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¹ For I know, that if my body, which is but a tent for my sojourning upon earth, were dissolved, I have what is not fram'd by human art, but by the divine architect, a mansion eternal in the heavens. ² while I am thus incas'd, I groan with desire to have that celestial vehicle superinduc'd: ³ tho' should I be divested of this body, I shall not even then be destitute of one. ⁴ we that are in this tabernacle do groan under the burden of it: not that we desire to be divested of it, but we desire to have our celestial body, that this mortal state may vanish into immortality. ⁵ now he that hath prepared us for this very state, is God, who hath given us the spirit as a pledge of it. ⁶ therefore being always certainly assur'd that whilst I sojourn in this body, I am absent from the Lord, ⁷ (for I regulate my conduct by my future expectations, not by visible enjoyments: ⁸ ) in this assurance, I say, I think it best to be quit of this body, and be present with the Lord. ⁹ wherefore I studiously endeavour, whether staying in it, or departing out of it, to be acceptable to him. ¹⁰ for we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ; that every one may receive the retribution, according as his actions in the body were either good or evil. ¹¹ Shall I then, who know this terrible judgment of the Lord, endeavour to appease men? as for God, I am approved by him, and I trust also you are convinced of my being so approved.

¹² and this I say, not to commend myself again unto you, but to give you an occasion of glorying on my account, that you may confront those who make a false show of glorying. ¹³ for if I glory even to transport, my glorying is in God: if I am moderate, my glorying is for your service. ¹⁴ to this I am urg'd by the love I bear to Christ, persuaded as I am, that if one died for all, then were all in a dying state: and that he died for all, ¹⁵ that they who are in a state of life should not live at their own discretion, but to the service of him who died for them, and rose again.

¹⁶ Wherefore, henceforth I have no regard to any man for his external appearance: for tho' I formerly look'd for worldly grandeur in the Messiah, yet now I see things in another light. ¹⁷ therefore, if any man be a christian, he is in a new creation: the old state of things is chang'd to one entirely new. ¹⁸ Now this is all owing to God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath made us the ministers of this reconciliation; ¹⁹ for it is God that has reconciled the world to himself, by Jesus Christ, by not imputing their sins to them; and hath committed to us the gospel of reconciliation. ²⁰ we then are ambassadors for Christ, and 'tis God who makes you the offers by us: we pray you in the name of Christ, to make your peace with God. ²¹ for he hath made him who knew no sin to be a sin-offering for us, that we might be justified by God thro' him.