CHAPTER XI.

ON THE DELIVERANCE OF ST. PETER FROM THE HAND OF HEROD.

THAT Peter, in preaching the doctrines of the Religion of Jesus, acted in conformity with the Divine will, is manifest from the deliverance miraculously granted to him, when Herod was determined to cut him off at a time when "the king's wrath" was, to all human appearance, as the certain "messenger of death 1."

The account of this interposition of the Almighty in behalf of His Apostle, is related in the following words: "Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church 3. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And because he saw it

1 Prov. xvi. 14.

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2 A.D. cir. 44.

* κακοῦσαί τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας—to evil-intreat some of those, who were of the Church.

4 Then was fulfilled the prophecy concerning James, son of Zebedee, that he should drink of his Lord's cup. Matt. xx. 23. Mark x. 39.

It

pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread 1. 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 2 to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without 3 And ceasing of the Church unto God for him.

It is a remark of Clarius, that this early fall of one of the Apostles did not discourage the rest. They saw that, gifted as they were, they had no power to deliver themselves from human vengeance. Indifferent to this consideration, and confident that, while their labours were useful, the hand of God would be their defence, they "strove together for the faith of the Gospel, in nothing terrified by their adversaries." Phil. i. 27, 8.

Eusebius relates, on the authority of Clement of Alexandria, that the person who caused Herod to exercise his cruelty towards James, when he witnessed the courage and constancy of the Christian believer, was himself converted to the faith of Jesus, and led to death together with the Apostle. H. E. ii. 9. 1 It was the Paschal week.

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μεтà τò Пáσxα-after the Passover." Herod intended, after the feast, to ask for the suffrages of the people to authorize him to put Peter to death. It was according to the Roman proceeding in a case of this kind, that injussu populi nihil fiat. Thus it was in the instance of our Saviour. Matt. xxvii. 22.

3 TOOσεVXÒ ÉKTEVs-fervent, continued, unremitted prayer. "The word EKTEVǹs primarily signifies extended; but because the fervency of our desire is the cause that we pray much, or long, for any thing, therefore to pray EKTEVç is also to pray fervently and importunately." Whitby. Christ, in his agony, prayed more earnestly, or intensely-EKTEVÉσTEPOV. Luke xxii. 44.

4 The brethren and saints remembered him that was in bonds, as bound with him. Heb. xiii. 3.

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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 3; 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 5. And so he

1 "Ayyeλos Kupiov―an Angel of the Lord.

2 See Dan. x. 5, 6.

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Ev T oikhμATI-in the chamber of the prison.

The soldiers might have been laid asleep by the miraculous power, which opened the prison doors; or they might have been in the situation of the guards at our Saviour's sepulchre, who "for fear of the Angel of the Lord did quake, and became as dead men." Matt. xxviii. 4.

There is an old history, that the chains, with which the Apostle had been bound, were preserved by some of Herod's soldiers, converted to Christianity, and having been kept safe through all the train of distresses which befel the Jewish people, were presented, in the fifth century, by a bishop of Jerusalem, to Eudocia, wife of the Emperor Theodosius the younger. The history further states, that the chains had a virtue in them which worked miracles, and that one of them was deposited by the Empress in St. Peter's Church at Constantinople, and the other sent to Rome. This is told by Surius, among other things, as little deserving of credit.

The Romish Church commemorates on the first day of August the imprisonment of St. Peter by Herod. This day is, in their calendar, the Feast of St. Peter ad l'incula, or St. Peter in Fetters.

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The Angel intimated by this direction that the Apostle's deliverance was certain, and that no danger would attend it. In a

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 the second ward', they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord 2; 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 3

He must have been an approved servant of God, whom an Angel was commissioned to rescue from "the fury of the oppressor:" and with what design could the life of Peter have been miraculously lengthened, except that he might pursue the business, to which his life was dedicated-the propagation of the Christian faith?

hasty and perilous flight, the prisoner would not have stopped to gird himself, and bind on his sandals. See a remark to this effect, quoted from Chrysostom, in Bloomfield's Recensio Synoptica.

1 διελθόντες δὲ πρώτην ΦΥΛΑΚΗΝ καὶ δευτέραν—when they were past the first and the second prison, as the word puλakǹ is rendered, ver. 4, 5, 6. Peter was confined in the first, or inner, prison. Paul and Silas were "thrust into the inner prison." Acts xvi. 24. See Pearce on Acts xii. 10.

2 avroμárn-sua sponte.

3 Acts xii. 1—11.

If the writer of the Acts of the Apostles transmits an account of what really passed, Peter was a teacher, who spake with Divine authority. St. Luke had all the evidence open to him, of which the matter related was capable, and it cannot be shown that he had any motive to publish a statement which that evidence did not justify. He was satisfied of a MIRACULOUS INTERFERENCE in the present case, for he has reported it, as a solemn occurrence in the history of the rise of the Christian Church. This is a sufficient ground of belief in the miracle, if we consider the weight of St. Luke's testimony to a fact, upon the credibility of which he was in a situation accurately to decide.

Regarding St. Luke in the light of a common historian only, his account of the deliverance of Peter from the cruelty of Herod is too minute and particular to be suspected of unfairness; and, if we wanted reasons for confiding in him, the observation of this circumstance would afford one of no light character. A man, who hoped to misrepresent things with success, would not have chosen to enter so much into detail; especially, in narrating events disgraceful to a public ruler, who was popular with the Jews, and who would have found ready defenders, if acts had been imputed to him, with which he was not chargeable.

Did Herod commit Peter to prison? Was Peter