our God; the Commemoration of his Nativi- S ERM. ty, or even of his Death or Refurrection will XV. be altogether vain. In order therefore to further the Intention of our Church, I shall, from the Text, which is the Scripture she proposes to our Meditations, take into Confideration the following Particulars, viz.

I. First, The Aggravations of Thomas's Unbelief, and in Consequence thereof, the Unreasonableness of his Demand.

II. Secondly, The gracious Condescension of our Saviour, in complying with, and yielding to, fo rude a Demand.

III. Thirdly, The Effect which this had upon the Apostle, and the Change that it wrought in him.

IV. Fourthly, The Benediction which our Saviour takes this Opportunity to confer upon all that believe upon reasonable Grounds.

I. First, I fhall confider the feveral Aggravations of Thomas's Unbelief, and in Confequence thereof the Unreasonableness of his Demand. Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jefus came. This very Absence of the Apostle, from the Meeting of all the reft of his Collegues, feems

a little

SERM, a little to open to us the natural Temper of XV, the Man: He appears ever of a doubting and

mistrustful Difpofition. His Master, as he fufpected, when he came up to Judea, to raise Lazarus to Life, though he had indeed accomplished that Miracle, yet for doing it he had loft his own. And whatever he might have done, whilft alive, for another, he concluded he could do nothing for himself, when dead. Inftead therefore of expecting ever to fee him alive again, he quits the Conversation of all that knew him, and declines coming where he should be talked of or mentioned.

His other Difciples, however dispersed and diftreffed at first, yet find an Opportunity of meeting again; and keep together till the Time was expired, that they had heard their Mafter talk of rifing, to fee what the Event of his Promife would be. Accordingly we find, that all of them but Thomas had, more or lefs, fome Affurance or Proof, before that Day was at an End, that our

made his Words to them good.

Saviour had

For first in the Morning of the third Day, fome of them, came early to the Place where he was laid, and there faw with their Eyes, that, notwithftanding the Watch, he was miffing from the Grave. Mary Magdalen, who was still more

earneft

earneft than the reft, and would not leave the s ERM. Sepulchre till she had received Satisfaction, is XV. rewarded for her earnest Concern by our Lord, who fhewed himself to her first after his Refurrection; John xx. 14-18. Cleopas and Simon, as they were going to Emaus, and were reasoning concerning these surprizing Events, are alfo favoured with their Lord's appearing to and converfing with them, who first makes their Hearts burn within them by his Difcourfe, and then fully discovers himself to them, in breaking of Bread; Luke xxiv. 13-35.

The Ten having thus, fome heard, and fome feen, that our Lord was alive, affemble all-together in the Dufk of the Evening, to instruct themselves fully of what Satisfaction each other had received concerning the Truth of fo important a Fact; ver. 36-43. Here our Saviour prevents the Enquiries they were going to make, by appearing in the midst of them, as they were going to fpeak, and by fubmitting himself to be seen and handled by them, and to eat before them, that fo he might convince them by all their Senfes, that he was true Flesh and Bones and not a Spirit, as at first they imagined, but the fame individual Christ that died. Now had Thomas pla

ced

SER M. ced but the fame Hopes and Confidence, in XV. what our Lord had faid to his Apoftles, as

the rest of them had done; he would proba bly have been as industrious as they in examining into the Truth of what so nearly concerned him: Had he been either at the Sepulchre, or in the House with the Apostles, to enquire into the Matter; he with the reft, would alfo have had the Satisfaction he wanted, and not have funk into fo much Diftruft and Infidelity as he discovered. But Thomas was not with them, when Jefus came. And Thomas was determined to believe nothing upon Hearfay, nor would he trust to any Man's Senfes but his own. Notwithstanding therefore, that Jefus had fignified to them over and over again, that he would arife, and that the third Day; notwithstanding he had shewed himself able to do so, by the miraculous raifing others from the Dead, and efpecially Lazarus, whom after four Days-Burial, he had miraculously restored to Life, but a Fortnight or three Weeks before: And though the Women at the Sepulchre could inform him upon the Teftimony of Angels, that he was actually rifen though Mary Magdalen could affure him, fhe had feen him; though Cleopas and Simon, could relate to him a long Dif

course

courfe they had held with him; and how hes ER M. had blessed and broke, and given them Bread; XV. and though ten Apostles could all jointly declare to him, what they had beard, and what they had feen with their Eyes, what they had looked upon, and what their Hands had handled of the Word of Life; 1 John i. 1. yet the

cautious Thomas would believe none of them: Whole Nations fince have been converted by the Preaching of one Apoftle: But Thomas ftood out fingly and alone against the joint, united Testimony of all the Ten. Say what they will concerning the Evidence of their Senses; he tells them plainly, that he is refolutely determined to believe none but his own. Except (faith he) I fhall fee in bis 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. Seeing and Feeling were the only Evidences that Thomas would admit. That Jefus had lately raised Lazarus from the Dead, he saw himself, and therefore he believed it: But that with him, was no Reason why he should believe, upon the Teftimony of others, that he had raised himself, which he himself had not feen. "Never confidering what a haughty Piece "of Pride it was, to suppose, that his own fingle