last; it is time to be at work for the salvation of the sharers of our home, that we may rejoice together, not merely during these few uncertain hours, but even for ever in God's Presence, in that blissful world, where none who meet ever part, no face is ever withdrawn, no sad gap ever made, no seat ever emptied, no end to an intense and mutual joy. O blessed state of the redeemed! O home of homes, the true ark, the true haven of the elect, how should we seek to attain unto it by God's grace! how should we seek by God's mercy to sit down in that kingdom with our own dear kindred, with our little flock now nestled together in our little earthly home! Is anything to be left undone, any effort too great, any watching, any perseverance in prayer, any toils and labours, that might help to lead thither those whom our hearts cling to most of all on earth?

JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON.

Sermons for the Christian Seasons ›

ST. THOMAS' DAY.

THE FALL OF SAINTS THE HOPE OF THE FALLEN.

ST. JOHN XX. 27, 28. 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.

THE sin of St. Thomas remains on record here on earth, though doubtless from God's book of remembrance it has been blotted out and will not be mentioned to him on the Day of Judgment. His quick repentance and quick confession of Christ brought as quick a pardon, and the latter years of his discipleship were brightened by abundant fruits of faith. As at the sight of the pierced hands and wounded side of the Conqueror of death his doubts melted like snow before the sun, and gave way to an ardent confession of faith, his sin was forgiven him, and while reproached for his unbelief he was retained among the number of the Apostles. His spirit,

now in Paradise, has long since been relieved of the burden of that sin; he no more feels its pressure; he has left its weight far behind.

His name, however, descends amongst us as that of the doubting Apostle; and that one fall, that want of faith in our blessed Saviour's resurrection, continues to blot the picture of his character given us in Holy Scripture, though from his own soul the stain has been removed and he is now in peace. Just as the foot-print of the traveller who at one point of his journey has gone astray, oftentimes remains upon the road where he went wrong, long after he has regained his way, made up for his lost time by quickened speed, and reached the resting-place whither he was bound.

This preservation of the Apostle's fall in the memory of men is the one penalty he has to pay for having been found wanting in time of trial, for having withheld his soul from his risen Lord, and for having stood aloof from the believing flock of Christ in strong and resolute unbelief when he was told that they had seen the Lord. Even this penalty, the recollection of his sin by the Church of Christ in all times and parts, might thankfully be borne should it be of use like the remains of a wreck to warn others of the rocks.

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It be, however, that all memory of it, though living greenly here, has died down to the very

roots in the Apostle's mind, that it has been swept off like dust from the clear mirror of his soul, and that he is unconscious now in how many ears his fall is repeated from age to age, how widely his guilty doubts have been known and spread.

St. Paul, we know, after his sins had been forgiven him, carried with him to his grave a painful and bitter recollection of what he had done against the faith; his pardon, the gifts of divine grace and favour with which he was enriched, the consciousness of much joy and peace in believing, failed quite to stay the stings and inward throbbings of self-reproach; the thorn of his old offence pricked him still; he constantly recurred to his past persecution of the Church; he could not shake it from his mind; he continued to accuse and condemn himself for his sin; just as when in childhood after some childish faults we had our father's forgiveness and were sure that he had indeed forgiven, yet we could not altogether forgive ourselves nor get rid of the sorrow for the sin, while the very love and compassion of our father only made us feel our sin the more. Though pardoned sin is no more upon the soul, exists in reality no more, is gone, is done away,

yet the ill scent of the evil flower hangs about the air after the flower itself has been destroyed, the remembrance of it gives pain. Just as when, to use another similitude, he who has had a sickly limb cut off still feels twinges of pain, as if the limb was there, and can scarce persuade himself it is gone, the old sore leaving a mark of its former presence in the system saved by the amputation.

But while St. Paul thus in his life-time, with all his joy, all his faith, all his triumphing in Christ, had often an under-current of self-reproach running darkly in his heart, we may reasonably believe that this stream of sorrow was dried up the moment that his soul passed into Christ's presence. So may we believe that St. Thomas lost all painful remembrance of his sin when his soul rose up to Paradise. This at least we know, that the act of unbelief will not stand up as an accuser to blacken him at the day of universal resurrection, when the quick and dead appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. The pardon of Christ has stayed its tongue, and the voice of accusation is altogether hushed.

Now, indeed, in this land of the living and in the Church of Christ, good is coming forth from evil; the unbelief of St. Thomas is used by God