Note. This meets the objection of Williamson (Letters to a Millenarian), which rests upon an entire misapprehension of Millenarian teaching. No Millenarian makes the Jewish nation, as such, an heir of the Kingdom; all, without exception, make the believing Jew in the elect Abrahamic line (hence identified with, and included in, the nation), and the believing Gentile (engrafted by faith), in their totality the heir. We carefully distinguish between the heir and the subjects (Props. 124, 128, 153, etc.). Besides the nation itself, before restored and securing its covenanted supremacy, must be penitent and converted in order to obtain its distinguished position among the nations of the earth. The nation, as such, is brought into nearness with the Theocratic Kingdom, as already explained; as a nation it can abuse, pervert, and reject it, as already shown; but as a nation it can and will (as we will prove in its place) be restored, God foreseeing the same, as predicted, and hence forming His determinate Purpose in view of it. But this nation, thus restored to high Theocratic privileges, as covenanted and predicted, is only exalted because it stands associated with the immortal rulers, e.g. the twelve apostles, etc. We receive with him the same heirs, only that we insist upon their being Abraham’s seed, consequently engrafted and adopted as such, in view of the elect covenanted relationship of the nation, in which the Theocracy is based fundamentally.

Note 1. This may serve to explain James’ epistle addressed “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,” or “which are in, or of, the dispersion.” Critics find it difficult, in view of the contents of the epistle and its being addressed to believers, to reconcile this passage with the literal twelve tribes. Yet two opinions prevail, viz.: that James wrote to believing Jews (Beza, Grotius, etc.), or that he addressed all Jews (Lardner, etc). But if we keep in view the engrafting and adoption, the continuous election and incorporation, James forcibly employs this phraseology to designate believers, and their being the elect people of God, who also were scattered or dispersed abroad among the nations.

Note 2. We may only add, if somewhat premature in the argument, that the election has not merely reference to the Kingdom itself, but to a certain position—one of distinguished, pre-eminent honor and dignity, viz.: Kingship and priesthood, in that Kingdom. Hence arises the exceeding preciousness of this election, bringing to us the glory of associated Rulership with Christ in His Theocratic dominion. “The Plymouth Brethren” define (Art. “Plymouth Brethrenism,” Brit. Quarterly, Oct. 1873) “the Church of God,” or, as they prefer to call it, “the Assembly of God:” “it is the actual living unity with Christ, and with each other, of those who, since Christ’s resurrection, are formed into this unity by the Holy Ghost.” This definition excludes the Old Test. saints, which is erroneous and derogatory to those saints, who also are saved through Christ. The apostles do not call the Church a new thing or a mystery, but that Gentiles could be introduced and put on the same ground (“fellow heirs,” Eph. 3:6) with the Old Test. members. The same glory awaits both; both inherit with Abraham; both form the Church purchased by His blood; both look for and enter the same city, etc. This error is found in many of their works.

Note. The election is not removed from the Jewish nation, the seed of Abraham, for it continues, as has been proven, unbroken (comp. Rom. 11:28, 29, 26, 25, 23). No Gentile nation has been chosen in place of the Jewish, for such a procedure would violate and vitiate the solemnly given covenants. Even the covenanted Davidic throne and Kingdom, the Messiah’s special inheritance as David’s Son, indicates the continued necessity of such election. That God’s purposes may not be defeated in erecting the contemplated Theocratic dominion with the elect nation for its basis, He continues the election in incorporating Gentiles. For the accomplishment of His Purpose He requires a certain determined number (known only to Him), and as the chosen nation in its membership made itself unworthy through the baseness of its depravity (in rejecting the Messiah), and but few remain “Jews inwardly,” the true Israel of God, it becomes necessary to raise up a seed identified with that nation; this is done by calling all Gentiles to repentance and faith, and choosing individuals out of the nations, who, by virtue of their repentance and faith, are adopted and become the elect. By this adoption, no distinction exists between them and the believing natural descendants of Abraham, and hence that distinction which once arose between them as a barrier, called “the wall of partition,” is removed between such believers. This election is something very different, as will be seen as the argument progresses, from the reception of the Gospel and the enjoyment of the blessings of the Kingdom in the future under the Messianic reign by the nations of the earth. These elect are then in the actual enjoyment of Rulership, etc. The offer now is indeed freely made to all, but all, as yet, do not accept of the same. The Gospel is freely preached to both Jew and Gentile, and by faith they become one in Christ Jesus, the wall of separation being broken down between them because of faith. Hence Oosterzee (Theol. N. Test.) is wrong when he says, “the wall of separation between Israel and the Gentile world is already fallen,” which is true only as to the call, but not as to election, the latter being the result of faith.