Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-04-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON.
Reflections Of an Eievating Character
wholesome Food for Thought
Studying the scripturai Lesson In
telIigentIy and Probably.

Golden Text.-"The angel of the Lord
encampeth round about them that fear
him, and delivereth them."-Ps. "a: Z.
This lesson has for its subject, Peter
Delivered from Prison, and is found in
Acts II: 5-17.
The narrative passes again from Anti
och to Jerusalem, on account of the con.
nection afforded by the aid sent by the
Antioch church to famine-stricken Judea
tsee Acts IL: 2S-30. This famine seems
to be represented as widespread
t'throughout all the worldly in Acts, but
no record Is found of universal famine In
the reign of Claudus. Josephus men
tions a famine which prevailed in Judea
at this time-about A. ID. A. The Chris
tians of Antioch sent relief to their breth'
rem in Judea by Barnabas and Saul, who
had been working with them. The stay
of these messengers was but brief, and
apparently Saul had no important official
communication with the other apostles,
for he does not mention the visit in Gal.
2, where he is enumerating those trips to
Jerusalem which showed his independent
attitude towards the leaders there. But
while he and Barnabas were in the city,
or about that time" occurred the re-
markable deliverance of Peter which is
recorded in Acts II. Verses IA of chap.
IL should be included in the lesson. Herod
Agrippa L., grandson of Herod the Great,
was king, and prosecuted the church, be-
heading James, the brother of John, and
desiring to do the same with Peter. This,
however, was just before the passover of
40, and so Peter was imprisoned until
the close of the festival Q2:4).
Explanatory.
The prayers of the church in such an
emergency must have been earnest and
prolonged. The tragic death of James,
the brother of John, has filed them with
dismay. A similar fate seemed to await
their other leaders-James, the brother
of Jesus, head of the church, and others
equally prominent. Peter, the eloquent,
the godly, whose character had been SO
finely developed by the experiences Of the
fifteen years since his Masters departure,
now seemed to be very near his end; for
the memorable cruelty of this Herod equal
ed that of his grandfather, who killed the
children at Bethlehem, and his uncle, who
beheaded John the Baptist. Doubtless
prayer meetings were held in private
houses all over Jerusalem-for it would
be neither convenient nor safe for the
whole church to meet together at such a
time.
Peter was so strongly guarded that es-
cape seemed impossible. Bound to two
soldiers in prison watched by several
men, he must have expected death on the
morrow; though, remembering his former
experience %: 19) he may have wondered
whether God would see fit again to deliver
him from his jailers for future service.
Thoughts of wonder and solemnity must
have passed through Peters mind when
he stood alone on the dark street, looking
upwards where the angel had disappeared,
and trying to comprehend the greatness of
his responsibility in view of so great a
deliverance.
His first thought was of his brethren in
Christ. He knew where to look for them
at prayer. Mary, the mother of Mark,
had made her house a center of the '.cot-
tage prayer meetings" that were going on
most of the time, and it was there that
Peter expected to find the welcome that
he craved.
"A damsel named Rhoda": This little
incident is ono of the many touches that
witness irresistibly to the truthfulness of
the narrator. The picture of this girl,
Rose-her name means "a rose"-in her
natural feminine excitement and lack Of
presence of mind, could hardly have been
invented by a writer of that time. 1t
bears the stamp of truth. The joy Of
those within the house was so tumultuous
when they beheld Peter that he could not
get a chance to speak. 1t was a glad
almost like return from
the dead. 1t is probable that he withdrew
for time to some neighboring town and
lived quietly for few months before ven
turing to return. Meanwhile the cruel
king had died.
Teaching Hints.
With this lesson closes the first main
division of the history of the apostolic
church; during that period, covered by the
first twelve chapters of Acts, the church
at Jerusalem is the center and Peter the
leader. The early church fourished in
adversely. 1t survived the first persecu-
ton which arose about Stephen, and was
much enlarged by the preaching of the
exiles who left Jerusalem at that time; it
survived the perils of famine, those in
the north helping those in the south in
true Christian fashion; and it could not
be crushed by the persecution of Herod
Agrippa and the death of one of its lead
ing men, James. Opposition develops the
finest qualities of men, by strengthening
their instincts Of self-denial and co-opera-
ton. The decline of the church begins
to be apparent just as soon as il was rec
ognized by the State and protected from
the fourth century.
The personal affection of the early
Christians for their leaders is most strik-
ing Peter, with all his faults, was much
beloved by those men in Jerusalem. 1t
was one great family, and all were inter-
ested in each others joys and sorrows.
Much united prayer was perhaps the most
important single cause of this beautiful
spirit among early Christians. 1t would
not be less effective to-day. When God
delivers man from danger. it is for SER
vice. How many of us there are who
pray fervently for relief when in danger
or sickness, and forget all about IL as soon
rs the danger is past. The lesson IL an
easy one to teach because of its pictur-
esque details: and it really points its own
moral.
Next Lesson-"Paul's First Missionary
10: 1-13.
When He Is Absent.
think we have read enough of the
history of Gods dealings with His peo-
pie to understand that this Is the way