Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/304

 298 The flan of the Ages*

Law, which in due time will serve its purpose to bring them to Christ. Though it brought only a remnant of them at the first advent, it will bring them as a people at the second advent, and as a people they will be a first-fruit among the nations. Ultimately every blessing promised to Israel, ex- cept those pertaining to the elected classes, will have, not only its aftual fulfilment in that people, but also its anti- typical fulfilment in all the families of the earth. Under that government "God will render to every man according to his deeds glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile ; for there is no respeft of persons with God. ' ' Rom. 2 : 6, i o, 1 1 . The Apostle Paul calls our attention specially to the sure- ness of God's promises to Israel in the future, and shows what favors they lost by unbelief, and what favors are still sure. He says that it was because of pride, hardness of heart and unbelief that Israel as a people had not obtained that for which they sought the chief place in divine favor and service. Paul's reference here is not to all the genera- tions of Israel, from Abraham down, but to those genera- tions living at the time of the first advent ; and his words would apply to all their generations which have lived during the Gospel age, the age wherein the chief favor has been offered the high calling to the divine nature and joint- heirship with Jesus. This favor Israel as a people has failed to recognize and lay hold of. And though God visited the Gentiles and called many of them through the gospel, they, like fleshly Israel, will fail to obtain the heavenly prize. Nevertheless, a class, a remnant, a little flock from among all the called ones, heeds the call, and, by obedience and self- sacrifice, makes its calling and ele6Uon sure. Thus what Israel as a people failed to obtain, and what the nominal Christian Church also fails to obtain, is given to the ele<5t or selected dass, the faithful "body of Christ" ele& or

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