Acts 12:11

Observe here, 1. The wise and holy course which the church took for the apostles enlargement, and that was keeping. day of prayer.. number of Christians get together, and importune heaven; the enemies plot, the church prays; they shut the prison doors, the church opens heaven's doors, and God gives Peter in, as an answer of prayer, before they rose off from their knees.

Oh how good is it to draw nigh to God! What. prayer-hearing God is our God! How great is the power and prevalency of the conjoined prayers of good men! God's praying people ever have been, and will be,. prevailing people. Whilst these pious souls were in the very act of calling upon God for Peter's release, God gives in Peter released to them. God never wants means for his people's deliverance, when he is once set on work by the prayers of his people.

Observe 2. St. Peter being delivered, meditates whilst he was walking in the streets, and going along by himself, of the greatness of his danger, and the graciousness of his deliverance: Holy and suitable thoughts, pious meditations and ejaculations, do well become us in any place, at all times and upon all occasions, but especially after signal deliverances from signal dangers. We can never enough ruminate upon them, or be sufficiently thankful for them.

Observe, 3. The wisdom and goodness of the divine providence in directing Peter in the dead of the night, to the house where the saints were praying for him. This is the more remarkable, because the angel having done his work which God sent him upon, after he had delivered Peter from his chains and imprisonment, he left him to shift for himself, and to take care of his own safety; but though an angel left him, yet the providence of God conducted him to. place where he was both safe and welcome.

Observe, 4. What an ancient opinion it was, that every good man had. guardian angel appointed him by God, to take. special care of him to his life's end; to direct him in his way, to guard him from dangers, and to deliver him in his distresses; They say, It is his angel. For which saying there could be no reason, had there not been. current opinion among them of guardian angels.

Blessed be God, his holy angels are our keepers, our counsellors, our defenders, our loving and friendly associates: and they shall never depart from us, till they have conducted us safely to our heavenly Father's house, where we shall be "as the angels of God in heaven."

Observe, 5. How Peter gives God, and not the angel, the glory of his deliverance, Acts 12:17. "He declared how the Lord had brought him out of the prison." The angel was but the instrument, God was the principal agent, Acts 12:11. "The Lord hath sent his angel, and delivered me out of the hand of Herod." All deliverances must be ascribed to him who commands deliverance for his people.

Observe, 6. The prudential care which St. Peter takes for his future preservation. "He departed and went to another place." He could not think himself safe whilst Herod was so near, no more than. lamb could be safe near the lion's den. He knew he should be hunted for, therefore escapes for his life. And besides his own danger, he was not willing to endanger his friends, who did now entertain and harbour him: but both for his own and their preservation, he departs to another place.

Learn, That. prudential use of all lawful means for our own and others preservation, in subserviency to the divine providence, is our duty, our wisdom and interest, both as men and Christians.