Note.—The death of the emperor Caligula freed the Jews from the dread of their temple’s desecration, and left them free to turn their attention to the work which the Christians were doing. The result of this was the renewal of that persecution which the church suffered at the time of the dispersion. The lesson section includes the entire chapter, with the exception of the last verse. Claudius, who succeeded Caligula as emperor of Rome, was a different type of man from his predecessor, who sought to establish his own worship in the temple at Jerusalem; and Herod, willing to please the Jews, killed James and imprisoned Peter. Commit verses 7 to 9.
5 “Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards before the door kept the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell; and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed; and he wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. And when they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren.”
Golden Text.—“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Ps. 34:7.
Suggestive Questions.
(1) What was done with Peter? Verse 5, first clause. Note 1. (2) What did the church do for his release? Ib., last part. (3) What did Herod purpose to do with Peter? Verse 6, first clause. Note 2. (4) What is said of the security with which Peter was guarded? Ib., last part. (5) Who was sent to deliver Peter? Verse 7, first clause. (6) What did the angel do and say? Ib., second part. (7) How was Peter released from his chains? Ib., last clause. (8) What instruction did the angel give to Peter? Verse 8. (9) In spite of the barred cell, what did they do? Verse 9, first part. (10) At this time how did Peter regard what he saw and participated in? Verse 9, last part. (11) What obstacles did they pass unmolested? Verse 10, first part. Note 3. (12) How were they enabled to pass the iron gate that placed them entirely outside the prison? Ib., second part. Note 4. (13) How long did the angel continue to openly conduct Peter? Ib., last part. Note 5. (14) What conclusion did Peter arrive at after the departure of the angel? Verse 11. (15) After considering the matter, where did Peter go? Verse 12, first part. (16) What was taking place there during all that night? Ib., last clause. (17) Who came to the gate in answer to Peter’s knock? Verse 13. Note 6. (18) What did Rhoda do when she knew who was at the gate? Verse 14. (19) How did those within receive her announcement? Verse 15, first part. (20) As she persisted in her assertion, what conclusion did they come to? Ib., last part. (21) How did the praying ones feel when they looked upon Peter? Verse 16. Note 7. (22) What did Peter declare unto them? Verse 17, first part. (23) What command did he give to them? Ib., second part. Where did he go? Ib., last clause. Note 8.
Notes.
1. Was kept in prison.—Herod, seeing that the murder of James had pleased the Jews, took Peter, intending to put him to death also; but immediately after Peter’s arrest the feast of the Passover (not “Easter,” as in our common version, Acts 12:4) took place, and Peter’s execution during that time would have been contrary to their religious traditions. He was, therefore, kept in prison during that feast, to be executed immediately after its expiration.
2. Herod.—It is well to know which Herod this is who was guilty of the death of James, and desired the death of Peter. His name is Herod Agrippa. His uncle, Herod Antipas, murdered John the Baptist; and his grandfather, Herod the Great, was the one who slaughtered the children at the birth of Christ.
3. First and second ward.—These were evidently the rooms occupied by the guards, who were probably sleeping when Peter and the angel passed through.
4. The iron gate . . . which opened . . . of its own accord.—The description of the opening is probably given as Peter saw it; that is, there was no visible force brought to bear upon it. The same power which caused the chains to fall off caused the gate to swing back upon its hinges. It is not at all likely that the angel which Peter saw was the only one present at his deliverance.
5. The angel departed from him.—If this was Peter’s guardian angel which accomplished his deliverance from the power of Herod, we must understand the departure to have been a vanishing from Peter’s sight, and that the angel in an invisible form continued with him. If, however, it was an angel specially commissioned to do that work, we will, of course, understand the departure in its literal sense.
6. A damsel came to hearken.—Peter was knocking upon the door at the entrance to the courtyard, which was always kept fastened, and it was the universal custom at that time to ascertain who was at the gate before it would be opened. For this reason it is stated that she came to “hearken,” rather than that she came to open the gate.
7. They were astonished.—Not that their prayers had been answered, as some have supposed, but at the way in which the answer came. They had probably calculated among themselves how it would be done. There had been no royal decree of pardon, there had been no demonstration, but, as silently and as unseen as the growth of a blade of grass, the power of God worked for Peter’s deliverance.
8. And went into another place.—God had set him free from the power of Herod, and Peter reasoned that it was God’s design for him that he should keep out of that power and continue his work. The parents of Christ fled to Egypt for a similar reason. Herod expected to accomplish the death of Peter, but Peter lived many years after the death of Herod.
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“The Eastern Question, What Its Solution Means to All the World,”
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News and Notes
FOREIGN.
—Professor Andree announces that his north polar balloon expedition will leave Spitzbergen about June 20.
—Crown Prince Constantine, of Greece, has gone to the frontier and assumed command of the Greek army in that vicinity.
—On March 27 another earthquake shock was felt at Montreal. The most substantial buildings in the city were severely shaken, but no loss of life is reported.
