SERMON LXXII.

MY LORD, AND MY GOD.

"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."-John xx., 26-28.

I. LESSON. When believers meet together, Jesus stands in the midst, and says: "Peace be unto you." "His disciples were within," &c.

-Verse 26.

It was on the evening of the day in which Jesus rose from the dead that the disciples were assembled together. He had appeared unto Mary Magdalene, and unto Peter, and unto two of the disciples, on the way to Emmaus; and now they were met together to meditate, to wonder, to pray over these things, when Jesus stood in the midst, and said: "Peace be unto you." were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord."

"Then

Again it was upon the same evening, a week after, that the disciples met again; and Jesus again revealed himself to them, saying: "Peace be unto you." This was a fulfilment of the promise which he made long before: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And again he said: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." This promise has always been, and always will be fulfilled. Jesus still loves the assembly of his saints. If you could look into the private history of Christians, you would find that most of them have been awakened in the house of God; that they were first brought to a soul-refreshing view of Christ there; that they have been comforted there, and have received most of their heavenly joys there. Ah! it is where disciples meet that Jesus comes in and says: "Peace be unto you." David says: "My feet were almost gone; my steps had wellnigh slipped; for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked, until I went into the sanctuary, then understood I their end." All his difficulties were solved, and he was enabled to say: "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." So Thomas had spent a most uncomfortable week. These words, "I will not believe," always bring pain and sorrow after them. His mind was full of misgivings and racking doubts; but he came to the meeting of the disciples, and there Jesus revealed himself to him, and he was filled with amazement and joy.

I trust this may be the experience of some this Sabbath-day. Perhaps some have spent a week of trouble instead of peace-a

week of doubting when others are rejoicing. Some of you, when others were glad, said: "I will not believe." Learn from Thomas not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Doubting, drooping, trembling, may Christ reveal himself to you, saying: "Peace be unto you.'

When the doors were shut, Jesus stood in the midst, and said: "Peace be unto you."

1. When doors are shut through fear of persecution, Jesus reveals himself to the soul. So it was with the disciples. They had shut the doors of their upper chamber for fear of the Jews. They were reproached and vilified as those who had been with Christ; nay, there was some fear that they would be made to share the same death; so they shut the doors of the place where they met. But that was the very time Jesus chose to come in. When the world was threatening them, saying, Torments and death be unto them, Jesus said: "Peace be unto you." So is it now. The world is just as bitter against Christians now as ever it was. Some of you who joined yourselves to the Lord last Sabbath-day may have found out by this time that the world hates you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. Some of you may have become partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel, and are feeling this day that the offence of the cross has not ceased. Worldly friends may upbraid-may persecute-may reproach you; but never mind. When the doors are shut for fear, Jesus comes in, and says: "Peace be unto you." Remember, when you are bolting persecution out, you are not bolting Jesus out. He can come through all these bars. When the world says, Plagues be upon you, Christ says: "Peace be unto you." And herein is a wonder, that Christ's voice, though it be a still small voice, is yet far louder than the world. It calmed the waves of the Sea of Galilee, and, oh! it will speak peace to your soul. When the waves of persecution roar against you, he "Fear not; it is 1. Peace be unto you." says:

2. When a man is quite shut up, Jesus comes in, and says: "Peace be unto you." The reason why some awakened persons are long of coming to peace, and some never come to peace at all, is, that they think to find an open door for themselves. They feel shut up, by the fears of wrath hemming them in on every side, but still they hope to find some way of their own by which to escape. They are not altogether shut up. They have not been brought to despair of ever saving themselves. They have not been brought to feel and say, I never can do anything to save myself. It is impossible such persons can be brought to peace as every door is not shut. If God were to give them peace, they would praise themselves, and say: We did it.

Are there any such hearing me? Look here. It was when the doors were shut that Jesus came in; and so it is with the soul. It is when the mouth is stopped, and you stand lost and guilty

before God-when you have no door of

your

own-Jesus comes

in, and says: "I am the door; peace be unto you." 3. When doors of worldly comforts are shut, Christ comes in, and says: "Peace be unto you.' So it was with the disciples. They were like a family of orphans deprived of their head. They were like a nest of unfledged birds, from whom the murderous hand had carried off their dam, beneath whose sheltering wing they used to find repose. They had left all to follow Christ, they had come to trust under his almighty wing; and now he had left them all but desolate. They shut their doors upon the cold bleak world, to show that no comfort was to be expected from the world. That was the very time when Jesus came in with sweetest power to fulfil his word, "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you," saying: "Peace be unto you.'

So is it now. When worldly comforts abound, then the consolations of Christ do little abound. It is not when the world is full of smiles and kindness that a true believer has the sweetest visits of the Saviour. It is rather when the believer is left like an orphan, when comforts are withdrawn, when friends die, or prove untrue, when the bleak world looks chillingly, and he shuts the door, saying, "Miserable comforters are ye all"-it is then that Jesus comes in, and says, "Peace be unto you." The brightest gleams of sunshine are those that come through the darkest clouds; so the sweetest visits of the Saviour are when the doors of worldly comfort are shut. Are you a believer? You will have troubles; but, oh! you will have Christ with them all.

