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that the children of Ifrael προσωπου ἑαυτ8, προς το μη

could not stedfaftly look to the end of that which is abolished.

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law, of which he was the minifter. And as he veiled his face, that the children of Ifrael might not fee the vanishing of the glory from his face, it fignified that the abrogation of the law, typified by the vanishing of the glory, would be hidden from them. So the apoftle hath interpreted there emblems, ver. 14.-Farther, to fhew that the gofpel is a clear difpenfation, and that it is never to be abolished, and that the minifters of the covenant of the Spirit were able at all times to speak plainly concerning it, they did not, while miniftering that covenant, veil their faces like Mofes.

Ver. 14.1. The fame veil remaineth in the reading of the old covenant, &c. that is, The thing typified by the veil on Mofes' face, hath taken place from that time to this day. For when the Ifraelites read Mofes' account of the old covenant of the law, a veil lieth on that covenant. Its types, and figures, and prophefies, are as dark to them as ever it not being difcovered to them, that they are all fulfilled in Chrift; and confequently that the old covenant itself is abolished by him. -- Farther, as the apoftle obferves in ver. 15. a veil lieth alfo on the heart of the Jews when they read Mofes. Befides the natural obfcurity of the old covenant, there is a fecond veil, formed by their own prejudices and lufts, which blind them to uch a degree, that they cannot difcern the intimations which God, in the law incit, hath given of his intention to abrogate it by Christ. See chap. iv. 3 more.

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delivering the law, that the children of Ifrael might not ftedfaftly look to the vanishing of the glory on his face, which was to be abolished.

14 Now, as was typified by the veil on Mofes's face, the minds of the Ifraelites were permitted to remain blind. For until this day, the fame veil remaineth in the reading of the old covenant; it not being revealed to the Ifraelites, that it is abrogated by Chrift, in whom all its types and figures

have been fulfilled.

15 Moreover, until this day, when the law of Mofes is read in the fynagogues, the veil lieth upon the heart alfo of the Jews; they are ftrongly blinded by their own prejudices and lufts.

16 But when it, the veiled heart, fhall turn to the Lord, the veil fhall be taken from around it: when the Jews fhall believe the gofpel, their prejudices fhall be removed, fo that they fhall discern the true meaning of the law.

2. That it is abolished. I put a comma after μve, and with Benge. lius. I read &T in one word thus, or, that. This manner of reading the word &, Beza fays, is confirmed by the Syriac and Arabic verfions.

Ver. 16. But when it fhall turn to the Lord. When Mofes turned from the people to go into the tabernacle before the Lord, he took the veil from off his face, Exod. xxxiv. 34. whereby he received a new irradiation from the glory of the Lord. In allufion to that part of the history, and perhaps to fhew its emblematical meaning, the apostle told the Corinthians, that when the veiled heart of the Jews fhall turn to the Lord Chrift, when they shall believe the gospel, the veil fhall be taken from around their heart; their prejudices fhall be difpelled by the light which they will receive from the Lord, that is, from the gofpel. This will happen, not only at the general converfion of the Jews, but as often as any one of that nation is converted.

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Ver. 17.-1. Now the Lord is the Spirit. As the apostle, ver. 15. had termed the covenant of the letter, Mofes, because he was the minif ter of that covenant, it was natural for him to term the covenant of the Spirit, the Lord, because the Lord Chrift is the author thereof. Hence in Paul's epiftles, Chrift, and Christ Jefus, are often put for the gospel, or covenant of the Spirit.

2. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Through the abiding infpiration of the Spirit of the Lord, the author of the covenant of the Spirit, we apoftles have freedom of speech in explaining the covenant of the Spirit; not being confined to the words which the Lord in the days of his flesh uttered, as Mofes was confined to the words which God fpake; but we can reveal many things of which the Lord faid nothing. Bengelius by sλeup, underftands freedom from the veil, that is, a clear difcernment of the meaning of the types, and figures, and prophefies of the law.

