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of wisdom."

And remember that He

"giveth more grace"-and that having begun a good work in us, he is still more ready to carry it on unto perfection.

143

LECTURE VI.

ACTS xii. 1-19.

Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him,

and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals: and so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

And he went out and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

When they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord; and they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him.

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath 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, praying.

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken named Rhoda.

And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

But he beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go, shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cesarea, and there abode.

Ir is with the Church of Christ collectively, as it is with individual Christiansthat it "never continueth in one stay." Circumstances and seasons of joy and sorrow, satisfaction and disappointment, repose and turmoil, alternately succeed each other. With the infant Church, when Christianity had to struggle against the combined influences of Paganism and Judaism, this was remarkably the case. In the brief view which we have already taken of the history of the early Church, we have had occasion more than once to call your attention to the varied treatment which she received. The persecution

H. VOL. II.

which arose upon the death of Stephen was, for a time, very fierce, and scattered the disciples to various and distant parts. These troubles were succeeded by a season of comparative repose. The rage of their enemies was exhausted, or suspended by some cause of which we are not particularly informed. Ere long, however, the fury of the adversary again broke loose, and the horrors of a second and more sanguinary persecution were now to be endured. Some of the particulars of this second persecution are related in the passage before us. before us.

"Now,

about that time, Herod the king stretched

forth his hands to vex certain of the Church. And he killed James the

brother of John with the sword."

James is here called the brother of John, to distinguish him from another James, the son of Cleophas, who is styled the brother of our Lord, or his near kinsman, because his mother was sister to the virgin Mary.

Mary.

Both he and his

brother are elsewhere termed Boanerges,

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