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

Thomas utters a couple of exclamations, or broken sentences, "My Lord! and My God" į *the former expressive of surprise, recognition, and entire convincement, as if he had begun to say, "My Lord! it is indeed Thou" !-the latter indicating utter astonishment and superlative admiration, as if he would have said, "My God! how great is THY power!" Jesus now gently reminds Thomas that after all his talk about testing the matter by the sense of touch, he has, like the rest, believed from seeing Him. He then pronounces a special benediction upon those who had believed without actually seeing him, thus administering a delicate reproof to the other apostles, as well as to Thomas, for discrediting the testimony of persons who saw Him before they did. "Thomas," he affectionately says, "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed."

Soon after the meeting of the eleven in Galilee, and while as yet they are in that region, Jesus shows himself to seven of the apostles "at the sea of Tiberias," as they are engaged in fishing. He draws forth from Peter-, who had denied Him after His apprehension, a thrice-repeated and most solemn avowal of his love for Him, makes known His entire confidence in that apostle by committing to him a full share of the pastorship of His church, intimates Peter's ultimate

"My Lord! and My God"! These two exclamations are usually taken for one quiet, unimpassioned remark; and they are pointed as though such, in the Common Version. But the expression is manifestly an exclamatory one; and I am convinced that the word "and" is the language not of Thomas, but-of John, saying that Thomas said thus and thus.

martyrdom, and gives all to understand that John shall remain on earth until His second coming.

During the next two or three weeks, the apostles and other disciples, having become not only convinced of our Lord's actual return to life, but also somewhat accustomed to his presence in his risen state, seem to have been favored with repeated visits from Him, in which He "showed himself alive. . . . . by many infallible proofs," and also discoursed to them "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

Ir is Thursday, six weeks from the time of the Passover festival- the 40th day since Jesus arose from the dead.

He has assembled his disciples, in the city of Jerusalem, seemingly for some special purpose. The impression prevails, as on the day when he rode into the city in triumph,- that He is now about to set up His kingdom, enforce his claims to the Messiahship, and enter upon His universal and perpetual reign. It is therefore asked of Him, "Lord, wilt Thou, at this time, restore again the kingdom to Israel?

He declines an explicit answer, yet intimates that the whole subject will be made clear to them soon -when the Holy Spirit shall have come upon them. For this they are to wait a few days, residing in the city meanwhile; and then, being "endued with power from on high," they are to preach the gospel every where, and be His "witnesses all over the earth.

He now conducts his followers out from the city to within the precincts of Bethany, on the further side of the Mount of Olives. Several hundred persons are by this time gathered around him. With uplifted hands, he BLESSES them, after

the manner of the ancient patriarchs. Yet in all He says, he drops not a hint that they are about to witness a miracle; much less does he announce what it is that is so soon to happen.

Saying nothing of various undefined and perhaps conflicting emotions, who can adequately conceive the surprise, the astonishment, the wonder, the deep sense of sublimity, felt by those who wit nessed the unexpected, unthought-of phenomenon of our Saviour's visible ascension? the most stupendous miracle, no doubt, whose whole progress was ever observed by mortal eyes.

They are standing near Him. He is blessing them discoursing to and of them, and of their duties and fortunes. He ceases speaking.

*

Is it an allusion? No,- He is actually up from the ground. He rises. Now He is above their heads, now, above the houses, now, the trees. Gracefully, and majestically does He ascend, as if borne aloft by angels. Smaller, and still smaller, appears His figure, as He goes, steadily, up, up, up,- higher, higher, higher, till suddenly enveloped by a cloud, His beloved form is lost to the sight.

Gone, and so suddenly! Will He be visible again? Will He ever return?

The whole company very naturally continue looking, peering up into the region where they last saw Him,- till, after a little time, their attention is arrested by the discovery that "two men in white apparel" are quietly standing among them as if belonging to their number. Their presence being observed, they say to the disciples, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like mauner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."

The disciples return to Jerusalem, and wait for the descent of the Holy Spirit. Under its influence, they, in their preaching, allude to the history and death of Jesus, testify to the fact of His return to life, teach that He exists in an incorruptible state, and that he has been exalted to the dignity of a Heavenly Prince, in whose name they exhort to repentance, and promise the remission of sins. In the words of Luke, their historian, "with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus."