One of the principal meetings was held at the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, who many years after, wrote the Gospel, according to St. Mark. [IMAGE: ST. PETER IN PRISON. "The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison."] While we leave them in solemn prayer on the night before Peter was to be killed, let us go back to the prison, and see what is happening there. [Sidenote: An Angel Appears to Peter.] While Peter lay sleeping on his pallet of straw, "behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison." Evidently, the guards were asleep, and neither saw nor heard anything for the angel touched Peter on the side, and raised him up saying, "Arise up quickly." As Peter complied, his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him: "Tie your girdle around your waist, and put on your sandals." Peter, scarcely knowing what he was doing, did as he was told. Then the angel continued: "Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me." Still thinking that he was dreaming, Peter followed the angel. [Sidenote: Peter Delivered From Prison.] They left the guards in the cell, passed the first guard of soldiers, then the second; but no one tried to stop them. When they came to the big "iron gate that leadeth to the city," it "opened to them of its own accord." The angel continued to direct Peter through one of the streets of the city, then left him as suddenly as he had appeared. By this time, however, Peter fully realized that he was not dreaming, but was actually out of prison. He said to himself: [Sidenote: His Life Saved.] "Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jews." By this last remark, he referred to the public execution that Herod had promised to have taken place that very day. But faith and prayers were more mighty in Peter's behalf than the decree of kings, and the demands of the wicked Jews. Wondering just a little where he should go, he turned to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where, you know, some of the saints were even at that moment praying for his deliverance. [Sidenote: Rhoda.] "As Peter knocked at the door of the gate," a young girl named Rhoda came, and asked who was there. When she heard Peter's voice, she was so glad that she didn't stop to open the gate, but ran immediately into the room saying: "Peter is here--standing outside the door." [Sidenote: Friends Astonished.] So suddenly interrupted in their prayer, the people would not believe her, but said she was beside herself. But Rhoda insisted that she was right. She knew Peter's voice, and she knew he was at the door. They finally concluded that "it was his angel."