Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-11-17
9nternatiumal gessolls.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, NOV. 20.

Text of the Lesson, Pet. iv, 1-S-Mem-
ory Verses, 7, s-Golden Text, Pet. ~,
= Commentary by the Rev. d. M.
Stearns.
Having completed our study Of the Acts
Of the Apostles, it certainly seems lifting
that we should have at least ono lesson
from the writings Of Peter, who was an
apostle before Paul, who was used by the
Spirit to be the messenger on the great day
of Pcntecost, who was also used to open
the door to the gentiles, and with whom
Paul at one time spent 15 days in Jerusa-
lem (Gal. /, II, 1s). But whether we
study the writings Of Peter or Paul, the
same Spirit spoke through both and
wrought In both, even as Paul said, HE
that wrought effcctually In Peter to the
apostleship Of the circumcision, the same
was mighty In me toward the gentiles'
(Gal. II, 81. In fact, we must bear In
mind that whether we study Moses, or
the prophets, or the gospels, or epistles, or
Revelation, ell were written by the very
same holy Spirit Of God.
/. "For as much then as Christ hath
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind, for he that
hath suffered In the flesh hath ceased from
SIM" The thought here takes us back to
chapter Ill, 18, where he said that Christ
hath once suffered for sins, the just for
the unjust, that He might bring US to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quiokened by the Spirit. 1t seems to me
that the thought Is continuation Of the
beginning Of his epistle, whero he empha-
sizes the living hope by the resurrection OF
Christ from the dead and dwells upon the
Inheritance thereby secured to us which
ought to lift us above all present things,
making us holy in all conversation.
3. "That he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts Of
men, but to the will of God" Or as in
Rom. vi, II, "Dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord" The saved sinner is a new crea-
ture or creation In Christ, old things
passed away, all things new. and he Is
supposed to have left in the grave Of his
baptism into Christ all the self life, with
its aims and desires, and henceforth ever
to walk in pewncss of life from. vi, 8, a.
8. "For the time past Of our life may
suffice US to have wrought the will Of the
gentiles, when we walked In lasciVious-
ness, lusts, excess of wine, rerelings, ban
quetings and abominable idolatries. !"
That is the life of many citizen of this
world today, just living to fulfill the de
sires Of the flesh and of the mind (Eph. II,
81, with no thought of God or Of future
life. That, however, Is not the writer's
point here, but rather that those who bear
the name Of Christ arc ofttimes guilty of
living that same old life In some measure,
to their own loss and to the great dishonor
Of Him whose beautiful name they bear.
4. "Whcrcin they think it strange that
We run not with them to tho same excess
of riot, speaking evil of you" In our day
1t Is not only the people of this world who
think it strange that their wives or hus-
bands, or brothers or sisters. will not
frequent the theater and the ballroom any
more since they have received Christ, but
many whose names are on church registers
and who are seen ut the communion table
and yet continue in this old goddess life
are harder to put up with In their cruel
words and conduct toward those who will
walk no longer with them in their world.
illness.
8. "Who shall give account to Him that
is ready to judge the quick and the dead. "
AS we found in the Acts, there shall be a
resurrection both Of the just and the un-
Just, but not at the same time. There
shall be a Judgment also Of living and
dead, just and unjust, but not all at the
same time. II we IRE Christ's, our judg-
ment for sin is past at Calvary, whcre He
o.. 81 h,,t oil N Hic
must appear before His Judgment seat, to
be judged for their works since they re-
oeived Him from. xiv, 10; II Cor. V. 1O).
After that we will come with Him to
Judge the living nations for their treat
ment of Israel (Math. XIV, 3f). At tho
end of the thousand years all the unsaved
will appear before the great white throne
ere they are sent into the lake Of fire to
have their portion with the devil and his
angels (Rev. xx, 11-15). If people had any
faith at all in God and His word, one
would suppose that the statement, "God
shall bring every work into Judgment,
with every secret thing, whether 1t be
good or whether it be evil" (Eccl. XII, 14),
would lead them to consider their ways,
and il Christians believed what is written
in Cor. iii, IA, Is, they would surely
mend their ways and quit their worldli.
ness lest they be saved as by fire, much to
their shame.
6. "For. for this cause was the gospel
preached also to them that nrc dead that
they might be judged according to men In
the flesh, but live according to God in the
Spirit " The best light have upon chap
ter ill, 19, is that found in chapter l, II,
which, if understand it, teaches that the
same Spirit who was in Christ was also in
Noah, rs we'll as in all the prophets, and
through him preached to the antedilu-
vians, who in the days of Christ's humili-
alton were spirits in prison. May they not
be the dead here referred to who, when
they were alive, had tho gospel preached
to them, some of whom must have believed
during those 120 years, but possibly died
before the deluge! I confess that the wa
ters are deep here but some day we shall
know more fully.
2. "But the end of all things Is at hand.
Be ye therefore sober and watch unto
prayer" In view of the possibility of our
sojourn in these mortal bodies ending any
day, or the possibility Of the whole church
being caught up any day, what manner OF
persons ought we to be in all holy conver-
sation and godliness? Whatever gifts or
graces God has bestowed upon US, let US
minister the same one to another as good
stewards of the manifold grace Of God
(verse 1O). Let US not think trials strange,
but endure all mcekly, counting them a
privilege, and, even if we suffer for doing
we'll, God will be we'll pleased if we take
IL meekly (chapter Ii, 20).
8. "And, above all things, have fervent
love among yourselves, for love shall cover
q multitude of SINS" Humility before
God (chapter V, 5, 81 and love to our fell
lows must be very pleasing in the sight Of
God, for both arc so Christlike. Though
He was rich (how rich we oannot imagine)
yet for our sakes He became poor that
TINS He might make us rich, and it was