1 So long as I am a minister of such a covenant as this, I will never fear.
2 It is the love of God which has dissolved at last that old hardness and darkness which hid His truth, and in that love we have for ever bidden farewell to the sins that were hidden in the dark. The word of God is ministered by me now in honesty and openness, with a conscience free and unfettered by sin, it is contaminated no longer by deceit and wickedness, but shines forth in all its splendour, and if in some it shines not, that is part of the doom of the flesh which hastens to its end and cannot be illuminated.
3 And what is this light? Is it not the light of God's own creation when He spake and said, “Let there be light”?
4 And what is their darkness but the original darkness out of which that light shone? Another god than the true God dwells in that darkness, the god of this world, who has blinded the eyes of those that know not faith. The light of the glorious gospel of the Christ does not reach them.
5 For he is the true image of God. It is that image we preach, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, who is our Lord; we ourselves act merely as your servants.
6 It is all the work, the creation of God who has given us the understanding and knowledge of His glory in the face of His image, Christ.
7 What if this treasure appear to be contained in a vessel of earth? That fact will but serve to make clearer the infinite power of God, without any second or competitor in any efforts we ourselves may try to make.