The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
sntersstionai I.ssson for December n.
iSs5-The Heavenly Inheritance-i Petss

Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Notes
GOLDEN IExz. Giving thanks unto the Fa.
shfr, which hath made Us meet 10 be ma rtakers
lfia "a
DATE. Written between A. ID. "a ana A.
about the time of'Flrst Timothy. in the reiyn of
Nero, and during MS great persecution
THE PLACE Of writing was Babylon fs.fA
ana doubtless the Babylon on the Euphrates
though some have regarded IL a. a mystic nams
Tor Rome. The order OF the places named in
verse would imply that the writer was on the
east OF Asia Minor, and this confirms the opiu.
Ion mat feter wrote from Babylon
| To WnoM.-yo Christians IN the northern
portions OF Asia Minor. See on yer l.
THE AUTHOR was Potter. the apostle
The OCCASION -silyanus. q form OF the
name Silas and probably the Silas who was
companion OF Paul In his second missionary
Journey had brought udings TO Peter OF fiery
Prosecutions against Christians in these re-
eionS They were accused OF being eviI-doers,
OF preaching revolutionary doctrines Il Pet
S:is iS. The very name Of Christian then. as
afterwards under Pliny's regime exposed
them 20 odium and outrage Il Pet s:i6) The
teachers 10 whom they owed so much, Paul
and AGula ana Luke. were no longer with
them When wave OF fanatic hatred directed
against The name OF Christian was flowing we'll
nigh over the length and breadth Of the en-
pire, rulers IN the provinces we're bus too
likely 10 follow the example which Nero had
set them in the capital. The apostle felt that
n could nos withhold his words OF comfort
md counsel from those who were skus suffer
ing
THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS.
The Hope Of the Inheritance. -
8. "Blessed:" Praised. well spoken Of,
hono~ed. The God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christi As well as our
Father, and therefore binding us to
Him as an elder brother and drawing
us nearer to God, whom we have not
seen, by means VI the Son, whom we
have seen. "Wfinh according to His
abundant mercy" And not because
we had any claim upon Him. Saliva
tion was free gitr. and therefore de-
manded praise. Hath begotten Us
again" Made us His children in spir-
itual life and holy character, as lie
had before given US our natural lie.
Unto lively Qiviny) hope" hope
born OF the new life; u hope that cam
not perish nor decay, Like most human
hopes, but is fresh, bright, PERENNIAL
a hope that is active, growing.
fruit-bearing. flourishing. by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead" This was the source of the
hope, since II Jesus did not rise from
the dead. then there was no proof that
He was the SON of God. and could save
rs and give US the Inheritance de-
scribed in the next verse.
The Inhcriting.-4. ITO an inheri-
tancc:" portion of good coming to
US. not because we have earned it or
deserved IL. but because we are chill
lren. God hath begotten us; our
spiritual life comes from Him. there
fore we are His children, and if chill
iren, then heirs. In English Law there
5 well-known maxim Memo est
heres viventis tho one can bc heir to
living person.. but this was no princi
Die Of the Roman law. The moment
.hild was born he was his fathers
ieir. In pure Roman Jurisprudence is
he principle that a man lives ON in his
leir, the elimination. so to speak. Of
he fact of death, Maipe's Ancient
law Thus according to law. under
which were living the people to whom
'ctcr was writing. children were
leirs while the testators were living.
md thus they could be heirs Of the
living God.
The Inheritance.--An inheritance
Its substance cannot
'e destroyed; there is no decay as OF
worldly habitations, of our physical
'odics and of all material things
Undefiled:" As with stain or mirc.
That fadcth not away The en-
hasis being on the indcStructibility
I its grace and glory, d incorruptiblo
mph.sizes the indestructibility Of its
ubstancc. Reserved in Heaven for
ou:' A perfect participle indicating
he inheritance of one reserved
through Gods care for His own from
he beginning down to the present
For you" For you, sojourners in a
and that is not your own.
The child inhcrits from his Heaven
: Father (l) Ills holy nature: ta) His
are and love; t3) His home: ca His
lie partakes Of His Joys.
4 His work. of His character. He
, joint heir with Christ. his elder
rother.
The Conditions. (For you'll "who
re kept" Literally garrisoned. But
he child of God is kept ''by the power
( God" so that no power can break
Trough the protection. The only way
hat injury can come TO any of them is
v their refusing the protection by
away from God. Through
Attn" on our part. the faith that holds
nto God, that lives in and through
linn. Unto ta) salvation. ready to be
evealed in the last timc:" Disciples
ave foretastes Of this salvation here
nd now. Even in this world eye hath
OF seen. nor ear heard. neither have
ntered into the heart of man the
lings which God hath prepared
Or them that love Him. Il Cor, 2-9);
ut the fullncss of Gods salvation can
ever be known till we reach the
cavenly city and experience its joys,
and full of glory, at tho
me Of the restitution of all things.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Some of the most comforting truths
row out Of the most mysterious doc
ines
Gods gifts of grace and peace come
, His children in increasing ratios rs
icy open their hearts to receive them.