Article July 28, 1928 Issue

Deliverance

ELLA BAHNSEN

We read on page 581 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy the following definition of "angels": "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." These words may be called to one's attention while studying the story related in the twelfth chapter of Acts. Peter had been thrown into prison by Herod. He was chained, and closely guarded on all sides, so that to mortal sense there was no way of escape. It is recorded that "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." Students of Christian Science realize that the power of good was at work to overcome the seeming power of evil; and they are taught, and have often proved in their experience, that good is the only power, and that so-called evil must fall before Truth and Love. This was Peter's experience.

Just previous to the time that evil would have brought Peter forth to the doom that had been planned for him, an "angel" came to him, "and a light shined in the prison." The angel touched Peter and told him to arise quickly; the chains fell from him, and he was told to gird himself, bind on his sandals, cast his garment about him, and follow. Peter immediately obeyed, and the angel led him forth out of the prison. The great iron gate, which must have seemed an insurmountable obstacle, had he planned his own escape, now opened seemingly of its own accord, and they passed out to freedom.

How frequently we too have found, when we have been willing to obey the leadings of Truth and to go on without stopping to think how this or that was going to work out in our problem, that the obstruction which we deemed impossible to overcome has been removed, and we have been able to proceed unhampered! The Bible then tells us that the angel left Peter.

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