II. Lesson. How kind Christ is to wayward believers! Thomas was a most unbelieving believer, and yet Christ followed him with kindness. If the other disciples were foolish, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken, much more was Thomas. 1. He should have believed the prophets. It was written in the 16th Psalm: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." He knew this to be the word of God. Thomas should have believed the witness of God. 2. Thomas should have believed the simple word of Christ. Three times Christ had solemnly taken his disciples into a lonely place, and told them that he must be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day. Thomas should have believed the witness of Christ. 3. Thomas should have believed the words of Mary and Peter, and of the two disciples that went to Emmaus, and of all the other disciples, who told him, "we have seen the Lord." But, oh! he was foolish, and slow of heart to believe all that was spoken concerning Jesus, for he said, "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." He doubts the word of God, he doubts the word of Christ, he doubts the word of his brethren

Surely Christ

He does not words do I

Nothing but seeing, and feeling, will satisfy him. will cast off this proud, wayward, unbelieving soul. deserve any more testimony. Ah! what foolish speak; he never deserved any testimony at all. But O what grace there is in Christ! how he comes over mountains of provocation towards wayward believers! He actually comes in, and offers Thomas the very evidence he asked: "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." Such is the love of Christ to wayward believers. Christ may have dealt in the very same way with some of you.

Speak to awakened souls who yet say "I will not believe."—Some of you have been awakened by God, and made anxious about your souls. You feel the guilt of a broken law, you feel the curse of a rejected Gospel hanging over you. We point you to Christ, and say, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." But you say you cannot-you dare not-you will not believe. You cannot believe that God had such divine compassion in his bosom to provide a ransom for one so vile as you! You cannot believe that Christ has got so strange a love that he should be willing to be the surety of such an enemy as you! Your word is just this: "Except I see, I will not believe.” Ah! you are just Thomas over again. You are foolish, and slow of heart to believe all that has been spoken concerning Jesus.

1. You have rejected the testimony of God.-You search the Scriptures, and these are they which testify of me; yet ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. All the prophets have borne witness to you concerning Jesus, setting him forth before you as a silent, suffering Lamb; as one making atonement for sins. In the Psalms you have been led to cry, "See, God, our shield; look upon the face of thine Anointed." But O, you have refused all this! You have still said, Christ is not for me; I will not believe.

2. You have rejected the witness of Christ.-Christ himself has borne witness to you. He has told you that if you are weary and heavy laden, you should come to him, and find rest; that if you are thirsty, you should come to him and drink. He is the faithful and true witness, and he says, "If it were not so, I would have told you;" and yet you have refused all this. You have still said, Christ is not for me; "except I see. I will not believe." 3. You have rejected the testimony of believers.-Christian friends have borne witness to you. They have said, "We have seen the Lord." Christians have told you that they were in the same case with you-had the same sins and the same heart. They had the same fears, and the same darkness; but Christ came in when the doors were shut, and said, "Peace be unto you." We have no better right to Christ than you. We take him because we are lost sinners, and he is the Saviour of the lost. He is as free to

you as to us. But, ah! you have despised all this evidence-you still say, Christ is not for me; "except I see, I will not believe.", Now, it would be quite just in Christ to say: I will seek you no more. It would be quite just in Christ to leave you in your darkness-in your unbelief. But as he dealt with Thomas, so hath he dealt with you. He has tried one way more with you. Last Sabbath-day he broke bread, and poured out wine, and made a picture of his silent wounds; of his dying love; and he said: Reach hither thy finger: be not faithless, but believing!" Othe compassion of Christ-it passeth all knowledge!

1. To believers. Did you come to the table of Christ full of unbelief; unable to realize Christ; unable to lay hold on him? and did he reveal himself to you in the broken bread and pouredout wine? Ah! this is the same mercy he gave to Thomas. You, of all persons in the world, should feel that Christ is a longsuffering Saviour.

2. To awakened persons. Did you keep back from the table of Christ because you dared not say that Christ was yours? But did you look on and see Christ evidently set forth crucified? Did you see how the bread was broken; a picture of his body that was broken? Did you see the wine poured out; a picture of his blood that was shed? Ah! did your heart not burn within you when you looked around-saw, as it were, the silent, suffering Lamb of God? This is the word of Christ unto you: "Be not faithless, but believing." The very fact that your eyes have been permitted to see another sacrament, shows plainly that Christ is seeking you; stretching out the hands to you; offering himself to you. "Be not faithless, but believing."

III. Lesson. Thomas's appropriating faith: "Thomas saith unto him, My Lord, and my God."

When Thomas came to the meeting of disciples that evening, I doubt not his heart was very desolate. Unbelief and unhappiness always go together. An unbelieving believer is of all men most miserable. His brethren around him were full of joy, for they had seen the Lord. Mary still remembered the blessed tone of his voice when he said: "Mary! and she answered, Rabboni?” Peter was wondering over his amazing love when he said: "Go tell the disciples, and Peter." And the bosom of John was filled with a silent feeling of unutterable love. All were glad but one. That one was Thomas. But now, when Christ came in; when he revealed himself a crucified but risen Redeemer; when he showed his special kindness to Thomas, the heart of Thomas could stand out no longer, and he cried out, in words of appropriating faith, before all: "My Lord, and my God."

Learn two things :—

1. To appropriate Christ-to call him your own. It will not save you to know that Christ is a Saviour. The devils know that,