"could not be prevailed upon to think other- SER M. "wife of, than as a dead Man, loft to all XV.

Hopes, all Poffibility of returning; he now "adores and worships as the Almighty and Everliving God.”

Nor contents he himself with the Satisfac-
tion he had received to his own Mind: But
he goes and preaches the fame Faith which
he had thus confirmed to him, to distant
Countries. He becomes as zealous as any of
the Apostles to propagate the Light of Chri-
Stianity, even in the darkeft Corners of the
Earth;
and confirms the Truth of what he
preaches as ftrenuously as the best of them;
for he fealed it with his Blood. The Province
affigned to him for the Exercise of his Office,
after the Afcenfion of our Bleffed Saviour,
was from Parthia to the Indies, through all
which extensive Country he is reported to
have preached, and at laft to have fuffered
Martyrdom there. For having converted
many to the Faith, and, amongst the rest, an
Indian King, the Idolatrous Brachmans, or
Indian Priefts, confpired his Death, in order
to put a Stop to his Progrefs. Accordingly
we are told, that retiring one Day into a pri-
vate Place, for the fake of his Devotions, a

*STANHOPE on the Gospel, p. 73.
Bb 3

Body

SERM. Body of armed Men fet upon and killed' XV. him; loading him at first with Stones and

Darts, 'till one of the Company more, merciful than the reft, in Effect at least, if not in Defign, run him through with his Lance, and fo released him from the Fury of his Perfecutors, to take Poffeffion of a Crown of Glory... But to return to the more immediate Subject of my Difcourfe, we are in the

IV. Fourth Place, to confider the Benediction, which our Saviour takes Occafion from Thomas's Doubts, to confer upon all that believe upón fufficient and reasonable Grounds. Jefus faith unto him, Thomas; because thou hast seen me, thou haft believed: Bleffed are they who have not feen, and yet have believed. This Benediction pronounced upon Believers is introduced, we fee, with a Reprehenfion of Thomas's Unbelief. Thomas, Because thou haft feen me, thou haft believed. Though now a Believer, yet much of the Merit of his Belief was loft for not being placed upon it's proper Foundation. Chrift had affured him over and over, that in three Days he would arife; and ten of his Collegues, whom he had no Reafon to distrust,

had

had affured him from their own Know-s ER M.›

ledge, that he was arifen. Yet Thomas's XV. Affent, (which ought to have been yielded. to the Word of his Mafter, and the Apostles Report) he ftill withholds, and will admit no Faith, but what comes in at his Eyes, and his Fingers Ends. This, properly fpeaking, is not Faith: For Faith cometh by› Hearing, (faith St Paul) and Hearing by the: Word of God, Rom. x. 17. And Faith is the Subftance, or the Ground and Affurance, of Things hoped for; the Evidence of Things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. So that the Commendation and Dignity of Faith, confifts not in believing what we fee with our Eyes, and feel with our Hands, which is a Proof from Demonstration, that no Man can poffibly withstand, if he would; but in yielding to fuch Arguments and Teftimonies, as have all the Evidence of Truth, that the Matter affirmed is capable of having; and to which, no reasonable Understanding can think of any Thing to object; though Perfons refolved to believe nothing, but what they fee, and are Witneffes of, themselves, must still remain amongst the Unbelievers. And it is in Oppofition to fuch Minds, that our Saviour pronounces, Blessed are they

Bb 4

who

SERM. who have not feen, and yet have believed. XV. Because fuch Perfons use Pains and Industry, to come at the Truth, they examine into the Nature of the Queftion proposed, fift the several Arguments produced for or against it; confider on which Side the strongest Reafons are produced: And where they see those clearly to preponderate, their Judgment determines, their Mind affents, their Faith is fixed; and from that Time they govern and direct themselves fuitably to this Faith, i. e. in fuch Manner as the Truths believed, if duly attended to, will naturally excite and encourage them to do.

And fuch must be the Faith of every Christian now, who would expect the Bleffing of Chrift upon it. For though our Lord, in particular Condefcenfion and Indulgence to the Infirmities of one Disciple, afforded an extraordinary Favour, at a Time when he had not ceafed to be converfant amongst them: This gives no Right, no Claim, to any Chriftian at this Time of Day, who must reft upon the rational Evidence that is come down to them, and have all the Reafon in the World to be contented with it.

STANHOPE on the Gospel for St Thomas's Day, p., 70, 71

For

1

För there can never be the fame Mo-SERM. tives, the fame Occafion, to incline God's XV. extraordinary Condefcenfion to any one that lives under the Gospel Difpenfation now; as there was for this Manifestation to Thomas. Our Lord, at that Time, had not given every Proof of his Refurrection, that the Fact was capable of having: But, when now every Sense was appealed to, and every one concurred in it's Verdict; when Nothing was left to afk, which the most Sceptical Doubter could pretend to defire; and when that Doubter himself was no less pofitive afterwards, in afferting the Truth of the Resurrection, though nothing but Demonstration could make him believe it : This takes off all Imputation of Credulity and Eafinefs: This fhows, that as thefe Difciples could have no Temptation to deceive others; fo they took all poffible Care, that they might not any Way be deceived themfelves. So that whatever Objections can now be pretended, they have been all answered and baffled of old. For Thomas doubted, and was fatisfied for us all; whofe former Unbelief adds fuch Strength to the Testimony he gives, and makes him a Witness fo much above Exception; that the Scruples,