Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

13. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, "of the porch," a damsel, "a maid servant," came to hearken, named Rhoda.

Her caution is a proof of the state of alarm in which the Christians were at this time.

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

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

It was an opinion amongst many of the Jews, that every man had his guardian angel, who waited upon him, and took care of him. To this notion Christ seems to refer, without, however, giving it the sanction of his authority, when speaking of little children, he says, 66 Behold, I say unto you, their angels behold the face of my Father." Upon this idea, some seem to have improved, by supposing, as in this passage, that the guardian angel, as he was called, might assume the voice and figure of the person whom he protected; and truly, if men will indulge their imaginations on the subject of angels, there will be no end to their suppositions. It was the opinion of the Sadducees, however, that the angels mentioned in Scripture, who bore the character of intelligence, were not a distinct order of beings, but either men or phantoms, raised up for the occasion; which opinion, if found to be true, as I am inclined to think it will be, would have the good effect of freeing the world from much superstition on this subject.

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

17. But he, beckoning to 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, show these things unto James and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place, in order to conceal himself.

The James, mentioned in this verse, was the son of Alpheus, our Lord's relation, and the author of the epistle which bears his name. The James, who was slain, was one of the sons of Zebedee. Peter directs them to give information to him respecting his deliverance from prison, because he resided at Jerusalem, and was a distinguished person among the apostles.

18. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. They were probably thrown into a deep sleep, when the events before-mentioned took place.

19. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death, "led out for execution." And he went down from Jerusalem to Cæsarea, and there abode, or, "he went down from Jerusalem, and abode at Cæsarea."*

Having finished the story of Peter, the historian proceeds to relate the death of Herod, which put an end to the persecution that began to rage against the Christians.

20. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's chamberlain, their friend, desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country.

Their territory being small, they were not able to furnish themselves with grain, but depended upon Judæa, and other countries subject to Herod, for supplies. It was from interested motives, therefore, and not from a sense of their fault, that they made submission.

21. And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto

them.

22. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost, "expired."

This account given by Josephus of the death of Herod, corresponds in many particulars with that now read: for he represents him as suddenly seized with violent pains in the bowels, in the midst of the theatre of Cæsarea, after he had appeared there in his royal robes, and been complimented with the appellation of god, and as dying of this complaint in five days. He also seems to attribute his death to God, as a punishment for his not reproving the persons who offered him such impious flattery. The circumstance of his being eaten by worms, is not mentioned by the Jewish historian; but it is not surprising, that he should omit a particular so little consistent with the dignity of the prince whom he meant to

* Wakefield's Silva Critica, Part Second, Sect. IV.

honour. Luke says, that he was smitten with this disorder; i. e. with a disorder that bred worms, by an angel, which affords a proof among many others, that any instrument employed by the Divine Being to inflict punishment, or to confer favours, is, in the Scriptures, called an angel of God. Thus we find it said, in one place, that the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, to punish David for numbering the people; and in another, that he sent an angel to inflict this punishment; and thus, likewise, God is said to have sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions to whom Daniel was thrown. This account of angels is by no means inconsistent with the preceding; for there is no reason to suppose that there was any appearance of an intelligent being in any of these cases. The historian, having finished his account of the death of Herod, proceeds with his narrative.

24. But the word of God grew and multiplied: 25. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, i. e. had conveyed to that city the contributions of the Christians at Antioch, and took with them, John, whose surname was Mark.

REFLECTIONS.

1. WE learn hence the danger to which the first preachers of the gospel were exposed, and the value of their testimony in such circumstances. We see that James, an apostle and leader among the Christians, is apprehended and slain for his attachment to the cause, and although others who are seized do not share his fate, yet the event, being unknown, it would have upon their minds, all the effects of real danger; for one miraculous deliverance did not ensure a second for the same person, much less a like deliverance for all. To persist in asserting the divine commission of Jesus in such circumstances, and in preaching the truths which he taught, was to do what nothing but a conviction of their doctrine being divine, and of its supreme importance to mankind, could have dictated. Here then, Christians, you behold the rock upon which your faith is erected; the evidence of men who delivered what they taught, at the hazard of their lives. Of better testimony than this it is impossible to conceive.

2. How vain is the power of man when opposed to that of God! Peter is seized by order of the king; he is inclosed within a triple wall; he is watched by more than an usual number of guards, and he is fastened by a chain to his keepers: but all these precautions are to no purpose, and had they been multiplied ten-fold, they would have been equally ineffectual. The chains drop from his hands; the keepers are thrown into a deep sleep, and the iron gates open of their own accord. Vain is the contest between an

arm of flesh and the arm of Omnipotence! All strength is His; the powers of nature are only His energy; let not mortals, however exalted, dare to oppose His counsels.

3. We see how absurd is the flattery paid to princes and other great men. They are often denominated the Most High and Mighty, the Sovereigns of mankind, and the Lords of the Universe, and are addressed in language which belongs exclusively to the Supreme Being. Yet diseases attack them as they do other men, and they are as liable as others to the stroke of death. Yea, the smallest and the meanest worm is their superior, and able to accomplish their ruin. To flatter such frail beings, by ascribing to them the attributes of Deity, is degrading and absurd: to accept such flattery is still more reprehensible.

SECTION XIX.

Barnabas and Saul visit Cyprus. The punishment of Elymas and conversion of Sergius Paulus.

ACTS xiii. 1—12.

1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets, "instructers," and teachers ; as Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, i. e. who was Herod's foster-brother, and Saul.

As Paul and Barnabas had spent a whole year in preaching at Antioch, and the disciples were first called Christians at that place, it is probable that their number was considerable. This will account for their having so many teachers, who might be em

ployed in instructing many different societies. Of the persons here mentioned, we know nothing besides, with certainty, if we except Paul and Barnabas. Lucius of Cyrene, it has been thought, was Luke, the author of this history and of the gospel which bears his name. The foster-brother of Herod must have been a person of some rank and consideration.

2. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them; i. e. separate them from the rest of the teachers, or from the church.

This message was delivered in the name of God by one of the

company; and the particular service to which these persons were called, was mentioned at the same time, although it be not recorded by the historian; unless, indeed, we suppose, what is not very improbable, that Barnabas had already been informed that he was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, as we know that Paul had, Acts ix. 15, xxii. 21. This divine message is said to have come while they ministered to the Lord and fasted; i. e. while they were engaged in such solemn prayer as was accompanied with fasting; the object of their prayer being, probably, to procure the assistance of miraculous powers, for the prosecution of their work. These powers, although sometimes given unasked, could at other times only be procured by prayer, and that of the most solemn and earnest kind. Accordingly, our Saviour says, when speaking of dæmons, "this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matt. xvii. 21.

3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Paul and Barnabas had both been preachers of the gospel for some time, and, therefore, could want no authority for that purpose; but, being about to enter upon a particular ministry, the above-mentioned teachers at Antioch, or the church there, (for it is not certain which of these is referred to,) assembled together to offer up earnest prayer for their success. It is said they laid their hands on them; but by this action they could not mean to express the communication of authority or of miraculous powers; for they were in possession of both already; but merely to point out to the assembly, the persons who were the objects of that prayer.

4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed unto Seleucia, a town in Syria, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus, a large island in the Mediterranean.

5. And when they were at Salamis, a considerable town in the island, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had also John to their minister.

He did not preach, but assisted them with those services for which they would have occasion in such a journey. This John had the surname of Mark, as we are told in the last chapter, verse the twelfth, and is supposed, with great probability, to be the same person with the evangelist.*

6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, "a magician," a false prophet, "a false teacher," a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus :

* Lardner, article Mark.