of election has had a very
false turn given to it, partly through mistakes which have been already
alluded to, partly because the idea of election has been separated from
another idea with which in the Bible it is most closely associated, the
idea of a universal purpose to which the elect minister. No thought
can be more prominent in the Old Testament than the thought that some
men out of multitudes have been chosen by God to be in a special
relation of intimacy with Him. 'You only have I known, O Israel, of
all the families of the earth.' But this election to special knowledge
of God, and special spiritual opportunity, {70} carries with it a
corresponding responsibility. It is no piece of favouritism on God's
part. The greater our opportunity the more is required of us. 'You
only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore will I
visit upon you all your iniquities[24].' The fact is that the
principle of inequality in capacity and opportunity runs through the
whole world both in individuals and in societies. A great genius or a
great nation has special privileges and opportunities, but also, in the
sight of God who judges men according to their opportunities, special
responsibilities. But also (and this is by far the most important
point) the special vocation of every elect individual or body is for
the sake of others[25]. It is God's method to work through the few
upon the many. That is the law of ministry which binds all the world
of strong and weak, of rich and poor, of learned and ignorant, into
one. Thus Abraham had been chosen alone, but it was that, through his
seed, all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Israel was
exclusively the people of God, but it was in order that all nations
should learn from them at last the word of God. The apostles were {71}
the first 'elect' in Christ with a little Jewish company. 'We'--so St.
Paul speaks of the Jewish Christians--'we who had before hoped in
Christ.' But it was to show the way to all the Gentiles ('ye also, who
have heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,') who
were also to constitute 'God's own possession' and His 'heritage.' The
purpose to be realized is a universal one: it is the re-union of man
with man, as such, by being all together reunited to God in one body.
And this idea is to have application even beyond the bounds of
humanity. Unity is the principle of all things as God created the
world. 'In Chris