IT is truly said that “a man is known by the company he keeps.” We will tell you something about two men who, when released from prison, went at once to their own company.
Many centuries ago, King Herod put the apostle Peter into prison at Jerusalem, intending after Easter to behead him, as he had already slain James, the brother of John. The king did it in hatred to the Lord Jesus and His people. When Peter was in prison, chained and asleep between two soldiers, the angel of the Lord smote him on the side, raised him up, caused his chains to fall off, and led him out of prison into the city, the doors opening of their own accord.
Thus liberated, and left in the street by the angel, where did Peter go? He went to his own company, who were in the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, praying God to set Peter free (Acts 12).
But, in passing, just mark particularly that soon after this wicked act of persecution, the angel of the Lord, in judgment, smote King Herod, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. The angel smote Peter for blessing, but Herod for judgment, and “shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
This intervention shows how solemn it is for anyone to interfere with any of the company of the Lord Jesus Christ! He tells us that “it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt. 18:66But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)). Better far to be in the company of a Peter in prison, than of a Herod on his throne! Infinitely better is it to belong to the Lord’s company than to Satan’s company, “for if God be for us, who can be against us?”
Not very long afterward, when the apostle Paul was in the city of Philippi, laboring in the Lord’s work, the masters, the magistrates, and the multitude, in hatred rose up against him, beat him and cast him into prison, the jailer, as instructed, making his feet fast in the stocks, after he had pushed Paul into the inner prison. At midnight when Paul and his companion Silas prayed and sang praises to God, there was a great earthquake which shook the foundations of the prison, causing every man’s chains to be loosened.
When the magistrates discovered their mistake in imprisoning Paul, they went to him and begged him to go out of prison. So he left the prison, but where did he go? He went to his own company―to the house of Lydia―the house of prayer.
Reader, were it your lot to be let out of a prison, to which company would you go? Would it be to the despised followers of the Lord Jesus, or would it be to the deceived followers of Satan? We ask would it be to the company you would like to be in throughout all eternity?
Well was it for the Philippian jailer that ere judgment overtook him, he was brought to his right mind—in short, that he left Satan’s company and got into God’s company, by taking his place as a needy, helpless sinner, and as a convicted one accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, to the salvation of his priceless soul. Through the rich mercy of God he got into the happy company of those praying and praising prisoners.
Now, dear reader, we ask you plainly, which company are you really in today? Because if you leave this world a rejecter, or even a neglecter of Christ, your eternity must be with Satan, where misery never, never ends, and where loneliness never ceases in blackness and darkness forever. But if you leave this scene amongst the Lord’s redeemed ones, it will be to dwell where joy never ends in the thrice happy company that never breaks up, and where the Lord Himself is ever in the midst to lead the praises.
“Happy they who trust in Jesus;
Sweet their portion is and sure,
When the foe on others seizes,
God will keep His own secure.
Happy people;
Happy, though despised and poor.”
J. N.