their doubts, our Lord deigned to satisfy their minds, by receiving food at their hands, and eating of it in their presence, on more than one occasion. And this circumstance is alluded to by Peter, in his first preaching to the Gentiles; doubtless to satisfy them, as it had the Apostles themselves, that they had not been deluded by any visionary appearance or phantom: "Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly; not to all the people, but unto Witnesses chosen before of God: even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead."

Having seen, then, what was the nature of Thomas's doubts, it is next to be considered in what manner they were removed. Some persons who have paid but slight attention to the history of the transaction, have supposed that he actually did handle and examine the person of his Master; whereas the words of the narrative imply the very reverse; for as soon as Jesus had offered him this proof, we are told, not that he accepted the offer, but that he expressed his full conviction, by at once exclaiming, "My Lord and my God." He was

convinced by the clear evidence of his eyes and ears (though he had before declared his distrust of that evidence), that it was truly his Lord who stood before him. And this is confirmed by the words of Jesus himself, which immediately follow: "Thomas," said He, "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed." His faith, therefore, however weak, appears to have been somewhat stronger than that of the other disciples; for he was convinced as soon as he saw Jesus; whereas they, when they first saw Him, "supposed," we are told, "that they had seen a spirit."

There is this also to be remarked respecting the faith of Thomas; that his profession of belief, that it was truly his Master who appeared, was accompanied with an acknowledgment of his divine nature; he hails Him not merely as the same Jesus who had lately died on the cross, but as his "Lord and his God." There are some some professed Christians who, though acknowledging the truth of the Scriptures, yet represent Jesus Christ as no more than a man sent from God for the instruction of the world. This acknowledgment of Thomas is, of course,

one of the many passages which they find it not easy to reconcile with this doctrine; and the only way by which most of these persons evade the force of it, is to represent the words in question as merely an exclamation expressive of astonishment, and not as applied by Thomas to Jesus himself. Now the very circumstance of their resorting to this mode of interpretation shews that they themselves think the words, if not so interpreted, would be a strong proof against them; since otherwise they would not have taken any pains to explain them away. By their contending that the expression of Thomas is to be understood as an exclamation, they seem to acknowledge that it would furnish an unanswerable argument, if it were not understood as an exclamation.

And that it cannot be so understood (though it may appear doubtful to any one who reads the passage only in the English translation), is so perfectly clear, from the expression in the original Greek, that no scholar who has not obstinately made up his mind beforehand can have any doubt on the subject. The original expression, translated literally word for word,

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is, "the Lord of me, and the God of me:" the article "the" is never employed in an exclamation, which would have been expressed by "Lord!" or "Oh Lord!" not by the words "the Lord." The passage, therefore, will absolutely bear but one interpretation, viz. as signifying, "Thou art my Lord and my God."

Such must have been, then, Thomas's belief; and we may be sure that Jesus, if He had not been a Divine Person, but only a great Prophet sent from God, would not have failed to undeceive him, and to reject that worship which is due to God only; else He would have been favouring an error leading to idolatry; which no one really sent from God would have done. Since, therefore, Jesus accepts this address, and does not disown the appellation of God, applied to Himself, we have in this (as well as in a multitude of other passages), a clear proof, that if we would believe in Him at all, we must believe in Him as perfect God, no less than perfect Man; God manifested in the flesh,-as the Word, which we are told, in the same Gospel, was God, and was "made flesh, and dwelt among us," who is, as He tells us, "one with

the Father,"-" in whom," says Paul, "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."*

Thomas's belief, then, though late, was complete and correct. Our Lord, however, signifies that a less overpowering evidence than the Apostles received, must suffice as a foundation for the faith of others. 66 Thomas," said He, "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." And this blessing is the only one reserved for those who have not been eyewitnesses of the resurrection; for our Lord thought that sufficient evidence was afforded to all who should have the Gospel preached to them; and accordingly He does not merely pronounce a blessing on the believers, but also a curse on the unbelievers, saying, "He that believeth not shall be damned."

And doubtless the evidence is sufficient; for all the prophecies relative to the death and resurrection of the Christ, which the Apostles did not at first understand, have been long since unfolded, and their application made plain ;

* See Note at the end of this Sermon.