The Chanute times., 1909-04-09
PETER DELIVERED
FROM PRISON
Sunday School Lesson for April IL, 1903
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT.-Acts ELL. Memory

LESSON TEXT.-Acts Fill. Memory
| verst7.
GOLDEN TEXT.-~The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that
fear him, and delivereth them. psalm
S4:7.
TIME-The Passover feast C'the days
of unleavened bread" verse -, April 1-S,
| A. D. a. Herod had left his capital,
| Caesarea, and was in Jerusalem for the
| feast.
| PLACE.-Jerusalem- fortress of An
tonia. and the home of Mary, the mother
of John Mark.
RULERS.-Herod Agrippa l.. king of
| all Palestine, the realm of Herod the
| Great, his grandfather. He was 54 years
old. Claudius, Roman emperor, A. ID.
| 41-54.
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 cnurch. The
Greek means to torment, oppress,
which is the meaning 'vex" bore in
old English. AS climax, 'he killed
James the brother of John with the
sword" by beheading, "a mode OF
death regarded as very disgraceful
among the Jews. ."-EXpositor's 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, and so gave
Herod's officers opportunity to arrest
him. Kendall
The power OF prayer, that was
made without ceasing (stretched out
either in time or intensity-e
ceaselessly or earnestly as the r. V.
translates it, of the church unto God
for him." The central meeting place
w. 12) was the house of Mary, the
mother of John Mark-that Mary who
wrote the gospel, and went on Paups
first missionary journey with his cou-
sin Barnabas "He may appear, name
less, in Mark 4:51. 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-
availng the greatest of all still re-
mains!"-John Foster. We do not use
this power half enough. or believe in
it 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 a delay in the answer to our
prayers-to test our faith and
strengthen our characters by the en-
durance of aff1iction. This waiting,
and the bearing of trouble, teach us
patience, courage, hopefulness, cheer
! tulneSS ana IdllH. WudI SCnooi ndS q
nobler curriculum?
Peter was sleeping quietly, like
David (Psa 8: 81 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 "dal kest hour
which is just before the dawn" an
"angel of the Lord came upon him"
(stood by him)-a brilliant presence
radiating light which filed 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 it. What blessed change! Proba-
bly, the same stroke served also to
strike off the chains that bound Peter
to the soldiers, who were held in a
profound slumber.
V. S-He was bidden: "Gird thy
self" that is, bind his tunic Qong un-
dergarment) with the girdle; for orr
entails do not change their dress when
they go to rest. but merely loosen it.
Over this tunic he was to throw his
garment" the outer cloak or mantle.
He was to bind on his Sandals" or
wooden soles, ''the shoes of the poor"
Then he followed the angel, but "wist"
(thought, from the same root as wise)
it was all a dream. Peters incre-
dulity as to the occurrence witnesses
to it's reality. y."-Burrell.
Note that Peter was hidden to do
what he could; it was not all done for
him. Thus it was human muscles
that rolled the stone from the grave
of Lazarus. "In the heart Of every