

They rush'd upon him with their clubs,
Impell'd by Satan's will,
And in their wrathful violence,
Young Timothy did kill.

He gave himself a victim to
The truths he did proclaim,
And died by violence, because,
He told of Jesus' name.

But he is happy now in Heaven,
No more to fear or die,
But with his Saviour and his God,
He reigns above the sky.

ST. MARK was an Evangelist,
And heard the Saviour's word,
And did, with all his mother's house,
Obey and love the Lord.

When first the Apostles went to preach,
St. Mark to Egypt went,
And there he taught the multitudes—
By Peter he was sent.

He preach'd the truth with great success,
And many did receive
The truth he spake, and in the name
Of Jesus did believe.

He went with Paul and Barnabas,
In company to tell
The multitudes of Jesus Christ,
Who once on earth did dwell.

He wrote a history of the Lord,
Which you can always read,
And boldly tells that Christ, who died,
Was great in word and deed.

And forth he went from place to place,
To tell to all abroad,
The wond'rous grace of Him he served
His dying, risen Lord.

To brave the dangers of the world,
And Satan's wrath defy,
Not knowing but he'd soon be call'd
A martyr's death to die,

But He who sits upon the Throne,
And rules the worlds above,
Did give His servants patience here
That they might ever prove,

Their faithfulness to Him in all,
That they might say or do;
And e'en in death, might show to all,
His Gospel ever true,

Now after Mark had travell'd far,
To preach in distant lands,
And many people did instruct
In Christ—the Lord's commands,

He came to Alexandria,
And there he did unfold,
Unto the church the words of Christ,
With speech so free and bold.

But Satan, who goes up and down,
To exercise his power,
Over the hearts of wicked men,
And seeking to devour,

Did soon his servants, mad with hate,
Impel to deadly strife,
And falling on St. Mark, with force
They did assail his life.

Once at a feast, they seized him hard,
And bound with cords his feet,
And then with cruel hate and scorn
They dragg'd him through the street.

And after they had dragg'd about
His body, they at last
To prison took his mangled form,
And in a dungeon cast.

'Tis said that Christ appear'd to him
In vision, and did bless
His weary soul with grace divine,
And Heavenly tenderness.

But early, when the morning came
They dragg'd him forth again,
And fill'd his soul and body too,
With grief and cruel pain.

And thus they bruised and mangled him,
With wickedness inspired,
Till death came on to his relief,
And he at last expired.

And after death they still pursued
His lifeless form with scorn,
And full of deep malignity,
They did his body burn.

O! who would think such wickedness
Did in the world exist;
That after all the Saviour's done,
Men will in sin persist?

The Saviour sends His servants forth,
That all the world may hear
The news of His salvation, and
Obey with love and fear.

But they with malice fill'd and hate,
Like unrelenting foes,
Resisted all the words of truth,
And did their way oppose.

But many souls received the word
And felt their sins forgiven,
And they were reconciled to God—
Their Father—God, in Heaven.

And those who suffer'd here for Christ,
And bore the world's cold frown,
Shall be forever with the Lord,
And on His Throne sit down.

And all the great Apostles shall
Be ever happy there,
And blest through all eternity
The Saviour's glory share.

And all good children here on earth,
When they are call'd to die,
Shall soar away on eagle's wings
To worlds beyond the sky.

Then follow Christ with all your heart,
Whatever may betide,
Though wicked men should persecute,
And all the world deride.

Remember that the Saviour's power,
And strong redeeming grace
Will save you from your enemies,
And fill your hearts with praise.

Remember too, that all the peace
That this world can afford,
Is nothing when compared unto
The peace of Christ the Lord.

Some little children I have seen,
Who did not wish to live,
Because they had such peace in Christ,
Who did their sins forgive.

They wish'd at once to soar away
To their eternal home,
Where sickness, sorrow, pain and death,
Can never, never come.

For all the good men in the world
Who feel their sins forgiven,
Are glad when Jesus calls them home,
To happiness and Heaven.

And when you are in Heaven above,
How happy you will be,
To dwell with the Apostles great,
To all eternity.

You'll see them with their pure white robes,
With countenances bright,
While all around their heavenly forms,
You'll see a glorious light.

The Saviour from His glorious Throne
Will spread His love Divine,
Around on all His Saints redeem'd,
And they shall ever shine.

