SERMON XXIII.

THE APOSTLE THOMAS.

Jesus saith unto him: Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John xx. 29.

THESE words are part of a remarkable conversation between an affectionate disciple, and a more affectionate Lord and Saviour. Thomas, in the time of his Master's ministry, upon an occasion of great danger to his person, had been willing" to go, and die with him," John xi. 16. Jesus, out of love for his disciples, and for mankind in general, had now laid down his life, with as many aggravations of pain and disgrace, as the loss of an innocent life can well be attended with. But he was delivered from the grave, and raised up again to life, now to die no more.

And that the disciples themselves, and the world in general, might obtain the benefits proposed by his death and sufferings, and all his transactions on this earth, he was willing to give his disciples, and others who had known him, the most satisfactory evidence of his resurrection. The same love that had carried him through the pains of death, still reigned in the risen Saviour, and Lord of life. And he condescends, after his resurrection, to renew his acquaintance with his disciples, and to give them in a free and familiar manner the proofs of his being alive again.

He had already before this shown himself to several, and to all the other disciples on the day on which he arose, ver. 19, 20, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them; Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord-ver. 24-29. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him; We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them; Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and

Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said; Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas; Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands. And reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side. And be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered, and said unto him; My Lord, and my God. Jesus saith unto him; Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

The consideration of which words will lead me to three heads of discourse.

I. The conduct of Divine Providence in not giving to all the highest evidence of the objects of faith, even the evidence of sight, or of extraordinary works done before them; and the reasonableness of that conduct.

II. That an evidence below that of sense may be a sufficient ground of belief.

III. The blessedness of such as believe, though they have not the highest evidence, that of their senses.

I. The conduct of Divine Providence, in not affording to all the highest evidence of the objects of faith, that of sight, or of extraordinary works done before them; and the reasonableness of that conduct.

Here it may be worth the while to observe, that the great and ultimate objects of faith are always, or, at least, usually, invisible to men in this world; and that none, or very few, have the demonstration of sense for their truth and existence. We believe the being of God; but he himself is invisible. They are his works only, the proofs and evidences of his being and perfection, that are visible. That the world was made, is the object of our faith, the subject matter of our persuasion. But we did not see it made. Nor could its formation be seen by any man. But we believe that it was made, from the considerations of reason, and from the testimony of the word of God conveyed to us. So it is also, when promises of temporal blessings are made to any for the encouragement of their obedience. God promised to Abraham, that he would give his posterity the possession of the land of Canaan. And Abraham believed that God would perform his word and promise. That was the object of his faith. But he did not see the thing believed. He might for his satisfaction have afforded to him the sight of some extraordinary effects, such as consuming his sacrifice by fire, and other miraculous appearances, to assure him, that the promise was made by God himself, and might be relied upon as certain. Still the object of his faith, that

"his seed should possess the land of Canaan," was a thing future, distant, and invisible.

In like manner Christ's miracles were visible to those who lived at that time, and were present when they were performed. But his divine commission and authority, the thing to be proved by them, was not visible. Nor was the heavenly life, which he promised, visible to the men of that time, but only the evidences of it, his mighty works.

Of such things the disciples themselves had not a sight. It was only the evidence of them that was visible. After all that they had seen in Christ, the disciples, as well as others, were to exercise a faith of invisible things.

Thomas, and the other disciples, had the evidence of their senses, that Jesus, their Master, was alive again, after his crucifixion. But the heavenly state, the future happiness of good men, the general judgment, the things to be proved by his resurrection, were still distant and invisible; not objects of sense, but assented to by faith only.

The difference therefore between the disciples of Christ, and others, who see not his miracles, is this. The disciples, and many others at that time, had visible and sensible proofs or evidences of invisible things. But still the heavenly state and future retributions were invisible to them, and objects of faith. Others, who live not at the time of the revelation of the divine will, but after it, and after the ceasing of extraordinary works, and miraculous operations, neither see the heavenly state, nor the external evidences of it. But they receive upon testimony the evidences that had been set before others. Upon that testimony they believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the miracles wrought by himself, and by others in his name. And they admit them to be sufficient evidences of a life to come, and the recompences of it.

