Speed let us follow them, whose Travails have s ERM. ended in so sweet a Reft: Let us follow them XV. who have followed our Lord, and not be corrupted by the Examples of the Carelefs. Let us not any more celebrate in vain these facred Memories, to be only a Reproach to our unprofitable Lives: But for the future, whenever we celebrate the Saints, let us mingle Refolves to imitate them alfo. For they are the Praises most delightful to them, whofe Charity rejoices at the Converfion of us: They are the Feasts most profitable to us, whose Weakness has occafion for their Example: Pfal. cxxxii. And let us learn but of them to be humble and meek, to submit all our Wishes to the Will of Heaven; to govern our Senses by the Rule of Reason, and our Reason by the Dictates of God and Religion; to defign our whole Life in order to our End, and establish for our End the Blifs of Eternity; These holy Leffons let our Lives but tranforibe, and than never let us fear the Acceptance of our Praife: For our Praises of the Saints are then the most acceptable, when our honouring them becomes an Occafion of benefiting ourselves.

Thou therefore, O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine Elect in one Communion and Fellowship,

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SERM. Fellowship, in the mystical Body of thy Son XIV. Chrift our Lord; Grant us Grace fo to follow

thy bleffed Saints in all virtuous and godly Living, that we may come to those unspeakable Joys, which thou haft prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee, through Jefus Chrift our Lord: To whom with thee and the Holy Ghoft, may thy whole Church, militant on Earth, triumphant in Heaven, unite in afcribing all Honour, Glory, Might, Majefty, and Dominion, now and for ever. Amen.

The Peace of God, &c.

SERMON

SERMON XV.

St. THOMAS's Unbelief and Con

viction.

For St Thomas's Day.

JOHN xx.

24. But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with them, when Jefus came.

25. The other Difciples therefore said unto him, we have feen the Lord. But be faid unto them, Except I shall fee in his Hands the Print of his Nails, and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails, and thrust my Hand into his Side, I will not believe.

26. And after eight Days, again his Difciples were within, and Thomas with them: Then came Jefus, the Doors being shut, and ftood in the Midft, and faid, Peace be unto you.

27. Then faith he to Thomas: Reach hither thy Finger, and behold my Hands; and

SERM. reach hither thy Hand, and thrust it into XV. my Side, and he not faithless but believing.

28. And Thomas anfwered and faid unto to him, My Lord, and my God..

29. Jefus faith unto him, Thomas, because thou haft feen me, thou haft believed: Blessed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed.

I

HAVE read to you almost the whole

Gospel for the Day, all of it indeed,

that bears any particular Relation to the Festival, which is dedicated to the Memory of the Apoftle St THOMAS. An Apoftle of whom the other three Evangelifts are almost wholly filent, none of them mentioning him upon any other Account, than in the Catalogue of the Apostles. Matt. x. 3. Mar. iii. 18. Luk. vi. 15. Acts i. 13. What other Relation we have of him in the Scriptures, is in the Gospel of St John, from whence I have taken my Text. And he indeed fpeeks of him, but four Times in all: ch. xi. 16.—xiv. 5.-xx. 24, &c.—xxi. 2. However, whatever he fays gives us fome little Light into his History and Temper. I fhall therefore, juft recount to you, the

three

three former Occafions, upon which he is SER M. mentioned, before I enlarge upon

the Paffage, XV. which I have chosen for the principal Subject of my Difcourfe.

For from these we learn, that besides the Name of Thomas, he was alfo called Didymus; ch. xi. 16. —xx. 24. xxi. 2.

which is the fame in Greek, as Thomas is in Hebrew, both fignifying, A Twin. It being customary with the Jews, when travelling into foreign Countries, or familiarly converfing with Greeks or Romans, to take to themselves a Greek or Latin Name, of the fame Signi- cation with that of their own Country.

That our Apostle was a few, his Call as well as his Name will convince us. For our Saviour, we know, never chose any to be of the Number of his Apoftle, who were not of his own Country. That he was a Galilean is conjectured, tho' without any other Proof than that most of the Apostles were called in Galilee. That he was a Fisherman by Trade, feems likely from what is faid of him in the laft Chapter of St John; where we find, that when Peter was dif pofed to go a fishing, Thomas was one of those that accompanied him, ch. xxi. 2, 3.

As to his Temper, it is certain from all that St John fays of him, that he was very backward

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