Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/128

122 Herod, who thought he had me fast, and so hath disappointed all the expectation of the people of the Jews, who doubted not to see Peter cut off the next day, and hoped it was the one neck of christianity, in which it would all be struck off at one blow." For which reason it was a cause of great expectation, among not only the common people, but the great people of the Jews. Peter, when he recollected himself, perceived of a truth what great things God had done for him, which at first he could not believe for joy. Thus souls who are delivered out of a spiritual bondage, are not at first aware what God has wrought in them; many have the truth of grace, that want the evidence of it. They are questioning, whether there be indeed this change wrought in them, or whether they have not been all this while in a dream. But when the Comforter comes, whom the Father will send, sooner or later he will let them know of a surety what a blessed change is wrought in them, and what a happy state they are brought into.

2. How Peter came to his friends, and brought the knowledge of it to them. Here is a particular account of this, and it is very entertaining.

(1.) He considered the thing, (v. 12.) considered how imminent his danger was, how great his deliverance; and now what has he to do, what improvement must he make of this deliverance? What must he do next? God's providence leaves room for the use of our prudence; and what he has begun, though he has undertaken to perform and perfect it, he expects we should consider the thing.

(2.) He went directly to a friend's house, which, it is likely, lay near to the place where he was; it was the house of Mary, a sister of Barnabas, and mother of John Mark, whose house, it should seem, was frequently made use of for the private meeting of the disciples; either because it was large, and would hold many, or because it lay obscure, or because she was more forward than others were to open her doors to them; and, no doubt, it was, like the house of Obededom, blessed for the ark's sake. A church in the house makes it a little sanctuary.

(3.) There he found many that were gathered together praying, at the dead time of the night, praying for Peter, who was the next day to come upon his trial, that God would find out some way or other for his deliverance. Observe, [1.] They continued in prayer, in token of their importunity; they did not think it enough once to have presented his case to God, but they did it again and again. Thus men ought always to pray, and not to faint. As long as we are kept waiting for a mercy, we must continue praying for it. [2.] It should seem that now when the affair came near to a crisis, and the very next day was fixed for the determining of it, they were more fervent in prayer than before; and it was a good sign that God intended to deliver Peter, when he thus stirred up a spirit of prayer for his deliverance, for he never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye my face in vain. [3.] They gathered together for prayer on this occasion; though that would make them obnoxious to the government if they were discovered, yet they know what an encouragement Christ gave to joint-prayer, Matt. 18. 19, 20. And it was always the practice of God's praying people to unite their forces in prayer, as Esth. 4. 16. 2 Chron. 20. 4. [4.] They were many that were got together for this work, as many perhaps as the room would hold; and first one prayed, and then another of those who gave themselves to the word and prayer, the rest joining with them; or if they had not ministers among them, no doubt but there were many private christians that knew how to pray, and to pray pertinently, and to continue long in prayer, when the affections of those who joined were so stirred as to keep pace with them upon such an occasion. This was in the night, when others were asleep, which was an instance both of their prudence and of their zeal. Note, It is good for christians to have private meetings for prayer, especially in times of distress, and not to let fall or forsake such assemblies. [5.] Peter came to them when they were thus employed: which was an immediate present answer to their prayer. It was as if God should say, "You are praying that Peter may be restored to you; now here he is." While they are yet speaking, I will hear, Isa. 65. 24. Thus the angel was sent with an answer of peace to Daniel's prayer, while he was praying, Dan. 9. 20, 21. Ask, and it shall be given.

(4.) He knocked at the gate, and had much ado to get them to let him in; (v. 13—16.) Peter knocked at the door of the gate, designing by it to awaken them out of their sleep, and, for aught that appears, not knowing that he disturbed them in their devotions. Yet if his friends were permitted to speak with him in private in the prison, it is possible he might know of this appointment, and this was it which he recollected and considered when he determined to go to that house, where he knew he should find many of his friends together. Now when he knocked there, [1.] A damsel came to hearken; not to open the door till she knew who was there, a friend or a foe, and what their business was, fearing informers. Whether this damsel was one of the family or one of the church, whether a servant or a daughter, does not appear; it should seem by her being named, that she was of note among the christians, and more zealously affected to the better part than most of her age. [2.] She knew Peter's voice, having often heard him pray, and preach, and discourse, with a great deal of pleasure. But instead of letting him in immediately out of the cold, she opened not the gate for gladness. Thus sometimes, in a transport of affection to our friends, we do that which is unkind. In an ecstasy of joy she forgets herself, and opened not the gate. [3.] She ran in, and probably went up to an upper room where they were together, and told them that Peter was certainly at the gate, though she had not courage enough to open the gate, for fear she should be deceived, and it should be the enemy. But when she spake of Peter's being there, they said, "Thou art mad; it is impossible it should be he, for he is in prison." Sometimes that which we most earnestly wish for we are most backward to believe, because we are afraid of imposing upon ourselves, as the disciples, who, when Christ was risen, believed not for joy. However, she stood to it, that it was he. Then said they, It is his angel, v. 15. First, "It is a messenger from him, that makes use of his name;" so some take it; often signifies no more than a messenger. It is used of John's messengers, (Luke 7. 24, 27.) of Christ's,—9. 52. When the damsel was confident it was Peter, because she knew his voice, they thought it was because he that stood at the door, had called himself Peter, and therefore offer this solution of the difficulty, "It is one that comes with an errand from him, and thou didst mistake as if it had been he himself." Dr. Hammond thinks this the easiest way of understanding it. Secondly, "It is his guardian angel, or some other angel, that has assumed his shape and voice, and stands at the gate in his resemblance;" some think, that they supposed his angel to appear as a presage of his death approaching; and this agrees with a notion which the vulgar have, that sometimes before persons have died, their ward has been seen, that is, some spirit exactly in their likeness for countenance and dress, wnen they themselves have been at the same time in some other place; they call it their ward, that is, their angel, who is their guard. If so, they concluded this an ill omen, that their prayers