August 10

Acts xvi.—25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them.

26. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's hands were loosed.

27. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison-doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm; for we are all here.

29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas;

30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Paul and Silas had been beaten in an unmerciful manner, and then locked in the innermost dungeon for safe-keeping. Their feet were also put into the stocks, which was "an instrument for torture as well as confinement: it was a heavy piece of wood, with holes, into which the feet were put, so far apart as to distend the limbs in the most painful manner. Yet in this situation, with their bodies still bleeding from the effect of their recent chastisement, and looking forward to the morrow only in the expectation that it would renew their pains, they could still rejoice: their prison at midnight resounds with the voice of prayer and praise." Their souls took hold upon spiritual powers, and the arm of Omnipotence shook their dungeon-walls. The jailer, knowing that he must answer for his prisoners with his life, would have killed himself in his excitement and despair; but the re-assur-

34. And, when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

35. And, when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go.

36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul: The magistrates have sent to let you go: now, therefore, depart, and go in peace.

37. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

38. And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates; and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.

39. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia; and, when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

ing voice of Paul showed him a greater wonder than the earthquake, in his prisoners declining to escape. The danger had roused his fears, and quickened his conscience: the composure of his prisoners, and their solicitude for his safety rather than their own, opened some hidden springs of feeling under the hardened crust of his official life. The great question of every sin-convicted soul, "What must I do to be saved?" was wrung out from his heart; and to this rough, affrighted, trembling man, the answer was the same as to the gentle, loving Lydia. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" is the one act of becoming a Christian. Like Lydia, the jailer showed his new love by caring for the apostles; and, in both cases, the households were included in the consecration of the head of the family.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 108, 121, 157.

Oh! grant us grace, Father in heaven, to hear thy Word, and to obey it. We would make haste, and delay not, to keep thy commandments. Thou hast a right, O Lord! to our time, our gifts, our hearts, our persons; to all that we are, and all that we have: for thou hast created us, and hast redeemed us with the precious blood of thy Son.

We give thee thanks for the mercies of the night, and for all the mercies of our past lives, — for home and its blessings; for friends, and all the ministries of love; for health, knowledge, comfort, and prosperity; but, above all things, for thy grace in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we ever be ready to acknowledge him the Son of God, the Saviour of the world! May men in the high places of power and influence consecrate themselves to

him! may the poor and lowly trust in him! may children sing hosannas to the Son of David! We commend unto thee all who are dear to us, and also those who are at this time afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate. May it please thee to relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions!

How shall we praise thee, O God! for thy love and grace to us sinners? For all thy mercies we bless and magnify thy glorious name: humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for His sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us; to whom be glory and dominion, world without end. Amen.