Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-11-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

ss..,.. The SUNDAY SCHOOL
I1nternat,on.l' Lesson tor November
~. 1sD7-salutary Warnine.-l Peter
4:1-s.
ARRANGED from Peloubet's Notes.l
| GOLDEN TEXT.-Be We therefore sober
and watch unto prayer.-1 Pet. ~. E,
| DATE.-Written between A. D. GA and
| 81. about the time Of Timothy. in the
reign of Nero, and during his great per-
secution.
THE PLACE of writing was Babylon Is:
49,. either the Babylon on the Euphrates
or mystic name for Rome.
| EXPLANATORY NOTES.
| I. The True Life. Dead to Sin, Alive
to Christ.-Vs. l. 2. 1."For as much
then,' referring back 3:1s. LAS Christ
hath suffered in the flesh"
Since He has thus opened the way of
salvation, OF forgiveness and a new
heart and new life; and since He has
set you the example of doing right at
any cost. even at the cost of crucifxion.
''Arm yourselves" AS your defense
against the great enemy of yourselves
and of the world. ''Likewise with the
same mind" Viz. the hatred of sin
and the love of Righteousness; the love
OF His Father and of good, and the de-
sire that all the world should live the
Heavenly life. like His own resurrec-
ton life. He that hath suffered in the
f1esh," has been crucified with Christ
as to the body. and has become dead to
sin, as Paul argues in the Epistle to the
Romans. Hath ceased from SIM" Sin
is dead for him.
Z. NO longer . in the flesh
to the lusts of men," The sinful desires
OF human nature which naturally men
give indulgence to. But to the will of
God.' which is that He should be holy
"as it is in Heaven" Just as Christ hav-
ing died. as to the body, on the cross.
was raised again to new and glorious
life, so those who cruelty the passions
and lusts have done it that they too may
live new and glorious life, as much
beyond their former life as the resur-
rection life of glory is beyond the nat
ural life of the body.
II. The Deeds of the Flesh tobe Cast
Out.-Vs. 3, 4. 3. The WILL" the desire,
the inclination, "of the Gentiles," the
idolaters. The description of their sins
in this verse and in the first chapter of
Romans is borne out by secular writer's
of that age. "Lascviousness:" The
Greek word is in the plural as express
ing the manifold forms or acts of i'm
purity! 'Lusts." the inner principles
Of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Excess of wine"
from Greek words meaning to boil
over" ito overflow with wine," refer
ring to the excessive, insatiate desire for
drink. "Revellings:" The word is
originally derived from the Greekword
for village Koma), and meant at first,
village merry makings, which degener-
ated into parties of jewellers paradine
the streets with torches. singing. dane
ing and all kinds of froics. banquet.
ings:" Drinking bouts. carousals
''Abominable idolatries:" The Iusts
and denominations which were connect.
ed with idolatry and which made il
often so attractive to the natural man
4. "Wherein they think it stranger
1t is not hard, even from our own ex.
perience, to picture to ourselves the
surprise of the heather when he found
his friend refusing an invitation to a
banquet, shrinking from contact with
the prostitutes of Greek cities, or when
there, passing the wine cup untasted
III. The Influence by Which the Vic
tory is Gained.-Vs. So. First. Gods
Judgments Against Sin. S. "Who shall
give account" No one can sin with
impunity. A judgment day hangs ever
more over the head of every sinner
This fact is a powerful incentive to the
forsaking of sin. There are those whom
no other motive will reach till they have
felt something of this. It is everywhere
in nature. in society. in the conscience
in the government of God, drawing
men away from sin to righteousness.
Second. The Gospel. 6. For this
cause was the Gospel preached" The
good news of the Saviour, of forgive.
ness, of the love of God. of holy
Heaven. ITO them that are dead:'
Past generations. That they might
be judged according to men," Pun.
ished. chastened, as other men, in the
body by sickness, pain and death, and
in temporal things And the purpose
of oil this was that they might ''live
according to God in the spirit:" ],
was not to destroy them, but to save
them to high. noble, spiritual life.
Third. The Nearness of the Kingdom
of God. z. 1.-The end of all things is at
hand" The old order was changing
and giving place to the new. There
was to be great removal of the things
that were shaken, that had decayed
and waxed old, that the things that
could not be shaken might remain
(Heb. 12:27) This was powerful mo-
tive for turning away from sin. They
would then have part in the new king.
dom that was to rule the world. y
Fourth. Self-control. BE ye there
fore sober:" of sound mind, of gooc
and wise Judgment, be temperate
And watch:" This is not the wore
usually translated watch las Matt. "a:
42). but implies in the strictest sense
"abstinence from wine and strong
drink"
Fifth. Love. 8. "Have fervent:'
The word implies Intense strain,' "or
the rack. "ceaseless." "Charity:" love
The deepest, noblest. most powerful