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declared to be a copy of Chrift's letter of recommendation in my favour, given you by me, written not with ink, as the falfe teacher's letter was, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of ftone, as Mofes's letter of recommendation to the Ifraelites was, but on the fleshly tables of your heart.

4 Now a boafting of this kind, that ye are a copy of our letter of recommendation, we have in the prefence of God, through the affiftance of Chrift.

5 I thus boaft, not because I am fit of myself to find out by reafoning any thing effectual for convincing unbelievers, lievers, as from myself: but my fitnefs to convert mankind, is from God;

6 Who indeed, by inspiration and miraculous powers, bath fitted me to be a minifter of the new covenant, not of the letter or law of Mofes, but of the covenant written by inspiration of the Spirit. Now the covenant of the letter killeth every finner by its curfe, but that of the Spirit maketh alive every believer by its promises.

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human policy and could only be brought to pafs by the power of God.

Ver. 6.-1. Not of the letter; that is, not of the Sinaitic covenant, called the covenant of the letter, in allufion to Exod. xxxiv. 28. where the ten commandments, written with letters on tables of ftone, are called the words of the covenant. For the meaning of the phrase New covenant, see Heb. viii. 7. note 2.

2. But of the Spirit. The new covenant on which the gospel church is built, and of which the apoftles were the minifters, is called the covenant of the Spirit, in allusion to Jerem. xxxi. 33. where 'God promifes under the new covenant, to put his laws in the inward parts, and to write them in the hearts of his people. It is called the covenant of the Spirit likewife, because it was published to the world by the imfpiration of the Spirit, and confirmed by the gifts of the Spirit.-That Janan is rightly tranflated covenant, fee Heb. ix. 15. note 1.

Ver. 7.

7 But if the miniftration of death written and engraven on ftones, was glorious, fo that the children of Ifrael could not fedfaftly behold the face of Mofes, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done

away;

8 How fhall not the miniftration of the Spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the minis fration of righteoufnefs exceed in glory.

7 Ει δε ἡ διακονια τε θα n VάT8 εν γραμμασιν, EVTEτυπωμένη εν λίθοις, εγενη θη εν δόξη, ώςε μη δυναστ Jai ateviσai τες υιες Ιστ ραηλ εις το προσωπον Μω σεως, δια την δοξαν το προσε ωπε αυτό, την καταργεμένην 8 Πως εχι μαλλον ἡ δι ακονια τα πνευματα έςαι εν δοξη;

9 Ει γαρ ἡ διακονια της κατακρίσεως, δοξα, πολλῳ μαλλον περίσσευει ἡ διακο νια της δικαιοσυνης εν δόξη.

Ver. 7.1. If the miniftry of death. This is an elliptical expreffion, which must be fupplied by adding the words Tns Sanuns, of the covenant, from ver. 6. fo as to make this fentence, if the miniftry of the covenant of death. This miniftry confifted in Mofes' bringing down from the Mount, the tables on which was written the covenant of the law, called here, the covenant of death, because it subjected every finner to death without mercy, by its curfe.

2. Was done with glory. The apoftle here alludes to the light proceeding from the skin of Mofės' face, after he converfed with God on the Mount, which fhone with fuch brightness, that the Ifraelites could not look ftedfastly on him, while he delivered to them the commandments which God had fpoken to him, Exod. xxxiv. 29.—35. This light was an emblem of the knowledge which the Ifraelites de

rived from the law.

Ver. 8.-1. How shall not the miniftry of the Spirit. The ministry of the covenant of the Spirit, confifted in the apostles, publishing that covenant, and in building the Chriftian church thereon, by the miracles which they wrought in confirmation of their preaching.

2. Rather be with glory? The outward glory with which the miniftry of the covenant of the Spirit was performed, was unfpeakably greater than the outward glory wherewith Mofes' face fhone. For the infpiration and miraculous powers with which the apoftles performed the miniftry of the covenant of the Spirit, being communicated to them by the defcent of the Holy Ghoft in flames of fire which refted on each of them, it was an outward and fenfible glory, far greater than the light which covered Mofes' face. For by that glory, Mofes had no new powers cominunicated to him, neither was it attended with any fenfible confequences. Whereas, by the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, on the minifters of the covenant of the Spirit, they preached the gof

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7 Befides, if the bringing down from the Mount, the covenant which inflicted death on every finner, and which was imprinted on stones with letters by God, was performed with fuch glory, that the children of Ifrael could not look stedfaftly on the face of Mofes, who carried thefe ftones, becaufe of the fhining of his face occafioned by his looking on the glory of God; which fhining was foon to be abolished, as a prefiguration of the abolition of the covenant of the letter;

8. Is it not fit, that the ministry of the covenant of the Spirit, which maketh finners alive, should rather be performed with an outward glory?

9 And, if the miniftry of the covenant which brought condemnation on finners, clothed Mofes with honour and authority, much more doth the ministry of the covenant which bringeth righteoufnefs to believers, abound in honour and authority to its minifters.

pel by inspiration; the knowledge of foreign languages was communicated to them inftantaneously; they obtained power to heal difeafes miraculously; and to communicate to others the faculty of fpeaking foreign languages, and the power of working miracles: all which taken together, formed an outward glory, incomparably greater than that which Mofes derived from the miniftry of the covenant of the letter, even though his miracles were taken into the account; none of his miracles being equal to that which the apoftles performed, when they communicated the fpiritual gifts to others.

