SER M. and wavering in his Belief. This may be XV. gathered from the first Account he gives

us of his Conduct and Behaviour, when our Lord was preparing to go up to Jerufalem, to raise Lazarus from the Dead. For when Thomas faw that he would not be diffuaded from returning, for this Purpose, into Judea again, notwithstanding he had but lately escaped from thence to avoid the being ftoned, ch. x. 39, 40. and ch. xi. 8. he proposes to the Apostles, fince they couldnot over-rule him, that they should all go and die with him, ch. xi. 16. Now this, it is true, argued a greal deal of Affection and Love, not to think of leaving his Master, when Danger threatened, but readily to offer to take Part with him in his Suffer_ ings, though running, as he thought into certain Destruction, And it would be fomething, if every Follower of Chrift, if every one that profeffed himself a Christian, would imitate him thus far; If they would not only be faithful in their Duties to our Saviour, when 'tis confiftent with their Interest, Reputation, and Eafe; but also hold fast, and perfevere in their Fidelity, when they are likely to be Sufferers or Lofers by it. But yet with this Affection, Thomas was far

from

from coming up to the Character of a per-sERM. fect Difciple: With all his Affection he XV. wanted Faith: Not that his Unbelief was owing to a Deficiency or Slowness of Understanding, which yet, in his Excufe, has been often imputed to him; but it seems rather to have been owing to what has been the Spring of Infidelity ever fince, viz. to an over-high Opinion of his own Underftanding, and to what is generally an Attendant upon that, a Scrupuloufnefs to believe what Reafon knows not how to reconcile or comprehend. Thomas knew that Jefus had before raifed the Widow of Nain's Son, and Jairus's Daughter, Luk. vii. 11, &c. ch. viii, 41, &c. To the former he had been probably an Eye-Witness himself: But notwithstanding this ocular Demonstration, he knew not how the Thing was done, and therefore would not believe it could be done again. Confequently when Jefus had told them plainly that Lazarus was dead, and that he was glad for their Sakes, that he was not there (to the Intent they might believe) nevertheless that he would go unto him, in Order to raise him, Joh. xi. 14, 15. Thomas doubtful, or rather foreboding a quite contrary Event, fays to his Fellow Dif ciples,

A a 4

SERM. ciples, Let us alfo go, that we may die with XV. him, ver. 16. If our Mafter, thinks he, who,

we know, loved Lazarus, could not fave him from dying; what Hopes is there he fhould be able to raise him when dead, And fince the Rage of the Jews is fo violent again Jefus, that but a few Days fince he was forced to fly, and get out of Ju dea to escape their Fury; what can we expect now, but that, upon the fresh Provocation he is going to give them, instead of raifing Lazarus from his Grave, he will be fent to his own. However, don't let us leave him: As he will be murdered himfelf for his Love to his Friend: Let us (whom we know he loves as well) bear him Company; though very likely the People will alfo fall upon us, and we fhall all die with him. This feems to have been what Thomas thought; and in reafoning thus, he probably thought himself the wifeft of them all. The other Apoftles that went up with Jefus, might place, upon the repeated Experience they had had, an implicit Confidence and Faith in his Power: But the fagacious Thomas, knew not for what Use either his Reafon or Senfes were given him, if it were not to judge by them, how far the

Powers

Powers of Nature, or at least of Human Na- s ERM. ture, (with which alone he might imagine XV. our Saviour to have been invested) could operate or proceed.

This is one Inftance which gives us some
Light into the natural Genius of our Apostle:
And if from this we look forward to a fecond
Inftance which St John alfo records, we shall

be
apt to frame to ourselves the fame Charac-
ter of him, as we have done from the forego-
ing. For when our Saviour, in order to arm
his Disciples against his Departure, tells them
that he was only going to prepare a Place for
them, in his Father's Houfe, where were ma-
ny Manfions, which when prepared, he would
come again and receive them unto himself;
John xiv. 2, 3. Thomas is the first again to
discover his Scruples, and to reason with him
upon the Point. For when our Saviour speaks
to them, as fuppofing they understood him,

-Whither I go, ye know; and the Way ye know; ver. 4. Thomas takes him up with a fhort, but he thinks with a fmart, Reply, Lord, we know not whither thou goeft: And how can we know the Way? As much as if he had faid-Thou talkeft of a House, and of Manfions we know nothing of: First therefore tell us where that House and those Man

SER M. fions are, and then it will be Time enough to XV. tell us the Way to them: But don't expect 'we should liften to any thing concerning the Way, till we are better acquainted with the Situation and Accommodations of the House.

But the greatest Instance of Thomas's Scepticifm, before our Saviour vouchsafed to confirm him, is in the Relation of my Text, which I defign for the Subject of the Remainder of my Difcourfe, and for the Sake of which this Festival of St Thomas is placed fo nearly before that folemn one which is now approaching.

For St Thomas is commemorated next to St Andrew, not because he was the fecond that believed Jefus to be the Meffiah, but the laft that was prevailed upon to believe his Refurrection. Of which notwithstanding he was at first the most doubtful, yet was he afterwards the most fully affured of it. Him therefore, the Church, on this Day, fets before us, as an incontestable Witness of our Lord's Refurrection; the Belief of which Article fhe thinks will difpofe us in a more serious Manner to celebrate his Nativity. For, unless we believe, with the Apoftle of this Day, that the fame Jefus, whofe Birth we are now so soon to celebrate, is the very Chrift, our Lord, and

our