John xx. 19-25.

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 said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 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.

When Cleopas and his fellow-disciple returned to the assembly which they had left at Jerusalem, and were reporting what had happened to them, Jesus appeared in the midst of them, and gave them proofs of his bodily resurrection. This is the fifth and the last time, so far as the Scripture record informs us, of Jesus being seen on the day of the resurrection. That day was the day next to the Jewish sabbath, and consequently answering to our Sunday, the first day of the week. It was on account of our Lord's resurrection on that day, that it was adopted by the Christians for ever after as the weekly day of rest and devotion. On that day week, accordingly, the disciples were again assembled, when Jesus again appeared to them.

JESUS APPEARS AGAIN TO THE ELEVEN, AND CONVINCES THOMAS.

(Sixth appearance.)

John xx. 24-29.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore

But he said unto print of the nails,

said unto them, We have seen the Lord. them, Except I shall see in his hands the 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.

Thomas, who had been absent on the former occasion when Jesus appeared to the assembly of disciples, and had refused assent to the accounts given him of the Lord's frequent appearances, now saw him, believed, and expressed his faith in him as his Lord and his God.

Throughout the history of the resurrection, nothing is more remarkable than the slowness of the apostles to believe the fact, even when asserted by eye-witnesses of their own number. This has been adduced as an additional reason to others for believing their report; inasmuch as, notwithstanding their previous incredulity, they found grounds subsequently for believing

and preaching the doctrine of the Resurrection, as a fundamental truth of the Gospel, although they exposed themselves, by doing so, to persecution and death. And it is, no doubt, an additional reason for our accepting their evidence. But when an attempt is made to render the case still stronger by representing them as incredulous persons, that rather weakens than strengthens the argument, and is, moreover, a view which we are not warranted to take. Far from their being incredulous, we have good reason for supposing the contrary. Their countrymen were especially credulous. In that very age, the Jewish people were ready to listen to one pretender after another, claiming to be the Messiah. Why should we suppose the apostles exempt from this general tendency? Surely they were not exempt from it; nor is it requisite for their credibility to suppose that they All that needs to be ascertained in their case, and in the case of any alleged deception which may arise from credulity, is, whether the deception, if deception it was, favoured their prejudices, or ran counter to them. If the former, then, these witnesses were likely to have been misled through their credulity; if the latter, their credulity would be likely to have made them even indisposed to admit what, in justice and candour, they ought to have admitted. Credulity is a strong disposition to believe; and to believe what? No one can have a strong disposition to believe contrary statements. He who is credulous with respect to ghosts or witches, is the most incredulous

were.

with respect to any explanations which go to destroy the belief in supernatural appearances, and in Satan's extraordinary agency. Now the prejudices, the expectations, the eager anticipations, the credulity, in short, of the apostles, disposed them to believe just those things which were contradicted by our Saviour, in his teaching, his life, his death, and resurrection ; and hence it was that they required more evidence than might have sufficed for minds less biassed. 'Except I shall see,' said Thomas, in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.' Had their credulity found in Jesus an aspirant to a temporal kingdom, and a champion for Israel against its enemies and oppressors, one miracle-an apparent miracle-(for it would have been less likely to be examined,) might have induced them to assent to his claims. But this very

credulity neutralized the impression made by all his miracles, and dictated the desponding exclamation, 'We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.'

JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES AT THE SEA OF

1

TIBERIAS.

(Seventh appearance.)

John xxi. 1-24.

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias: and on this wise showed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter

saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise, This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.* So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? and he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast

*See Note, p. 232.