Ver. 9.-1. If the miniflry of condemnation was honour. So the word Soga is tramlated, 2 Cor. vi. 8. and fo it must be tranflated here; otherwife this, as in our tranflation, will be a repetition of the two preceding verfes. The apoflle's meaning is, that befides the outward glory peculiar to each, with which the miniftry of the two covenants was accompanied, the minifters of thefe covenants derived honour and authority, each from his own miniftry, in proportion to the excellency of the covenant of which he was the minifter. The honour and authority which Mofes derived, from the miniftry of the covenant of the letter, confifted in his converfing with God in a familiar manner, and in his being commiffioned to deliver the precepts, which in these conversations, God fpake to him. Beyond thefe, Mofes had no honour or authority. For the knowledge of the law, of which he was the minifter, being VOL. II.

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II For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we

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λον το μενον, εν δοξη.

12 Εχοντες ουν τοιαυτην

have fuch hope, we ufe great ελπίδα, πολλη παρρησια χρωplainness of speech.

13 And not as Mofes, which put a vail over his face,

μεθα

13 Και ε καθαπερ Μωσης ετίθει καλυμμα επι το

given him entirely by the ear, and not by inspiration, he could add nothing by way of explication, to the words which God fpake to him: at leaft nothing which was of any authority.

2. Abound in honour. The honour and authority which the apoftles derived from the miniftry of the covenant of the Spirit, confifted in their poffeffing the abiding infpiration of the Spirit, whereby they were enabled at all times, to declare the will of God on every point of religion infallibly, and, like living oracles, could give divine refponfes, concerning all the articles of the covenant of which they were the minifters, and were entitled to require implicit faith and obedience from mankind, in all things pertaining to religion. It confifted likewife, in their poffeffing an ability of imparting a portion of the infpiration and miraculous powers which they poffeffed, to others, to fit them for affifting in the miniftry of the covenant of the Spirit; which being defigned, not for a fingle nation like the covenant of the letter, but for all mankind, it was neceffary that the minifters thereof fhould have many affiftants. In this refpect Mofes was far inferior to the apoftles; for he could not impart to the elders of Ifrael, any part of the outward material glory with which his face fhone; and far lefs could he impart to them the gift of infpiration.

Ver. 10. And therefore that which was glorified. The apostle, in the preceding verfes, having compared the glory of the ministry, and of the minifters of the two covenants with each other, goes on to confider the glory or excellence of the covenants themfelves. And to fhew that the covenant of the Spirit, is more excellent than the covenant of the letter, he observes, that the covenant of the letter, which was glorified by the fhining of Mofes' face, was not much glorified in that refpect, when compared with the more excellent glory of the covenant of the Spirit; because the vanishing of the glory on Mofes' face, fhewed that the covenant of the letter, of which he was the minister, was to be abrogated. Whereas, the continuance of the glory of inspiration with the apostles to the end of their lives, fhewed that the

Covenant

10 (Kas yag, 93.) And therefore, that which was glorified, was not glorified in this refpect, by reafon of the excelling glory.

II (El yap, 91.) Befides, if that WHICH IS abolished, IS ABOLISHED by glory,' much more that which remaineth, REMAINETH (ev) in glory.

12 Wherefore, having fuch a perfuafion,' we use much (waggno) plainness of speech;

13 And not as Mofes, WHO put a veil upon his face,' that the children of

10 And therefore, the covenant of the letter which was glorified by the fhining of Mofes's face, was not much glorified in that respect; by reafon of the far more excelling glory of the covenant of the Spirit, by which it is abolished.

II Befides, if that covenant which is abolished, is abolished by the greater glory of the covenant of the Spirit, that covenant which remaineth, as furedly remaineth in glory, superior to any glory which the abolifhed covenant ever poffeffed.

12 Wherefore having fuch a perfuafion, that the apoftles, the minifters of the gofpel are much superior to Mofes in respect of their inspiration, we use much plainnefs of speech in our preaching.

13 And do not put a veil on our face when preaching the gospel, as Mofes put a veil upon his face when

covenant of the Spirit, of which they were the ministers, was always to remain.

Thefe obfervations, concerning the glory or excellence of the gofpel above the law, the apostle made to convince the Corinthians, how illfounded the boafting of the falfe teacher was, who affumed to himself great honour, on account of his knowledge of the law of Mofes, and who erroneously enjoined obedience to the law, as neceffary to falvation.

Ver. 11. If that which is abolished, is abolished (da) by glory. The reader skilled in the Greek language, who confidereth the order of the words in the original, muft be fenfible that they ought to be pointed and tranflated as I have done. The apoftle's meaning is, that the excellence of the gofpel above the law, is demonftrated by its putting an end to the law by its fuperior fplendor, and by its remaining, without being fuperfeded by any fubfequent difpenfation.

Ver. 12. Having, ToαUTY Xida, fuch a perfuafion or affurance, namely, that the gospel excels the law, in its nature and tendency; in the manner of its introduction; in the authority of its minifters; and in its duration. For this fenfe of the word is, see 2 Cor. i. 7. Philip. i, 20. Titus i. 2.

Ver. 13. As Mofes put a veil upon his face, that the children of Ifrael, &c. Here the apostle infinuates, that Mofes put a veil on his face while he delivered the law, to fhew the darkness of the types and figures of the

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