some time, and there
is evidence that the friendship was a very close and tender one. Even
in the scant material available for the making up of the story, we find
evidence in Thomas of strong loyalty and unwavering devotion, and in
Jesus of marvellous patience and gentleness toward his disciple.

We have in the New Testament many wonderfully lifelike portraits.
Occurring again and again, they are always easily recognizable. In
every mention of Peter, for example, the man is indubitably the same.
He is always active, speaking or acting; not always wisely, but in
every case characteristically,--impetuous, self-confident, rash, yet
ever warm-hearted. We would know him unmistakably in every incident in
which he appears, even if his name were not given. John, too, whenever
we see him, is always the same,--reverent, quiet, affectionate,
trustful, the disciple of love. Andrew appears only a few times, but
in each of these cases he is engaged in the same way,--bringing some
one to Jesus. Mary of Bethany comes into the story on only three
occasions; but always we see her in the same attitude,--at Jesus'
feet,--while Martha is ever active in her serving.

The character of Thomas also is sketched in a very striking way. There
are but three incidents in which this apostle appears; but in all of
these the portrait is the same, and is so clear that even Peter's
character is scarcely better known than that of Thomas. He always
looks at the dark side. We think of him as the doubter; but his doubt
is not of the flippant kind which reveals lack of reverence, ofttimes
ignorance and lack of earnest thought; it is rather a constitutional
tendency to question, and to wait for proof which would satisfy the
senses, than a disposition to deny the facts of Christianity. Thomas
was ready to believe, glad to believe, when the proof was sufficient to
convince him. Then all the while he was ardently a true and devoted
friend of Jesus, attached to him, and ready to follow him even to death.

The first incident in which Thomas appears is in connection with the
death of Lazarus. Jesus had now gone beyond the Jordan with his
disciples. The Jews had sought to kill him; and he escaped from their
hands, and went away for safety. When news of the sickness of Lazarus
came, Jesus waited two days, and then said to his disciples, "Let us go
into Judea again." The disciples reminded him of the hatred of the
Jews, and of their recent attempts to