Secondly, Own him as your Lord and your God. This was the profession of Thomas's faith : John xx. 28, ' My Lord and my God.' I shall insist on that scripture. In the history there are these re- markables : —
1. Thomas, his absence from an assembly of the disciples, when Christ had manifested himself to them, ver. 24. Being absent, he not only missed the good news which many^ brought, but also the com- fortable sight of Christ, and was thereby left in doubts and snares.
2. When these things were told him he betrays his incredulity, ver. 25. When they told him, ' he said unto them, Except I 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 belicA^e.' This un- belief was overruled by God's providence for the honour of Christ. His incredulity was an occasion to manifest the certainty of Christ's resur- rection. If credulous men, or those hasty of belief, had only seen Christ, their report had been liable to suspicion. Solomon maketh it one of his proverbs, ' The simple believeth every word.' Here is one that had sturdy and pertinacious doubts, yet brought at last to yield. However, this is an instance of the proneness of our hearts to unbelief, especially if we have not the objects of faith under the view of the senses, and hoAv apt we are to give laws to heaven, and require our terms of God.
' Query, 'Mary'?— Ed.
486 JESUS CHRIST TRUE GOD AND [SeR. VII.
3. Christ's condescension in two things : —
[1.] In appearing again, ver. 26, on the first day of the next week, to show how ready he is to honour and bless his own day, and to give satisfaction to poor doubting souls by coming again to them ; and it was well Thomas was there at this time.
[2.] In giving Thomas the satisfaction of sense : ver. 27, ' Keach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side.' With what mildness doth our Lord treat him, though under such a distemper. Unbelief is so hateful to Christ, that he is very careful to have it removed, and in condescension grants what was his fault to seek.
4. The next thing is Thomas his faith : ver. 28, ' And he answered and said. My Lord, and my God.' He presumeth not to touch Christ, but contents himself only to see him, and having seen him, makes a good confession, 6 KvpLo<; fiov, 6 Qeo^ fj.ov.
[1.] Observe the two titles given to Christ : God and Lord. He is God, the fountain of all our happiness, and Lord, as he hath a dominion over us, to guide and dispose of us at his own pleasure.
[2.] Observe the appropriation or personal application to himself. 7/12/ God and my Lord.
Hence we may observe : —
1. That God leaveth some to themselves for a while, that them- selves and others may be more confirmed afterwards. Thomas his faith w^as as it were dead and buried in his heart, and now, upon the sight of Christ, quickened and revived. We must not judge of men by a fit of temptation, but stay till they come to themselves again. Who would have thought that out of an obstinate incredulity so great a faith should spring up suddenly ?
2. We may observe Thomas, that is with much ado awakened, makes a fairer confession than all the rest. They call him their Lord, but he his Lord and God.
3. We may observe, again, that true believing with the heart is joined with confession of the mouth : Ps. cxvi. 10, ' I believed, there- fore have I spoken.'
4. Hence you may take notice of the reality of the two natures in the unity of Christ's person, for he is both Deus and Dominus. But how Cometh he to acknowledge Christ's Godhead ? He did not feel the divinity of Christ in hands, or side, or feet. Videbat tangebatque liominem, et confitebatur Deum, quern nan videbat neque tangebat, saith Austin. Herein his faith was beyond sense, he felt the manhood and acknowledgeth the deity.
5. Hence we may observe, that those that are rightly conversant about Christ and the mysteries of his death and resurrection, should take Christ for their Lord and their God. Thomas saith, ' My Lord and my God,' and his confession should be the common confession of all the faithful. I shall quit the three first, and insist only on the two last. I therefore begin with the fourth observation.
Fourthly, Hence you see the reality of the two natures in the unity of Christ's person. The name of God is joined with the title of Lord ; therefore the name of God belongeth to him no less than the title of Lord. Thomas, when he saith my Lord, he seemeth not to have
Col. I. 19.] true man in one person. 487
satisfied himself till he had added this other name and title, my God : now this importeth the reality of his divine nature, for these three reasons: —
1. Those things which are proper to God cannot, ought not, to be transferred to a mere creature ; but this title of my God is a covenant title, and so often used in scripture, and therefore Christ was God.