OR,
FORESHADOWING S OF A NEW AND HEAVENLY BODY, TRACED SIMULTANEOUSLY
WITH ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF CHRIST AS THEIR KING.
IT is necessary to apprize the reader of these Notes, &c., that they should be read in connection with the text, and as it is not the intention to give a detailed explanation of every paragraph, the reader is requested to keep his eye on the text between each quotation which appears in inverted commas. It will be remarked that the NOTES are divided into chapters corresponding with the text, in order to facilitate this plan.
The reader should not expect to find in the opening of this book large notices of a mystery not yet made known and which was kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:2525Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (Romans 16:25)); or diverted from pursuing the enquiry, because Jewish interests so largely engage the mind of the Spirit. We must ever remember that the Church arose consequent on the rejection of Israel; so that, if we would discover when the Church began, we must first ascertain when and how Israel placed itself beyond the pale of forgiveness, at least in this age. The object of the writer in submitting these Notes, &c., to his brethren is simply told. There has been great confusion and misconception in the mind of many saints as to what portion of the gospels applied to the Church, and what to Israel—some asserting that all applied to the Church, others to Israel. These conflicting statements led the writer to examine the subject for himself, and the result of that examination, irrespective of the peculiar notions of any, but looking to the Lord for help in His own truth, he now humbly lays before his brethren, and begs they will patiently peruse it, before they form any untoward conclusion on the subject.