CHAPTER XIII.

Persecution of the Christians.-James put to Death.-Peter Imprisoned.-Herod's Death.

At the time we have been speaking of, there was a terrible persecution of the Christians at Jerusalem. Herod Agrippa, King of Syria, in order to please the Jews, put to death the Apostle James, John's brother, and imprisoned Peter, intending to deliver him up also, after Easter.

But the night before Peter was to be put to death, as he lay sleeping in chains, between two soldiers, a light suddenly shone through the prison, and an angel of the Lord came to him, touched him on the side and raised him up. The chains immediately fell off from him, and the angel desired him to put on his garments and bind on his sandals, and follow him. The angel then led him through the prison, till they came to the iron gate which led into the city; this gate opened to them of its own accord, that is, it was miraculously opened, and they passed through into the street.

The angel having now left Peter, he determined, after a little reflection,

to go to the house of a woman named Mary, the mother of a Christian disciple called John, surnamed Mark, who afterwards wrote that Gospel which goes by his name. Having knocked at the gate, a young woman named Rhoda came out, who, on seeing Peter, was so astonished and overjoyed, that she ran back to tell her friends; but it was not till they had themselves opened the gate and seen Peter, that they could believe it to be really he himself, whose approaching death they had been lamenting. Peter then came in and told them how the Lord had delivered him; but he did not remain long with these friends, for fear of being discovered.

The following day, when it was found that Peter had escaped, no one knew how, from prison, Herod's rage was so great, that he ordered the keepers of the prison (though they knew no more about it than he did) to be put to death.

But Herod's own death was not far distant. One day he sat arrayed in royal apparel, and made a speech to the people, whereupon they, in order to flatter him and gain his favour, wickedly called out, "it is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, "because he gave not God the glory;" he was seized with a torturing disease, of which he shortly died.

CHAPTER XIV.

Paul is favoured with a sight of his Lord in the Temple.-He is sent to the idolatrous Gentiles.-His First Journey.

You want to know why Paul is called an Apostle, since he had not known our blessed Saviour while He lived on earth, and could not, therefore, witness of Him. I will tell you.

It is true that Paul had not known Christ while He lived on earth, nor does it appear that he saw his Lord when He called to him in his way to

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