they mourned. Dull as they were at the first, and unable to recognize Him, the light at length flashed upon them— And when He took bread and blessed it and brake and gave to them as they had seen Him do aforetime-their eyes were opened and they knew Him: and He vanished out of their sight.

It was not much later-it might have been immediately after this, that He shewed Himself to the Apostles gathered together in one room in Jerusalem. This is the account, in the Gospel for this morning

The same day at evening, being the fourth day of the week, when the doors being 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 shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

I pass over what follows-most important as it is-as being beyond our subject to-day. But mark, in what we have heard, the proof again of the risen man. We have no shadow or spirit here, but a human form with all the properties of real substantial being, with a voice, and a face familiar to all those present, on which they look and are glad!

I said just now that He appeared to the Apostles-but all of the band were not together.-Thomas, one of the Twelve, 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-St. John xx. 24, 25.

Well-that doubt of Thomas-the doubt of him who must have eye-witness, and hand-witness-must see with his eyes and touch with his hands the Lord's wounds, before he believes-who cannot take for truth a statement of such importance upon the word of others-who, by his very nature is a sceptic, slow of heart to believe -that doubt was not left unsatisfied.

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.

It is not told us whether Thomas availed himself of this permission, and actually touched with his finger the Lord's wounds. It is generally thought that he did not. He was satisfied without that. He saw Christ, and he felt the power of Christ. He heard Him speak, and speak words that shewed He knew what had passed, shewed that He forgave His disciple's doubts-and that was enough. There rose up in his heart, never to be quenched, the full assurance of faith. If he had been backward before-he outstripped his brother apostles now. If before, he had said, I will not believe-he is now the first, not only to confess that Christ is risen, but to acknowledge Him as risen to be a Prince and a Saviour. Thomas was the first-be it remembered, to address Jesus by His full title, the first to say, My Lord, and my God!

Let us often have those few strong words of his in our thoughts.-Let us make them the test by which to try

our own selves-by which to ascertain if we be what we call ourselves-Christians. Let us remember, brethren, in these days of lip-homage, that it is the life and character marked with Christ's rule and governance, that stamps men for truly His.-Let us remember too, that mere admiration of Him as a Teacher come from God, will not do for us-that we must adore, and worship as well as admire and imitate-in short, that our confession must not stop short of that of Thomas's-we must not consider ourselves of Christ's people, till we can say as He did of the Redeemer-My Lord, and my God!

Such are some of the chief appearances recorded of our risen Lord in the Gospel.-And many are the lessons which they bring with them.

First of all this great one-That our Redeemer liveth, -that the malice of His enemies has been of no power to keep Him down,-that He has burst all their bonds -bonds of sin, bonds of death, bonds of hell, and cast away their cords from Him, that He is alive, and alive for evermore.

This surely is the great lesson of all these appearances They enable us "perfectly and without all doubt to believe" in the resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And O, the comfort of this! For if Christ be indeed raised, then shall all who are in their graves be also raised. He is but the first fruits of that great harvest, which will one day be gathered into God's garner-Because He liveth we shall live also!

But this is not all.-Not only do these appearances assure us of our Lord's triumph over death, and confirm

the hope that we build on Him of our own resurrection, but further they assure us that He is unchanged. They shew that passing through death has made no alteration in Him, or in His mind towards us-that He is still the same still merciful and gracious-still with a feeling for our infirmities-still the friend and Saviour of His brethren.

1

For, think how this is seen in all those several interviews recorded by the Evangelists.-Think how considerate, how kind, how forbearing He was towards His disciples-He talked with them-He journeyed with them -He sat at meat with them-He spake comfortably to them-He gave them His peace-He instructed them out of the word of God. By every "gesture and deed" that He did among them, "He declared His goodwill towards them "-shewed as strongly as it could be shewed, that He had their welfare at heart as much as ever-that although He was on one side of the grave, and they on the other, the link was not broken that had tied them together—that He was still their loving Friend, and most dear Master, occupied as He had been of old in doing them good, and consulting for their welfare in all things -Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, to-day and for ever!

And how thankful should we feel for this! What encouragement does it give us-what boldness in drawing nigh unto our Lord-in going to Him for counsel, for comfort, for instruction in righteousness, for the pardon of our sins, for grace to serve God acceptably!

We were not on earth when He died and rose again. We were not present when He came suddenly, the doors being shut where the disciples were assembled, and shewed

them His hands and His side: we did not hear with our own ears those gracious words-Peace be unto you: neither did we walk by His side with those who journeyed that day to Emmaus, and hear Him with His own mouth expound the Scripture: we were not by when Thomas so nobly confessed Him-but we read of all these things in the Gospel, and we give them a place in our hearts. We see and value the proofs which they afford of the Lord's unchanged care and love for man. We see, that they were written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing we might have life through His name!