So, children, live on earth with care,
And follow Christ's command,
And when you leave this world of sin,
You'll dwell at His right hand.

ST. LUKE was a Physician good,
And early did receive
The Gospel of the Son of God,
And did in Christ believe.

He was one of the early few,
Who rallied round the cross,
And for the sake of Him they loved
Did suffer shame and loss.

He was a learned, useful man
To all the church abroad;
He labour'd with the Apostles much,
And did their acts record.

He wrote also the history
Of his ascended Lord,
This history the Church has kept,
And we can read his word.

The Apostle Paul calls him—"Beloved,"
And speaks of him so kind,
It seems he show'd, where'er he went,
A meek and lowly mind.

He labour'd much to tell of Christ,
He labour'd far and near,
Though many dangers press'd around,
He did no danger fear.

He travell'd with the Apostle Paul,
The Saviour to proclaim,
And to the listening multitudes
Gave tidings of His Name.

He travell'd into Egypt far,
And also into Greece;
And many heard and did receive,
His words of love and peace.

How he did love the souls of men,
And try to do them good,
By telling them of Jesus Christ,
Who bought them with His blood!

He gave himself a sacrifice
Unto the cause of God,
And counted it a great delight,
To tell the Saviour's word.

In Greece he saw idolatry,
Which did his spirit grieve,
They loved their sin, and they would not
The word of God receive.

But though the world would not receive,
Nor honor these good men,
And though men did them persecute,
And cause them grief and pain,

Yet they the Saviour's promise had
That if they'd suffer here,
Then after death, in Heaven they should
His highest glory share.

And Luke was call'd to suffer death,
For Christ, the Saviour's Name,
And yet his soul no murmur knew,
At grief, or wo, or shame.

He counted all things loss for Christ,
And look'd for heavenly rest,
Beyond this life and all its toils,
Upon His Saviour's breast.

And though he died by violence
And hatred, yet you'll find,
That he did show to all around,
The Saviour's lovely mind.

His enemies with rage did take
By violence his breath,
They seized and hung him to a tree,
And thus he came to death.

And now in Heaven above he wears,
A glittering, martyr's crown;
And with the Saviour, ever dwells,
Before the Eternal Throne.

St. Luke did in a book record
The words and deeds of those
Whom Christ commissioned forth to tell
His triumph o'er his foes.

It is an entertaining book,
And full of truth indeed,
It tells of many wond'rous things,
As you may plainly read.

But there is one thing it relates,
About the Holy Ghost
Descending on the Apostles, on
The Day of Pentecost.

When Christ to His Disciples said—
That He would leave them soon,
Their hearts were fill'd with grief, and they
Began to weep and mourn.

But Jesus said: "I will not leave,
Your hearts thus comfortless,
I'll send the Holy Spirit down,
Who will your spirits bless."

And when He rose, He to them said—
"Go forth to preach and tell,
The wonders of the Saviour's love,
Of your Immanuel.

"But tarry in Jerusalem,
Engaged in prayer and praise,
Until the Holy Ghost shall come,
And tell you all my grace."

And on the Day of Pentecost
The Holy Ghost came down,
In form like unto tongues of fire,
And glory shone around.

They all were there with one accord,
Assembled in one place,
When Jesus sent the Comforter,
With power and love and grace.

Their hearts were fill'd with love divine,
And burn'd with flaming zeal,
Their minds were fill'd with light, and they
The power of God did feel.

And those who stood around them saw
This wonder so divine,
But knowing not its nature—said—
"These men are fill'd with wine."

But Peter rose with boldness there,
And did aloud proclaim,
That Jesus whom they crucified,
And treated with such shame,

Was God's beloved Son, who came
Down from the Throne above,
To show to us His matchless grace,
And save us by His love.

He told them to repent at once,
And on the Lord believe,
And be converted from their sins,
And Jesus Christ receive.

He spake with power and truth and love,
And many hundreds came,
And there confessing all their sin,
Received the Saviour's Name.

This blessed spirit ever lives,
With men who fear the Lord;
And cheers the hearts of Jesus' friends,
According to His word.

It dwells with Christians while they live,
'Tis with them when they die,
And through the gloom of death it points,
To brighter worlds on high.

O! make this spirit now your guide,
Through all life's dangerous road,
'Twill point your soul to happiness,
And bear you up to God.