—On March 25 the Austrian cruiser Satelli arrived in Suda Bay, having in tow two Greek vessels which had been attempting to run the blockade, with arms, ammunition, and supplies for the Cretan insurgents.
—The consistory court of the diocese of London has decided to send to the President of the United States, through Minister Bayard, the log-book of the Mayflower. It will be deposited in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, Mass.
—The Cretan insurgents captured the fort of Malaxa on March 25, driving its defenders from the fortifications, and compelling them to retreat to Suda. The victors followed the vanquished for a long distance, and kept up a withering skirmish fire.
—General Julio Sanguilly, who was but recently released from a Spanish prison in Cuba, has announced his intention of returning to Cuba to fight for the patriot cause. It is rumored that he is to take the place left vacant by the capture of General Ruiz Rivera.
—The sultan of Morocco has prohibited the annual pilgrimage of Moslems to Mecca for this year on account of the prevalence of the plague along the usual route. This is said to be the first time in the history of Morocco that such a prohibition has been issued.
—A Spanish garrison of 150 men, in the province of Santa Clara, deserted on March 24, and went over to the rebels, taking with them their arms and ammunition. On the same date the insurgents captured a convoy of provisions and $1,800 in silver near Guanabacoa.
—On March 23 a large expedition landed in Cuba near the rendezvous of General Gomez. The cargo consisted of dynamite, two cannon, rifles, and ammunition, which it was believed would be in the hands of the insurgents before General Weyler could get within fighting distance.
—General Ruiz Rivera, who assumed command of the Cuban forces in Pinar del Rio upon the death of Antonio Maceo, was captured by a force of Spaniards under General Valesco. Rivera had been scouting with a small company, and was taken by surprise. It is expected that he will be shot.
—It is computed that within the last ten years the amount of alcohol consumed in France has more than tripled. In the provinces there is said to be one saloon to every sixty-seven inhabitants; in Paris one to every thirty; and in the manufacturing districts of the north the appalling ratio rises to one to every fifteen inhabitants.
—There was a serious riot at the Spanish Bank of Havana on March 24, when holders of bank-notes attempted to have them exchanged for silver. The police of Havana were barely able to prevent bloodshed. It is expected that the mobs at the bank will grow larger and more desperate as the financial question becomes more uncertain.
—Reports from the naval intelligence bureau at Washington state that the Japanese Government has ordered constructed two of the largest war ships ever built. The contract is to be awarded to British shipbuilders. The vessels will cost nearly $4,000,000 each, and will have a displacement 150 tons greater than the largest English battle-ship afloat.
—The Palestine Exploration Society, in tracing the old wall on the south side of Jerusalem, recently discovered and unearthed a staircase consisting of thirty-four broad, massive steps leading down to what is supposed to be the Pool of Siloam. It is thought that Nehemiah refers to this staircase when he speaks of “the stairs that go down from the city of David.”
—The war ships of the “powers” continue to render assistance to the Turks in Crete and to bombard the insurgents. Several vessels have been captured while trying to run the blockade of the island with provisions for the Cretans and their Greek allies. It is reported that a joint note of all the “powers,” with the exception of Germany, has been sent to the Turkish Government requesting that the Turkish troops be withdrawn from the Thessalian frontier. It seems that the proposition for a neutral zone between the defiant armies was not a success, and King George has announced that he can not withdraw his troops from Crete or from the position which they have taken up on the border. The latest reports state that the “powers” have again decided to blockade Greece. This decision comes directly upon the heels of the proclamation that Russia and Germany would not do this, as the time for its effectiveness was past, and that England had decided not to be a party to such an undertaking.
—Count Ito, the reforming chancellor of Japan, has persuaded the empress to wear a European dress, in the hope that her action will be followed by the women of Japan, and that their social position will thus be elevated. He says, “If the women begin to wear foreign attire, their husbands will be obliged to modify their houses and their whole manner of living.”
—The 30,000 Cretan refugees in Greece, in a petition to the six great powers, after protesting eloquently against the oppression of their people, make this pitiful announcement: “After suffering so much from our oppressors during the long period of servitude, we did not expect that a more horrible and ignominious fate would be inflicted upon us by the admirals of the great Christian powers.”
—Since the banishment of the queen of Madagascar and the ruling of the island by the French, the Protestants have had occasion to complain bitterly of the behavior of the Jesuits in Madagascar. Many of the Protestant missions have been destroyed. Great numbers of the natives have been forced to leave the Protestant churches, and in many cases the churches themselves have been turned over to the services of the Catholics.
—The Australasian Federal Convention met in Adelaide, Australia, during the last week in March, and the work of binding the Australian colonies together was the principal feature of the convention. By the provisions of the proposed constitution the control of military and naval affairs, and the imposing and collecting of customs and excise duties, will be vested in the Federal Parliament, which will consist of a senate and house of representatives.
