The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. THE COLLECT. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our consience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen. THE EPISTLE. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?"-2 COR. iii. 7, 8. HESE words may convey to him who reads, and to TH him who teaches, the sacred Scriptures, the dignity of the work which he approaches, and the deference Woe with which he should submit to its decisions. be to the man who twists them to) his purpose; woe to him who trifles with them, and woe to him who neglects them, and cares not to read them! But how blessed must he be whose daily study is in the law of the Lord! whose meditation is in his Gospel night and day! The old law was proclaimed in thunder and kept in the ark; it was the rule of the people and of the priests for many generations. By it, doctrines were proved, and conduct determined, and even our Lord himself often chose to support those positions which He maintained, not so much by His own authority, as by the scriptural seal, "It is written." Now all this respect, and even more, is due to the books of the New Testament, as we are here plainly taught that the dispensation which they represent exceeds in glory that which was represented by the old. The Scriptures of a dispensation are its mouthpiece. The old covenant spoke by the law and the prophets the New Testament speaks by the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles which are in our hands. If we revere the new covenant, let us respect these. If we believe that the light of the sun exceeds that of the moon, let us pay the same attention to the New Testament writings which the pious Jews were wont to give to the law, and with more interest in proportion to the the greatness of the light. I think the language of David, may form a fitting examination of conscience upon this head. "Oh, how I love Thy law! it is my meditation all the day. . . . Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path:" for if a Jew, with less spiritual advantages, could feel those impressions towards a less spiritual dispensation, why should not we feel more interest in a more spiritual dispensation, and with more spiritual advantages, since the effusion of the Holy Ghost? THE GOSPEL. "And He charged them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it."-MARK vii. 36. HE E did not sound a trumpet before Him, for the circulation of His fame. He sought not His own glory, but knew how to suppress the deed where secresy best answered the end-"the glory of Him that sent Him." And yet He knew how to make His light so shine before men, as to attain the same object under different circumstances. (Mark v. 19.) Let Christ be our Example in the practical reconciliation of those two difficult precepts. In the distribution of our mercies or good offices, let us be secret or public, according as the glory of God and the good of man are best consulted. Let not vainglory break the full utility of a scheme of philanthropy, when the suppression of our names would best subserve it; nor let the fear of temptation, in instances where publicity is required, hide its candle under a bushel, and rob of His glory our Father which is in heaven. Where His glory leads, His grace will help; and "whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, let us do all to the glory of God." If duty calls, and suffering too, With zeal inflamed, 't was Thy delight To do Thy Father's will; May the same zeal my soul excite Meekness, humility, and love, Did through Thy conduct shine; Depending on Thy sovereign grace, The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. THE COLLECT. ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that Thy faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so faithfully serve Thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain Thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE EPISTLE. "And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."-GAL. iii. 17. THE Gospel is older than the Law. The promises. made to Abraham were the substance of the Gospel, and promise and Gospel were by faith. The pro |