The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-28

When Peters chains fell and he
Fstood before the radiant angel, he
| could not believe his eyes. He
thought he had been dreaming, and
when the prison gates opened he
walked as in trance to the CITY,
whose gates opened before him. The
marvellous deliverance seemed SO
amazing as to be incredible That is
the unbroken history of the Christian
Church. God has delivered His peo-
pie from their enemies in ways that
always pass belief. 1t seems as l.
| the De1iverer of Israel delighted in
versatility and in His surprises of
grace
The Disrupted Prayer Meeting
Once in The city Peter was left by
the angel. The task of the heavenly
visitaHt was over. Peter Gould do
the rest himself. Gods help ends
where mans ability begins. There
! is no warrant for praying the LORD
to do what we should do for our
selves Peter could not get himself
out of prison. but once put safely in
the city, he could manage his own
movements So after bordering the
situation he turned toward the home
of Mary. the mother of Mark, where
he knew the Christians would be as
| semb1ed.
& The hour was late. Danger was
near Herod's spies were in every
street. Nevertheless, the little COM
pany of Christians were meeting IN
continual prayer for their leader VINO
was in prison. That was not the
sort of prayer meeting that grows
restless if it lasts even five minutes
past nine o'clock. 1t is a beautiful
glimpse of a church in house that
this narrative gives US. AS we see
| in this cottage prayer meeting, when
it came to praying, the women may be
counted on. How constantly Christ
ian women have been driven to prayer
/ That was a fearful. solemn meeting
held in Mary's house.
/ Suddenly all were shocked by a
vigorous knock at the door. Some
1 bad news" we can hear some pessi-
mist whispering. But young Rhoda,
or Rose, as her name means, VINO
could be easily spared, slipped to the
door to see what the interruption
| meant There she heard Peters
voice, and in her excitement ran back
| to tell the news without opening the
| door to let him in. Just like a wo-
! man. says cynic. Rhoda's tidings
were received with open unbelief-
You are crazy!'' 1T is a ghost!" The
Christians could not believe that their
own prayers had been answered.
TOO Good To Be True"
ALL the while Peter stood knocking
lat the door. The vigor and the eager
mess of his blows showed that they
were not spirit rappings. At last
enough to let the apostle in.
Then followed such a prayer meet
ing as the church has seldom seen.
1t was given over to Peters expert
ence," Interrupted by many explana-
ltions of amazement and Thanksgiving.
1 am sure that some of our conven-
Itionalized churches today would have
lbeen shocked at the excitement of
i that meeting in Mary's house.
The story shows the antiquity of one
tof the most heretical doctrines ever
cherished by Christians, namely, that
a thing could be TOO good to be true
AS had been Peters attitude toward
1.-THE visit of the angel, so was the state
of mind of these Christians. They
|. Ibid not have faith enough in their own
prayers, or in the prayer answering
God, to believe that what they wanted
lmost could really come to pass. As
if God ever designed less for His chill
dren than they desire for themselves.
GOD is always better than mans ex-
Limitations. + A young minister once
complained to Spurgeon that he did
. not have many converts as result of
his preaching.
well, you surely don't expect con-
verts every week. replied the great
preacher.
"Oh, no, not at ALL" the inquirer
hastened to reassure him.
Then according to your faith be it
unto you, was tie SOuHO answer VI
Spurgeon.
There are mothers who will read
these lines who have a haunting fear
that they love their babies too much.
Others see the shadow of impending
sorrow because their happiness is too
4 good to last. Out upon all these vile
Il heresies! God is love. His surprises
are better than our belief He is plan
ming ever more beautiful things for
, us than the imagination can devise,
until we come to the supreme expert
ence where we shall realize, Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
hath entered into the heart of man
.. the things which God hath prepared
, for them that love him."
AS for the Peter story, the apostle
. himself went into retirement for a
time. He could not ask for a repeti-
ton of the miracle to justify his own
lack of prudence. The soldiers who
. let him escape were executed in the
interest of discipline. The whole story
set Jerusalem by the ears, and the
church was given one more illustration
of the Masters message, Have faith
! in God"