—There is now considerable uneasiness in England over the present situation in the Transvaal, especially on account of the rumor that Germany will send to Africa, during the month of April, 3,000 troops. A special German envoy is also to be sent to interview the president of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic. English officials express the belief that if President Krüger persists in his claim for indemnity on account of the Jameson raid, serious trouble will ensue.
—Latest information on the Armenian massacre at Tokat is to the effect that previous reports of the number killed were far too small. The number of victims is now placed at 700. In view of this appalling murder the British ambassador at Constantinople is reported to have made the most vigorous protest to the Porte that has ever been made to the Turkish Government. As a result of this protest the sultan ordered the immediate dismissal and arrest of the Turkish officials at Tokat.
DOMESTIC.
—On March 29 the governor of Colorado signed the bill abolishing capital punishment in that State.
—It is reported that the city of Boston expends nearly $4,000 a year to furnish its paupers with tobacco.
—The new battle-ship Iowa was docked at New York on March 29, and her official trial is set for April 3.
—A news service by means of carrier pigeons is now being established between Alaska and Douglas Island, in Puget Sound.
—The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 29 reported favorably on the bill which is designed to prohibit kinetoscope exhibitions of prize-fights.
—Over 1,100 steam fitters, of New York, went out on a strike on March 29. It is estimated that this action will involve between 50,000 and 60,000 men.
—The five American sealers who were arrested in Russian waters over a year ago and were to have served a twenty-year term of imprisonment, were released on March 22.
—Dr. Joseph J. Ruiz was sentenced in the United States Court at Baltimore on March 29 to eighteen months’ imprisonment, with a fine of $500, for the crime of filibustering.
—The new United States gunboat Helena, in her official trial developed a speed of 15.8 knots an hour. This is enough above the required speed to give her builders a bonus of $56,000.
—The Secretary of Agriculture reports that during the year 1896 the wheat crop of the entire world amounted to 2,428,393,000 bushels. This is the smallest wheat crop for six years.
—C. E. Crosby, war correspondent of the Chicago Record, who was present at a recent engagement between the insurgents and Spanish in Cuba, was killed by a stray bullet from the Spanish ranks.
—The magnificent residence of Colonel Tyler, at New London, Conn., known as the Elms, was totally destroyed by fire on March 28, with all its elaborate furnishings. The loss is stated to be $300,000.
—It is reported that Judge William R. Day, of Canton, Ohio, has been selected by President McKinley to represent the United States in the proposed judicial investigation of the murder of Dr. Ruiz in Guanabacoa, Cuba.
—A correspondent in Montevideo, Uruguay, states that the United States cruiser Yantic ran aground at the mouth of the Uruguay River on March 29. She was in a very dangerous position and tugs were attempting to rescue her.
—The steamer Willapa, bound for Alaska, was wrecked on Ragatta Reef, March 26, and is a total wreck. Her passengers were finally landed at Bella Coola, and another steamer is on its way to convey them to their destination.
—On March 28 a destructive cyclone visited Austin, Texas, and vicinity, doing an incalculable amount of damage to property, killing several persons, and injuring a large number. The loss of property in the city of Calvert is estimated at $100,000. A rainfall, amounting almost to a cloud-burst, followed the cyclone.
—Seventy-three inmates of the prison at San Quentin, California, who were operators in the prison jute mill, refused on March 28 and 29 to perform the work assigned them, but after being confined in the dark cells for three days on a diet of bread and water, were willing to resume work. An extensive riot among the prisoners was narrowly averted on the latter date.
—The village of Chandler, near Guthrie, O. T., was visited by a tornado on March 30. The place was almost completely demolished. Every physician in the place, save one, was killed, and a large number are reported dead and dying. It is reported that nearly 100 persons are seriously injured. The same wind storm passed across the state of Kansas, but in a less destructive form.
—William T. Adams, better known by his pen name of Oliver Optic, died at his home in Boston on March 27. At the time of his death he was 75 years of age, and was still actively engaged in literary work. Perhaps no writer for young people was more widely known than Oliver Optic. He has written 125 volumes, and the aggregate sale of his books is estimated at 1,000,000 copies.
—Lieutenant Peary has laid before the American Geographical Society a new and unique plan for the discovery of the north pole, which he desires to carry out in person. He proposes to proceed to a point on the west coast of Greenland which he has before visited, and of the Esquimos living there take five or six married couples, proceed as far north as possible, and form a new colony. There the entire store of provisions will be cached, and this colony will be his base of operations for his exploring party, and will be about 360 miles from the pole. The plan is considered by explorers one of the most feasible yet advocated.
—Representative Spalding, of Michigan, on March 29 introduced in the House of Representatives a joint resolution providing for the annexation of Hawaii to the United States. It is not believed that the resolution will pass in its present form at least, although it is claimed that the administration as a whole is favorable to closer relations between this country and the island republic. The representatives of Hawaii, now in Washington, are desirous of having the islands incorporated as a territory of the United States, which would increase the immigration of English-speaking people and finally result in Hawaii’s becoming a State of the Union.
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