5. not that of ourselves, sufficient we exist to have accounted anything as of us, but our sufficiency is of the God,

333

6. who even qualifies us ministers of a new testament to be, not of a letter of it i e not of an exact ob

........

servance of it, but of a spirit of it i e an observance

of it in spirit. For the letter kills. But the spirit gives life.

7. Now if the ministration concerning the death i e that incurs temporal death, in letter, having been engraved in stones, was made as to glory for the

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sons of Israel not to be able to have stedfastly looked upon the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face that is done away,

8. how is it not more, the ministration concern

322,2

ing the observance in spirit shall be as to glory.

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9. For if the ministration of the condemnation referred to a glory was, more by much, the minis

757. The letter kills. Literally, Actively does what is stated; whereas &c. Passive, Is a means of effecting that end; hence &c., 322,1.

758. The sons of Israel. Literally, His immediate descendants; whereas &c., His descendants or people; hence &c., 321.

759. We use great plainness of speech. Literally, That end is effected by us; whereas &c., It is so if we rightly discharge our duty; hence &c., 321.

tration of the justification referred to exceeds in glory.

10. For indeed that that hath been glorified hath not been glorified in this the part here being considered, namely, on account of a glory that excelleth.

11. For if that that is done away is excellent on

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account of glory, more by much, that that remains excelleth as to glory.

13. and not just as Moses was placing a vail over

his face, with the intent, the sons of Israel not to

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have steadfastly looked to the end of that that is

done away,

14. but their minds were blinded. And until the this day, the same vail, in the reading of the old Testament, remains. Not being taken away, as in Christ, it is taken away,

759,1

15. even unto this day. Whensoever Moses is

read, a vail, upon their hearts, rests.

759,1. Stop. The Sense here is not, That what is asserted is to be confined to the exact time specified, which is the Literal Sense; but, That even under these circumstances what is stated has existence; hence the Major Stop. See Rule 184.

16. Yet whensoever it i e Israel should have

turned to Jehovah, the vail is taken away.

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*760

17. Even the Lord the spirit referred to, ie the observance in spirit exists. And where the spirit accepted of Jehovah exists, liberty from exact observance exists.

18. So we all Jews and Gentiles having been uncovered to face the glory of Jehovah, beholding as in a glass the same image of glory, are transformed by natural operation from glory, to glory. Like as

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by a spirit i e an operation of Jehovah,

CHAPTER IV.

497,2

497,2

1. on account of this viz., the progression of advancement, having this ministry. As we were pitied, we do not despair,

2. but we renounced the secret suggestions through

760. As the Lord the spirit referred to exists. Had the Sense here been, The Lord that is a spirit, or the spirit exists, which is the Literal Sense, the Verb must have been placed first, such being the Regular Arrangement; and hence I conceive the Irregular Arrangement is employed to shew the Sense is that expressed in the Paraphrase.

760,1. Like as by a spirit of God. Literally, This expresses a resemblance to, but an entire absence of Spiritual Operation; whereas &c., That the appearance was that of an entire Operation of the Spirit, whereas in fact it was an Operation of Man in the use he made in an Operation of the Spirit in the Revelations thus vouchsafed to Man; hence &c., 321.

the shame we incur. Not walking in craftiness. Or not handling deceitfully the word of the God, but commending ourselves by the manifestation of the

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truth, to every conscience of men i e every description of conscience, in the sight of the God.

3. So if indeed our gospel having been covered

322,2

exists to those that are lost, having been covered it

is,

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4. by what things, the God of this age blinded the minds of them that believed not, with respect to that

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the light of the gospel concerning the glory of the

322,2

Christ, who an image of the God is, should not have beamed forth.

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5. I say, Christ. For we preach not ourselves,

761. Commending ourselves &c. Literally, Effecting what is stated; whereas &c., Endeavouring to effect that end; hence &c., 321.

761,1. Every conscience of men. Literally, Every without any exception; whereas &c., Every generally speaking; hence the Disarrangement of the word All, See Rule 333. The Sense here is not, To every man, seeing the Pronoun does not agree with the word Man either in Number or Case, but Every conscience, which means, Every description or character of conscience.

763. With respect to that &c. Literally, His object was to effect the end stated; whereas &c., This was not the object but a consequence that resulted from his so doing; hence the Peculiar Government. See Rule 380.

764. We preach not ourselves. Literally, We do not ourselves teach; whereas &c., We preach not concerning ourselves; hence &c., 321.

but Christ even Jesus a Lord to be. And ourselves your servants to be with respect to Jesus,

6. yea we so preach, because the God it is that commanded out of darkness, a light shall shine, who shined into our hearts, with respect to light concerning the knowledge of the glory of the God, in an appearance of Christ.

333

7. Yet we have this treasure of light, in earthen vessels it not being a written revelation, in order that

the excellency of the power should be of the God,

and not of us,

8. in every thing, being oppressed, yet not being straitened, being perplexed, yet not being in despair, 9. being persecuted, yet not being forsaken, being cast down, yet not being destroyed.

765,1

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10. Always making known the dying of the Jesus in the body, in order that also the life of the Jesus, in our body, should have been made manifest.

765. That the excellency of the power should be of the God. Literally, Should cause it to be so; whereas &c., That man should perceive and acknowledge that it is so; hence &c., 322,1.

765,1. Stop. The Sense here is not, Always without exception, which is the Literal Sense; but, Always as regards my ordinary practice; hence the Major Stop. See Rule 184.

766. Always making known the dying of the Jesus. Literally, Actively relating the fact; whereas &c., Teaching it or that which implies the existence of it; hence &c., 321.