when it is a matter of subjective, as distinguished from ob- jective knowledge. Thus the law of God is said to be written on the heart when the knowledge of it is inward and not merely outward. Jer. 31, 33. Heb. 8, 10. Rom. 2, 15. Any thing of which a man is certain, or of which he has a convic- tion founded upon his inward experience, may be said to be written on his heart. That the Corinthians were his epistle was to the apostle a matter of consciousness. It was a letter written on his heart which he could neither misunderstand nor be ignorant of. Comp. Rom. 10, 8. Any thing also that is very dear to us is said to be written on the heart, or to be in the heart. So Paul says to the Corinthians, " Ye are in our hearts," 7, 3. The apostle therefore may be understood to mean either that he was perfectly certain that the conversion of the Corinthians was for him a letter of commendation ; or that it was most dear to him. A letter cherished in his heart. The context is in favour of making the former idea the promi- nent one. This letter, however, was not only well known to the apostle, it was known and read of all men. It was a pal- jDable evidence of his divine mission, which no one could be ignorant of, and which no one could gainsay. Men could not doubt its genuineness, nor could they question its import. He expresses the same idea when he says, " The seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord," 1 Cor. 9, 2.
3. (Forasmucli as ye are) manifestly declared to be tlie epistle of Christ ministered by us, wiitten not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in ta- bles of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
The fact that the Corinthians were to Paul an epistle of commendation, is here confirmed ; i^/xets — ^av^povjx^voi otl la-ri^ ye are consincuous or publidy known as the ejnstle of Christ. That is, an epistle of which Christ is the author. Ministered hy us. The conversion of the Corinthians was the work of Christ, effected by the ministry of Paul. Considered as a let- ter, they were a letter of Christ written by the hand of Paul as Christ's instrument. The importance or superior worth of this epistle is set forth in what follows by a twofold contrast or com'parison. First, it was not a letter written with ink, but by the Spirit of the livmg God. Any man could write with ink; Christ alone can write with the Spuit of God.