Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-04-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson ll.-Second Quarter, For
April II, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of the Lesson, Acts xii, 1.19.
Memory Verse, 7-GoIden Text, Ps.
xxxiv, 7-commentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns.

|
Tarsus or the option of an Easter les
son from l Cor XIV, but as we desir
to miss nothing from the Acts and a
the regular lesson is a manifestation
of the power Of the risen Christ w
\ take the regular order. We have seer
thus far in this book that all thu
| teaching has been concerning cruel
| fed and risen Christ and that thu
| thousands saved-the lame man, an(
the palsied man healed, and the deac
raised-were all in the name and by the
power of the risen and glorified Re
deemer. From the time of the en-
trance of sin into the world up to the
present time and on to the end of this
age the opposition Of the devil, the
god of this world, is very manifest.
Peter felt it keenly and therefore
wrote, "Your adversary, the devil, as
roaring lion walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour, whom resist,
steadfast In the faith" q Pet. V, 8, 81.
In this lesson the DEVILS instrument
is one Of the HerOds, decidedly bad
lot, Oh whose history it would not be
wise 10 waste time. He is permitted
to vex the church, to kill James, the
brother of John, and to imprison Pc
ter. But In the end of the chapter
he is taken from the earth, and there
is nothing for him but the blackness
Of darkness forever. James, whom he
killed, being the Lords own, found
himself instantly in glory, absent from
the body, present with the Lord. Pc
ter was kept in prison, guarded al
ways by four soldiers, and 1t was
Herod's intention to have him brought
out and slain after Easter. This
would have been a great gain for Pc
ter, but it was not in the Lords plan,
as we shall see. Although Peter must
have had poor fare and hard lodgings,
we see him sleeping, probably as
peacefully as in the trance Of our last
lesson, ready to be slain If that was
the Lords way for him.
Somewhere in the city, in the house
of Mary, the sister of Barnabas, the
mother Of John Mark, many were
gathered together, making instant and
prayer to God for him (verses
), margin, and 12), and their prayers
were heard and about to be answered,
though they hardly expected it,. for
had they not been persistently asking,
lay and night, and was not this the
asst night of hope, and how could he
De delivered? Well might our Lord
,ay to us most of the time, 20 We
# little faithw Let us see God
prayer, and may our faith
)e strengthened. One Of those angels
Who excel in strength is sent to Peter
Is he sleeps in the prison, securely |
guarded by the two soldiers, to whom |
lie is chained, and by the guard before
he door. But the stone walls and the /
ron gates or doors are nothing to |
hese messengers from the throne of |
sod, and without disturbing one Of
he guards Peters chains fall off, and
e is told to arise, grid himself, bind
n his sandals, cast his garments
bout him and follow his friend Pc
er did as he was told, not thinking
reality, but that he was enjoying
vision. No one spoke to them as
hey passed the wards, and the iron
ate Of its own accord opened to them
more angelic ministry.
nd, passing through one street, the
NIGEL left him, and Peter found him
elf alone and soon realized that it
'as no vision, but that an angel had
l reality delivered him from Herod
nd from all the expectation of the
ews. The expectation of the people
erishes, the counsel Of the ungodly
omes to naught, but the purpose Of
le Lord stands.
A light shone in the prison, the
lory Of the Lord shone upon the
lepherds, a light from heaven shone
pom Saul, for all is light and glory in
eaven, and messengers from there
TRY light and glory with them.
then we steadfastly behold the face
Him who is the brightness of the
ather's glory we, too, will uncon-
'iously carry some of the reflection
that light, q sweet SAVIOR of Christ
8 to the guards being undisturbed.
lere must have been deep sleep
ON the Lord upon them, as in /
am. XVI, ~; Gen. II, 81. All the ,
isdom and power of man are as moth
g to Him of whom it is written
By the word Of the Lord were the ,
eavens made. and all the host of
em by the breath of His mouth" ,,
s. xxxiii, @. {
When Peter found that he was real 4
free he went at once to the house
Mary and began to knock and con- ,
1ued knocking till he gained admis- +
on. Had they been expecting the 6
lswer they would have had some one
/ the lookout for Peter to open quick &
when he came. But they said that 7
hoda was mad because she said he
as at the gate, and when she insisted c
at 1t was so they said it was his an @
i. And all this time Peter was g
locking. The answer to their prayers
uld scarcely get to them when he +
me. What do you think Of them? G
aving commissioned them to tell L
mes ond the brethren, he departed 1
ID abode at Coesarea, but whether Y
Ith the centurion of last lesson or 4
IT'D Philip we oar only conjecture. O