hither thy finger, and
behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side;
and be not faithless but believing."

I do not suppose that Thomas availed himself of the invitation. It was
sufficient to see. Such an act of cold scrutiny would hardly have been
compatible with his joyous shout, "My Lord and my God." Christ's voice
and form, omniscience and humility, in taking such trouble to win one
to Himself--these were sufficient to convince him, and dispel all doubt.

Ah, Thomas, in that glad outburst of thine, thou reachedst a higher
level than all the rest; and thou art not the last man, who has seemed
a hopeless and helpless wreck, unable to exercise the faith that seemed
so natural to others; but who, after a time, under the teaching of
Jesus, has been enabled to assume a position to which none of his
associates could aspire!

Because he saw, he believed. Too many wait for signs and
manifestations, for sensible emotion and conviction: but there is a
more excellent way--when we do not see, and yet believe. When there is
no star on the bosom of night, no chart on the unknown sea, no lover or
friend or interpreter of the ways of God; and when, in spite of all,
the soul knows Him whom it has believed, and clings to Him though
unseen, and reckons that neither life, nor death, nor principalities,
nor powers, can shut out the love of God in Christ. "Blessed are they
who have not seen, and yet have believed."

XXXIV

The Lake of Galilee

"Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of
Tiberias."--JOHN xxi. 1.

"All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written,
I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after
that I am risen, I will go before you into _Galilee_." So had the
Chief Shepherd spoken to His sad and anxious followers on the night of
His betrayal. They little understood His meaning, and would perhaps
have even forgotten the appointment of the rendezvous, unless it had
been recalled again and yet again to their minds. But they were not
allowed to forget. On the resurrection morn, the angel said to the
first visitants at the empty grave: "Go your way, tell His disciples,
and Peter, that He goeth before you into _Galilee_; there shall ye see
Him as He said unto you." And as they went to execute this bidding,
Jesus Himself met them and said: "Be not afraid; go tell My brethren,
that they go into _Galilee_; there shall the