SERMON XXII.

THE UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER AND ST. THOMAS'S DAY.

JOHN XX. 29.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

It is a remarkable circumstance, that while the chief priests and Pharisees fully understood our Lord when he foretold his rising again on the third day, his disciples, far from expecting his Resurrection, could not understand "what the rising from the dead should mean '." And yet Jesus had plainly and repeatedly foretold it to them in private; while he spake of it in public figuratively and obscurely, declaring his ability to rebuild in three days the temple which his enemies should destroy, and referring them for a proof of his divine authority to the sign

Mark ix. 10.

2 John ii. 19.

of the prophet Jonas 1. We may suppose that the simple and uneducated minds of the Galilean fishermen were slow in comprehending whatever was remote from their daily experience. But the grand reason, why the providence of God thus ordered it, seems to have been for the strengthening our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus. His Resurrection is the corner-stone of our religion. "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished 2." He himself proposed it as the test of his divine authority. He must also prove that he is able to save himself from the grasp of death, before we can surely depend on his power to rescue us from this last and greatest foe.

Observe then how both these circumstances tend to establish the truth of the Resurrection. His enemies were incited by their knowledge to set a watch and seal the stone; to take such precautions as rendered it impossible to steal the body away, and gave greater publicity and solemnity to the fact: while his fearful, doubting disciples had buried all their hopes in his grave, and scarcely credited even the evidence of their senses, when he repeatedly presented himself before their eyes. Nay, Thomas would not believe unless the evidence of the sense of touch were added to that of sight;

1 Matt. xii. 39, 40.

2

1 Cor. xv. 14, 17, 18.

unless he put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side. Even this evidence was vouchsafed to him: on the eighth day after the Resurrection, on the first Sunday after Easter, his "hands" were permitted to "handle" him, who is the "Word of life '," and proved to him that it was no disembodied Spirit, who assumed the likeness of the deceased, but his very Lord and Master in his own body, as he suffered on the accursed tree. Hence also it was proved that Jesus lived again by the supernatural power of God. God is not tied to any particular method of keeping our bodies alive. And therefore Jesus performed the functions of life, he eat and drank with those chosen witnesses, even while the wound, which had drained the remaining blood from his heart, was yet seen unclosed in his side.

But all this hesitation and unbelief on the part of the apostles is admirably fitted to convince us that their testimony is worthy of the fullest credit. They were neither deceivers eager to impose a trick and imposture on mankind; nor were they weak, silly men, incapable of exercising their judgment, and ready to believe whatever was told them. Undoubtedly Thomas was blamable for his unbelief: he carried it too far. He ought to have been satisfied with the testimony of ten witnesses, men of whose integrity and ability to use their senses, he was well

1 1 John i. 1.

assured. Neither had he any right to prescribe to God what kind of evidence would satisfy him. Solid, satisfactory evidence it is reasonable for every man to require, before he believes. But no man has a right to say, it shall be evidence of such or such a kind; if not, I will not believe. Still the wisdom of God overruled the obstinate incredulity of Thomas, and suffered him to be doubtful for the more confirmation of the Faith. And while we admire the candour and love of truth, which does not permit the Evangelist to cast a veil over the imperfection of his brother disciple, we should be grateful to him who has thus given additional grounds for our believing perfectly and without all doubt in the Resurrection of his Son Jesus.

It is plain that our Lord gives a gentle and indirect reproof to Thomas in my text, "He saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed:" intimating that God requires man to believe what he does not see; that the belief which results from the evidence of the senses is not the kind of faith which he delights in, not the faith which he has promised to bless. I purpose to make some observations on the inferior kind of faith which Thomas manifested; and then to call your attention to the higher faith which our Lord prefers to it.

A reason has already been given why it was expedient that the apostles should be slow of heart

to believe in the Resurrection; and I may add, that though Thomas was blamable for requiring so much proof, yet since the providence of God had determined that he and the other apostles should be witnesses of this astonishing fact, it was quite necessary that they should receive every testimony of the truth of it, which it is possible that man can receive through the medium of his senses. It was necessary that one of the apostles should, in the presence of them all, "put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into" the wounded "side." It was necessary, because Jesus had chosen them to be the foundation on which our faith is built. All Christians since their time believe on their assurance, that Jesus did actually and repeatedly submit his body to their inspection. Therefore if Thomas had not received this proof himself, but had, like us, trusted to the report of his brethren, he might have been an excellent Christian; he might have been one of those whom Jesus declares to be blessed, but he could not have been one of the chosen witnesses. He had no right to demand that he should be admitted to the high privilege of being one of them; but being appointed a witness to others, he must see and judge for himself.

This distinction between the official duty of the eleven, as apostles sent through the world to preach the faith of a crucified Saviour, and their individual salvation as private Christians, it is fit that we bear in mind. Otherwise we may think that our Lord is