not himself, but our lord Jefus Chrift, and that he himself was only the fervant of Jefus for the propagation of his gofpel. At the fame time, he declares that that fame God, (the God of Christ, of Paul, and of all mankind,) who had commanded light to fhine out of darkness in the natural world, had enlightened him with the knowledge of the glory of God' which was on the face of Jefus Chrift' or in the perfon' of Jefus Chrift, as the fame expreffion is rendered in another part of this epistle *.

Paul most scrupulously ftates the chriftian revelation to have derived its authority and pretenfions from God, in contradiftinction to Christ and his apostles, the inftruments employed in its promulgation to the world. He ftiles Christ the image of God,' that is, in his purity and excellence of character; in like manner Mofes fays, in the image of God, 'made he man.' We might indeed confider this defcription of Chrift as referring to the gospel itfelf, as the image,, or mirror, of the mind and will of God. Agreeably to this reprefentation we alfo may understand the fame apoftle, when he fays in our context, that God fhined in their

hearts,

See chap. ii. 10. and Pyle on 2 Cor. iv, 6.

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hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the 'glory of God, on the face of Jefus Christ,'—to mean, that that more perfect acquaintance with the will of God which was poffeffed by him, was communicated for the fole purpose of dif playing the better knowledge of God, by means of the difpenfation of Jefus Christ. For, what vifual light is to the bodily eye, the fame is the light of the christian revelation to the underftanding mind of man.

Our apostle, as though he apprehended he might be misunderstood, and, from a miftake of his meaning, be fuppofed to arrogate to himself more extraordinary powers than were given him; or, left future preachers of the gofpel who might have no extraordinary powers at all committed to them, should make any claim to fuch pretenfions, moft feafonably obferves, with great truth and juftness of remark, that this treasure of heavenly knowledge was committed to earthen veffels; in other words, that it was intrufted to men, and was intended to be left to make its way in the world without any further fupernatural illumination from the father of lights.

It is apparent that the defign of this obfervation was to lead the immediate followers, and

future

and future disciples of Chrift to confider the gofpel as the work of God, and the whole scheme of christianity to be, what we are perfuaded it really is, a revelation of his mind and will. It was alfo a no lefs feasonable and proper protest against the pretended powers and affumed privileges of the priesthood which had been greatly abused, and were, therefore, likely to be continued fo long as the weakness and credulity of mankind fhould leave them their hopes and fears to work upon.

Paul having thus ftated and infifted that the gospel of Chrift was from God, and that he had employed human agents to preach and propagate it to the world, proceeds, with all the fimplicity of an apoftle of this benevolent religion, but with all the dignity of a learned and eloquent scholar, to prove his declaration respecting himself, by a general relation of the difficulties which attended his miniftry. His own words will better explain his meaning than any paraphrase we can give of them.

• We

are preffed,' writes he, but not ftraitened; perplexed, but not wholly at a loss; driven away, but not utterly forfaken; thrown down, ' but not killed; bearing about every-where the deadly marks of the lord Jefus on our

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body, that the life alfo of Jefus may be difplayed in the fame body. For we, who are alive, are conftantly delivered over unto death, that the life of Jefus alfo may be difplayed in this mortal body: fo that death fheweth himfelf in us, but life in you. Now, having that

fpirit of faith fpoken of in fcripture, I believed, and therefore Spake, we also believe, • and therefore speak: knowing that he, who raised the lord Jefus to life, will also raise us through Jefus, and prefent us with you. Now all these fufferings are for your fakes, that the favor of the gofpel, abounding in many, may make thanksgivings abound alfo unto the glory of God. Therefore we faint not; for though our outward man decay, our inward man is renewed day by day. For this light affliction, which is but for a moment, at length produceth for us, in a measure exceedingly abundant, an eternal weight of glory. For we confider not the things, that are feen, but the things, that are not feen: for the things, that are feen, are only for a time; but the things, that are not feen, are eternal *."'

The apoftle refted the evidence of the truth of the gospel of Chrift upon its being derived

from

* 2 Cor. iv. 8-18. Mr. Wakefield's tranflation.

from God, and declared that chriftianity bore, in its very face or appearance, the image or representation of his will. He then advances in his teftimony refpecting himself and his own ministry, declaring that he preached not himfelf, but the gospel of Jefus Chrift our lord; and that in his minifterial character he was the fervant of his hearers for Jefus's fake, or for the fake of the gospel.

To preach Chrift' is a very important duty, and belongs not to minifters of religion alone, but to every believer in the truth of the christian revelation. Minifters of the gospel, when they preach Chrift, fhould especially refpect the authority by which his gospel was promulgated, the evidences by which it is fupported, the doctrines and precepts which it teaches, and the fanction of a future ftate which it reveals. It is their duty to be faithful to their trust; neither to add to, nor take from the law by which they profefs to regulate their faith and practice, and, as far as they are able, with integrity, fimplicity, and godly fincerity, to declare the whole council of God. But all the members of chriftian focieties are as much obliged by the very nature of their chriftian profeffion to regard thefe things as their miB 2

nifters.