The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1909-04-09
PETER DELIVERED
FROM PRISON
Sunday School Lsssoa for April IL. 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Acts HILL. Memory
verse 7.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Ths angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that
ear him. and delivereth them. Psalm
RAT.
TIME.-The Passover feast ("the days
If unleavened bread" verse -, April is.
A. ID. A. Herod had left his capital
Caesarea, and was In Jerusalem for the
feast.
Extraordinarily 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 "a 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 church. The
Greek means to torment, Cypress,
which is the meaning ''vex" boio 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 disgraceful
among the Jews. 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.
The power OF prayer, that was
made without ceasing (stretched 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 q Mary, the
mother of John Mark-that Mary who
wrote the gospel, and went on Paul's
drst missionary journey with his cou-
un Barnabas. "He may appear, name
'ess, in Mark 14:51 Prof II. p.
]
n relays during the Passover, kept up,
continual supplication for the release
II their beloved leader, and, doubtless,
hat he might be upheld in his suffer
'ngs, and the cause of Christ prospered
whatever might be the outcome.
microscopy prayer-"How happy
hat in all extremities, and when every
! N fc
availing, the greatest of all still re-
nains!"-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 a delay in the answer to our
prayers--to test our faith and
strengthen our charaSters by the en-
durance of affiiction. This waiting
and the bearing of troubfs, teach us
patience, courage. hopefulness. cheer
fulness and faith. What school has a
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 Gin their
sleep" (Psa. 127:2) IL 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 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
% the soldiers, who were held in a
profound slumber.
V. She was hidden: "Gird thy.
SELF that Is, bind his tunic (long un-
dergarment) with the girdle; for orr
entails do not change their dress when
they go to rest, but merely loosen 1t.
over this tunic he was TO throw his
garment" the outer cloak or mantle.
he was to bind on his sandals" or
wooden soles, 1.-The shoes of the poor"
Then he followed the angel, but twist"
Thought, from the same root as wise)
was all a dream. Peters incre-
iulity as to the occurrence witnesses
% its eality"-Burrell
Note that Peter was hidden to do
what he could; IL was not all done for
lin. Thus IL was human muscles
hat rolled the stone from the grave
of Lazarus. I'm the heart of every
miracle we find these human powers
employed. That is the spiritual side
IF the old proverb, that God helps
those who help themselves. Rev. G..
H. Morrison.
Tho ora rds (Wardsl were asleen mr.