Ver. 18.-1. Reflecting as mirrors. KATOTтpoμ. This word in the active voice, fignifies, imagines et reflexiones facio in modum fpeculi. But in the paffive, according to Scapula, it fignifies, I behold myself in a looking glafs. And for that fenfe he refers only to the text under confideration. Elfner and Wetstein have proved the fame fenfe of the word, by paffages from the Greek authors. But it does not agree with the fcope of the apostle's reafoning here; and therefore, fuppofing the word xxтоμ, to be in the middle voice, I have tranflated it actively; in which I am fupported by Eftius and the Greek commentators, who explain it thus: Inflar fpeculi fufcipientes atque reddentes, Receiving and reflecting, in the manner of a mirror, the glory of the Lord-In this paffage, the apoftle alludes to the light which issued from Mofes' face, when it was not veiled.

2. Are transformed into the fame image. Chrift was called by the prophets, the Sun of Righteousness, because he was to diffuse the knowledge

of

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17 Now, that ye may underfland what I mean by the Jews turning to the Lord, the Lord fignifies the covenant of the Spirit of which we are the minifters, ver. 6. And where the Spirit, the inspiration of the Lord is, as it is with us, there is freedom in fpeaking.

18 For we apoftles all with an unveiled face, brightly reflecting as mirrors, the glory of the Lord Chrift which fhines on us, are in the bufinefs of enlightening the world, transformed into the very image of Chrift the Sun of righteoufnefs, by a fucceffion of glory coming on our faces, as from the Lord of the covenant of the Spirit.

of true religion through the world. On the fame account, and in allufion to that prophetic image, he took to himself the appellation of the light of the world. Here St. Paul tells us, that the apostles, by reflecting as mirrors, the glory or light which fhone upon them from Chrift, enlightened the world, and became images of Christ the Sun of righteoufnels.

3. From glory to glory. This is an Hebraifm, denoting a continued fucceffion and increafe of glory. Pfalm lxxxiv. 7. They shall go from frength to ftrength. The apoftles became images of Chrift, as the light of the world, by a continual fucceffion of infpirations from him, which fo filled them with light, that they fhone on the world with an unin terrupted and undecaying glory.

4. As from the Lord of the Spirit. The order of the words in the original, being καθαπερ απο Κυριος πνευματα, what I have adopted is the literal tranflation, and what the fcope of the argument requires.

The meaning of this paffage, ftripped of the metaphor, is, Wę apostles, the minifters of the covenant of the Spirit, do not impart to the world a veiled or dark knowledge of that covenant, as Mofes gave the Ifraelites an obfcure knowledge of the covenant of the letter. But we all, having a complete knowledge of the covenant of the Spirit by infpiration from Chrift, preach it every where in the plaineft manner. So that in diffufing the knowledge of God and religion through the world, we are the images or reprefentatives of Chrift, by the power of an abiding infpiration from him who is the Lord, or author of the covenant of the Spirit.

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CHAP. IV.

View and Illuftration of the Matters contained in this Chapter.

H

AVING in the preceding chapter defcribed the excellency of the covenant of the Spirit, and the transcendant honour and authority which the minifters of that covenant poffeffed by virtue of their office, and the abiding inspiration of the Spirit with which they were endowed, the apostle told the Corinthians, that the confideration of these things, animated him and his brethren to diligence in performing the duties of their ministry, ver. 1.—and alfo to faithfulness. For ufing no craft or deceit in preaching, but plainly and fully manifefting the true doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, they recommended themselves to every man's confcience, ver. 2.-And therefore if their gospel was veiled to any to whom it was preached, it was veiled only to those who deftroyed themselves by hearkening to their own prejudices and lufts, and who having rejected the gofpel, the devil made ufe of them in blinding the minds of others by their fophiftry, ver. 3, 4.-Farther, notwithstanding the apostles poffeffed fuch authority and miraculous powers, they did not preach themselves, but Chrift, as Lord or author of the fpiritual difpenfation of the gofpel: being fenfible that they fhone upon the world, only with a light borrowed from him, ver. 5, 6.- Left however the low birth, and mean ftation of the apostles, with their want of literature, fhould be thought inconfiftent with the high dignity which they claimed as images of Chrift, St. Paul told

OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. IV. I Therefore

GREEK TEXT.

the

1 Δια τ8το έχοντες την

feeing we have this miniftry, διακογιαν ταύτην, καθως ηλε

as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftinets,

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Ver. 2-1. We have commanded away. This is the literal fignification of the word awawaμede; for aty, ver. 6. fignifies to command. See Eff iv. 55. The expreffion is emphatical and picturefque. It reprefents the hidden things of fhame, as offering their fervice to the apoltles, who rejected their offer with difdain, and commanded them to

be

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