The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we are 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 conscience 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. 2 Cor. 3. 4-11.
SUCH trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 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? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
Paul speaks of the Law and Gospel in this Epistle lesson, of which he is confident, boasting not of himself, but of God’s all-sufficient and redeeming grace under both adminstrations of the gracious covenant. Everything is of free grace. He disclaims any merit. Our collect for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity gets at the doctrine and ethos of it, pointing to the “merits and mediation” of Christ alone. (We say alone because Cranmer excised any invocation of others in the Church Triumpant.)
There is no preparationism, inclination or retention of ability to respond to the Law and Gospel apart from the Reign and Blessing of Christ. We continue to be impressed by the unified consensus to and on this point in the magisterial Reformation traditions: Lutheran, Reformed and Confessionally Anglican.
Paul’s own life, itself, is abundant evidence, to wit, that he was grossly impaired and wickedly twisted in mind, heart and affections until subdued by an Omnipotent Hand. The True Catholic Churches of the Reformation Churches embrace this.
He was subdued while still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9.1). He was no saint.
The Letter and Spirit are dealt with by St. Paul. The "letter" is the Law and outward preaching apart from the life-giving Gospel. The "Spirit" is the Gospel and living doctrine, which works effectually in those who believe (1 Thes.2.13).
Both testaments have an external and internal dimension. The law, moral and ceremonial, condemned men, to wit, illustrating their gross impairments and imperfection. The law pointed them to the Redeemer and His promises alone. The reading and hearing of the Law is the occasion of delivering the death sentence. The Perfect Judge has dropped the gavel. If un-believed, the Gospel also comes as Law and condemnation, an odour of death to the unbeliever who despises the promises because he hasn’t heard the law. The Law, under both Testaments, delivers the painful announcement. The Gospel, under both Testaments, delivers the "Good news!"
Indeed, the Older Covenant had a lead focus on law, but the Gospel, grace, and salvific promises abound under the Reign of Christ during the period of Moses. Glorious things, events, deliverances and miracles are evident with the majesty and glory of the Ruling Redeemer, e.g. Exodus 33-34, 40, Isaiah 6 as hasty clues. The saving Gospel comes in both Testaments.
The law is engraved on “stones,” as it were in both Testaments. It remains external to the unbeliever. The Sermon on the Mount comes as Law and condemnation. The Gospel comes in Spirit-power in both Testaments, “circumcising hearts” and giving “new birth,” to use counterpointed but complementary expressions.
The law demands justice and perfection that no one has or can fulfill. This is why Romish fictions must be tossed. This is why Anglo-Papists longing for acceptance with Rome must be tossed.
The Gospel, on the other hand, comes announcing a fulfilled justice and a perfect life, from Incarnation, Death, Life, Burial, to the Resurrection, accomplished outside ourselves by Christ Jesus, but imputed to us freely, effectually and to eternity to come. The Gospel can come as Law bringing death. The Law can and does bring promises, life and forgiveness.
The collect captures it. We dare not ask for mercy and grace, but for the solitary, sovereign and effiaceous merits of our one and only Advocate, Christ Jesus.
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