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Thus, as the holy days come round to us which bear their names, they remind us of God's grace shewn forth in them, they remind us of the spiritual blessings which we have received from God through their means; and they teach us, each its lesson of Christian duty, they set forth, each its pattern of Christian holiness.

Now if we are to seek in St. Andrew, as in the other apostles, for some especial lesson, it would seem to be this; by all means in our power, and in all ways suited to our age and station, to seek to benefit the souls of others, especially of those who are near of kin to us. But to do this with Christian humility, distrust of ourselves, earnest prayer for a lowly and gentle spirit; and to remember that we can teach aright that only which we have ourselves learned; that we can point out to others that only which we have ourselves found; to remember that personal holiness, obedience, consistent piety, are necessary to all, and especially to those who would seek to lead even the youngest and weakest to Christ.

And surely this is a most necessary lesson, or, rather, a most necessary warning, for us all for we are all only too much tempted to put other

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matters before personal holiness and obedience, whereas God has given unto these the first place. We must be watchful over our hearts and over our lives, that so our words may win others to the faith of Christ, for thus only will our words reach the hearts of those with whom we are living. We must be diligent and careful in our prayers, not only that God may forgive us our sins, and visit us with His blessing, but also that He may hear us, when we intercede for others, and may bless and prosper such efforts for their good as He shall enable us by His grace to

make.

JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON.

Sermons for the Christian Seasons.

ST. THOMAS.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF FAITH.

ST. JOHN XX. 29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed.

In order to assist you in turning to good account this holy day, I will proceed to put together such notices of St. Thomas as we have in Holy Scripture, adding such other circumstances as we learn from early writers, of his life, preaching, and death; and will then speak of what is the chief lesson which we are to learn from this day's festival.

We know nothing from Holy Scripture of the parentage or place of abode of St. Thomas. His other name, Didymus, means in Greek a twin; which is also the meaning, in Hebrew, of the name Thomas. Neither do we know when or how he was called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is one notice of him in chap. xi. of St. John's Gospel, which would seem to shew that (whatever may have been his weakness of faith afterwards) he was yet altogether sincere

and earnest in his love for his Divine Master. When our Lord, after the death of Lazarus, willed to return into Judæa, and the other disciples warned Him against the danger to His life, St. Thomas spake out like a true and faithful servant. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

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Again, in chap. xiv. of St. John's Gospel, in our Lord's discourse with His disciples on the night before He suffered, we read of a question put to Him by St. Thomas which seems to shew a mind slow to believe. Our Lord had spoken to His disciples words of comfort: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I ye know, and the way ye know." Upon this Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?" It becomes us to speak with all reverence of an apostle; still (seeing that St. Thomas did afterwards so fail in faith as to incur our Lord's

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rebuke) we may, without irreverence, trace in this question of his the very same slowness and dulness of heart to believe what he had been so often taught by Christ Himself. But, in this as in other cases, the good providence of God so ordered it as to make the slow and doubtful temper of St. Thomas an occasion of a great and solemn truth being recorded for the teaching of the Church in all ages. To the question of St. Thomas our Lord made this reply, (setting forth in few words the sum of Christian faith); "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

The other, and that the most important, notice of St. Thomas is that which has been read as this day's Gospel, and from which the text is taken. In St. John's Gospel, chap. xx. ver. 19, we read of the first appearance of our Lord to His disciples, on the evening of the very day on which He rose again from the dead. "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them

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