The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-10
THE sUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
May IL, ~19O2-Peter Delivered from
Prison-Acts xii, 1-9.


The powers of heaven and hell are in battle
array over a sleeping prisoner. The odds seem
in helrs favor. The captive has been COM
mitted by the cruel and powerful Herod. the
Emperor's favorite. The prison is the strong
est possible, the Tower Antonio. Both guards
and chains are doubled. The expectation Of
the Jews will soon be %gratihed. Peter. who
was with James on Tabor and in Gethsemane.
will not be far behind him in martyrdom.
Opposed to all this is a mere conventicle, a
prayer meeting in the home of Mary, the mother
of John Mark. Some common folk are there.
including the servant girl Rose. How prepos-
ferrous this array against the implacable malice
of chief priests and Sanhedrin. sustained by
the power of the Herodian prince, and he in
turn backed by the invincible might of the
worldwide empire! AS we'll dash themselves
against the Pillars Of Hercules. Inndelity of
to-day would have told them that cursing would
do them as much good as praying in such an
emergency.
But none OF these refined subtleties daunted
their ardor. They had too lately heard from
the lips of their assembled Lord. ask" seek"
knock" and their correlates, receive find"
have opened So instant and earnest prayer
continues. II does not flag, though day after
day of the truce which the festival week affords
is lost, though even the last watch of the
last night wears away, and the day of doom ap-
proaches. At length the kingdom of heaven suf-
fers violence. The praying band" has not cap
tured the prison fortress Antonio, but. better
still. it has storned heaven. The violent have
taken 1t by force. Prayer has moved the Hand
that moves the world.
That instant an angel, glad Of his errand.
appears upon the scene. He needs no torch.
The effulgence Of his own person irradiates the
prison corridor. The prisoner, loosened, is di-
rected to gather up the articles Of his tolat
that while so employed he may gather I'D his
wits as well. He shall leave none of his eff
fects behind so that his departure would resemble
the flight of a criminal. Herod and his soldiers
could not retain even a thread that belonged TO
Peter"
A triumphal march begins. unseen by mortal
eye. An angel leads, a liberated captive fol-
lows. The might of Jehovah goes before. He
breaks in pieces the gates of brass, and cuts
in sunder the bars Of iron. But the SUPERNATURAL
goes not a step beyond the line Of necessity.
Then the delivered captive is thrown upon his
own resources. Mrs. Sigourney, with poetic in
stinct, pictures the simultaneousness Of the an
gels departure and the apostles recovery Of self
consciousness:
The seraph's wing
Outspread In parting flight, with snowy grace
Awhile II lowered; then. like radiant star
From its orbit loosed. went soaring up
High Ger the arch of night. Then Peter knew -
49, NGN - IT'S w uDOn
his miEd. The Jews were like holiday Romans.
seated upon the marble tiers OF the amphithea-
ter, waiting with heartless zest the sanguinarv
scene in the arena. The blood Of James had
only whetted their a%ppetites. How utterly was
their expectation to be disappointed,
Peters coming to himself: his momentary
reflection; his detention at the door by the
joyous inadvertence of the servant: the surprise
of the praying band. not so much at the fact
OF deliverance as at the time and manner.
Peters account to the wondering assembly; his
direction that the circumstance be narrated to
James, the Lords brother. and superintendent
of the church in Jerusalem. and his own Judi
cious retirement-all make this one OF the most
wildly realistic narratives upon the sacred page.
THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
Herod is a type OF the modern politician. His
income was 81. 0O0.O 600 per annum. II was a mat
ter OF revenue only" Every proposed action
was tested by its probable effect upon his tenure
OF ONCE. He was ready 10 weep in the temple
at Jerusalem because he was only half a Jew.
or patronize pagan games at Cesarea; ready 10
sacrifice Moses or Christian nifty. whichever would
serve his purpose best. Risk reinforcement for
the sake OF right and truth? Ha, ha! He was
never hampered by scruples. He had no sucn
inconvenient impediment as a conscience. A!asi
his tribe Is not extinct.
Yet Herod had his angel as well as Peter.
Not a delivering. but an avengins angel. He
had reached the zenith OF ambition. his realm
was a. wide as his grandfathers. the gre.f