they should stay. Nor did any of the prisoners escape, though they easily could. He The keeper was asleep, and was awakened by the earthquake. When he saw the doors standing open he felt sure the prisoners must be gone. knew he had been wrong in sleeping, and he felt afraid that he should be condemned to die by the rulers. So he took out his sword, and was just going to stab himself, when he heard a loud voice from the dungeon calling out, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.' Great was his surprise. He called for a light, and sprang into the dungeon, and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas-those feet he had once cruelly thrust into the stocks. Immediately he brought them out of the dungeon, and said to them, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' He wanted now to save his soul. Paul and Silas answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and all thy family and servants.' The jailer had heard before that Jesus died to save him, and now he wished to be baptized. But first he washed the prisoners' stripes, and then was baptized with all his family. This must have been done with some water in the court of the prison. Afterwards the jailer took the prisoners into his own house, and he brought them food. While they were sitting at supper he felt great joy at the thought of his Saviour, and so did all his family. That was a happy supper-table, for all who sat around it loved Jesus. Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.'1 Pet. iv. 13. XXXI. PAUL SET FREE. Acts, xvi. 35 to end. THOUGH Paul was very happy in the jailer's house, he wanted to go and preach in other towns of Macedonia. Would God deliver him and set him free? The morning after the terrible earthquake, some men came to the prison. with a message. They asked to see the jailer, and they said to him, 'The judges desire you to let these two men go.' The jailer must have been surprised to hear this message, for he remembered that the judges had said to him the night before,Keep these men safely.' What caused this change? Probably the judges had been frightened in the night by the earthquake. The heathen thought that earth |