For showing the reasonableness of this conduct of Divine Providence, in not giving to all the highest kind of evidence, it may be observed, that there seem to be but three several ways supposable for a revelation to be made by God to mankind, concerning the obligation of duty, and the recompences of it.

For, if over and above the light, which may be attained in the exercise of our natural powers and faculties, God is graciously pleased to vouchsafe a revelation to men; in order to make it general, it must be one of these three ways, first, by a particular revelation of himself to every man in every age. Or, secondly, by affording a revelation in every age, and in every country, to some few, or a certain number

of persons, endowed by him with a power of performing extraordinary works before other men, sufficient to satisfy them, that the doctrine, taught by those persons, is from heaven and the will of God. Which all ought to receive, and conform to, as the rule of life, and to rely upon, as the ground and measure of their hopes and expectations concerning future recompences. Or, thirdly, God may send some messenger of high character and authority, who shall communicate his will to the men of some one age and country; and by many miracles give full proof, that what he delivers is with authority from heaven. And then they, who have received this revelation from the divine messenger, shall communicate it to others; who, having received it upon good evidence, shall be bound, not only to conform to it themselves, but also to deliver and transmit it to others; both the revelation itself, and the evidences of its divine original; that it may be handed down from age to age, as the rule of action, and the ground of comfort and hope to all.

This is very much the method, which we suppose God to have taken in the revelation by Moses, and by Jesus Christ, his well-beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour.

And it is not difficult to perceive, that the other two methods, before mentioned, would be attended with many inconveniences, and very much break in upon the established order of things in this present world. Nor would they, in all probability, be more effectual than the method which God appears to have taken.

II. The next thing to be shown is, that an evidence below that of sight may be a sufficient ground of belief and action.

And it is plain that it is so, because in many cases men act upon it. And the evidence, which we still have of the revelation made by Jesus Christ, is a sufficient reason for receiving it as a true revelation. For the account of it contained in the New Testament is delivered with all possible marks of simplicity and integrity. That revelation was received by a great number of persons from the beginning. It has been confirmed by great and remarkable effects, and the vast alteration which has been thereby made in the false notions and sentiments, and evil practices and customs, of mankind. And from that time to this there have been many in the world, in every age, who have made an open profession of this doctrine; great numbers of whom have borne their testimony to it by patiently enduring all kinds of sufferings on account of it. And the resurrection of Jesus has been celebrated on the first day of the week in all the ages

of christianity. And his death, and all the wonders of his ministry, have been frequently remembered and rehearsed in the assemblies of his followers.

Though therefore we have not the evidence of sight, we have a sufficient evidence of the resurrection of Christ; and, consequently, of all the religious truths which were to be confirmed by it; and by this evidence we may, and ought to be guided and influenced.

III. The third thing is the blessedness of those who believe, though they have not the evidence of sense, or the highest evidence of all.

The meaning of our Lord seems to be, that they are more blessed than they who believe only upon the evidence of sight. "Jesus saith unto him: Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

The reason is this. Such do in this respect show a greater love of truth, than they who yield only to the evidence of sight. They who have only the evidence of testimony, and that testimony conveyed through several successions of witnesses, have need to use more attention and care than they who have before them the evidence of sight.

They who out of love for truth, and a desire of the knowledge of religious principles, carefully examine the lesser kind of evidence, and the several branches of it, till they arrive at a full conviction of the truths attested, show a very good and laudable disposition.

They likewise manifest a humble and teachable temper in submitting to the will of God, and acknowledging the wisdom of this disposal; who has appointed visible and supernatural evidences of invisible things in that way, which is best adapted to the established order of nature, and so as may least break in upon the settled course of things.

Moreover they may be said to have a nobler faith, who, upon an evidence, sure and satisfactory indeed, but below that of sight, are induced to be faithful to God, and practise self-denial in those many occasions in which it is necessary in the present state of things.

I may add farther, that they "who have not seen, and yet have believed," will have a faith in more truths than they who yield only to the evidence of sight; for we may know of many more things by hearing and reading than have been done before us. Certainly there may be good evidence of many remarkable works of God, and of many eminent acts of goodness, patience, meekness, integrity of our fellowcreatures beside those which we have seen with our own