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" i*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."

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."

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CHAPTER XXXV.

PROOFS OF A FUTURE LIFE.

WHAT are the principal evidences going to establish the fact of an after-death life for man?

A good argument in support of the proposition that man is destined to an other life, is deducible from the fact that persons in all ages and in all countries have thought about it. The answer which a little girl is reported to have made to a skeptical philosopher, when he asked her why she thought she had a soul," was, in the circumstances, a superlatively excellent one, whether the philosophy involved therein was, by the child, fully understood or not. "Because I have," replied she. The gist of this was, that if she had not had a soul, she would not have thought of having one. It should be observed here, that this phraseology about having a soul or not having one, was once the current language for destined to live after death, or destined to perish.

It is known concerning the ancient heathen gods and goddesses, that, originally, in the view of their most orthodox worshippers, many, if not all of them, were but deified men and women, in an extra-mundane state of existence. Indeed, it is indisputable, that in civilized countries, if in no others, men have very generally believed, with more or less clearness and strength of faith, in

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CHAPTER XXXIV.

CHRIST'S ASCENSION.

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