The Dolores star., 1909-04-09

fear him. and delivere,h thern"-P Psalm.
a:7
TIME--The Passover feast t..the DAYS
OF unleayened bread verse %. lprti ia.
a. D. ~. Herod lad ,eft his cap;ta:'
Csesarea. and was in Jerusalem for the
feast
PLACE.-Jerrsalcm-th fortress of An
'onia. and tie homo OF Mary. the mother
OF John Marx
RULERS.-Herod Agrsppa L. king Of
all Palestine, the realm OF Hered the
Great, his grandfather. He was 5i years
old. Ciaudlus. Roman emperor. a. d.
H-4.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
During our last lesson and this from
four to six years have elapsed. During
that time have occurred the founding
of the great Gentle church at Antioch
and the calling thither OF Barnabas
from Jerusalem and Paul from Tarsus.
The famine. and the famine relief sent
TO Jerusalem from Antioch.
v. He "vexed" the o.iurch. The
Greek means to torment, oppress
which is the meaning 'vex" bore In
old English. AS a climax. he killed
James the brother of John with the
sword" by beheading, "a mode Of
death regarded as very disgracefuI
among the Jews."--Exposi,or' Greek
Testament.
V. 4-"When he had apprehended
him" There had been some delay and
difficulty in arresting Peter. "Proba-
bly, Peter had concealed himself after
the execution of James, but ventured
forth to the feast relying on the sa-
credness of the season, anu so gave
Herod's officers opportunity to arrest
him."-Rendall.
The power OF prayer, that was
made without ceasing (stre,ched out,
either in time or intensity-either
ceaselessly or earnestly as the r. v.
translates it, Of the church unto God
for him." The central meeting place
". 12) was the house OF Mary, the
mother of John Ma.k-that Mary who
wrote the gospel, and went on Paul's
first missionary journey with his cou-
sin Barnabas. "He may appear, name
less, in Mark 14:51."-Prof. H. p.
Forbes. There the Christians, going
In relays during the Passover, kept up
a continual supplication for the release
Of their beloved leader. and. doubtless
that he might be upheld in his suffer
ings, and the cause of Christ prospered
whatever might be the outcome.
Intercessory prayer--"How happy
that In all extremities, and when every
other expedient is precluded or un-
availing the greatest of all still re-
mains!"-John Foster. We do not use
this power half enough, or believe In
1t half as strongly as we should.
Peter was in prison till near the
close Of the Passover. when Herod
would have brought him forth"
Peter was not released earlier by the
angel for the same reason that often
causes delay in the answer to our
prayers-to test our faith > and
strengthen our characters by the en-
durance Of 1eliction. This waiting.
and the bearing of trouble. teach us
patience. courage, hopefulness, cheer
.fulness and faith. What school has
nobler curriculum?
Peter was sleeping quietly, like
David (Psa. $3.50 when Absalom and
all his foes pursued him. For so he
giveth his beloved Sleep" or "in their
sleep" (Psa. 127:2) 1t was in the
last watch of the night, between three
and six o'clock, for Peter was not
missed at three, when the guards were
changed again. In this darkest hour
which is just before the dawn" an
"angel of the Lord came upon him"
(stood by him)-a brilliant presence
radiating light which filled the cell
Peter was sleeping so soundly that the
light did not wake him. and the angel
"smote Peter on the side" Keble, in
his poem on the subject, suggests that
Peter may have been dreaming Of his
coming execution, and may have
thought this stroke was his summons
to 1t. What blessed change. Proba-
bly, the same stroke served also to
strike of the chains that bound Peter
to the soldiers, who were held in a
profound slumber
v. S-He was hidden: 'Gird thy
SELF" that is, bind his tunic Gong un.
dergarmenD with the girdle; for orr
entails do not change their dress when
they go to rest, but merely loosen it.
Over this tanic he was to throw his
garment" the outer cloak or mantle
He was to bind on his Sandals" or
wooden so,es, "the shoes of the poor"
Then he followed the angel, but "wist"
Thought, from the same root as wIse)
1t was all dream. Peters incre-
dulity as to the occurrence witnesses
tn its reality."-Burrell.
Note that Peter was hidden to do
what he could; it was not all done for
him. Thus 1t was human muscles
that rolled the stone from the grave
of Lazarus. ''in the heart Of every
miracle we find these human powers
employed. That is the spiritual side
of the old proyerb, that God helps
those who help themselves" Rev. G.
H. Morrison.
The guards (wards) were asleep, or
were kept by supernatural means from
preventing them. The first guard may