THE FAMILY ALTAR

April 29.

So says our risen Lord to Thomas and rebukes him for his

unbelief. It was a great sin in Thomas not to believe his fellow-

disciples when they told him of the Lord's resurrection and stub-

bornly to say: "Except I shall 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 believe." With his unbelief

he not only doubted the word of his fellow-disciples, but also the

word of His Lord and Savior, who had expressly told him that

He would rise again the third day. But this unbelief was also

great folly in Thomas. While his fellow-disciples were filled with

unspeakable joy and happiness, knowing that their crucified and

buried Lord was really alive again, he deprived himself of all

this bliss and joy and remained full of fear and despondency.

Alas ! there are so many nowadays who deprive themselves not

only for eight days, as did Thomas, but for a whole lifetime of

all the blessed joy which faith in the risen Savior brings to the

believing heart. But is it not folly to say: I will not believe

in Jesus unless I see Him ? The scribes, and Pharisees, and thou-

sands of Jews saw the Savior with their bodily eyes, and yet they

did not believe in Him. Again, it was not their having seen

Jesus with their bodily eyes that made the disciples so happy and

blessed, but that they saw Jesus with the eyes of faith. If the Lord

Jesus should walk visibly through our country to-day, millions

would see Him, but none of these millions would thereby be brought

to faith in Him as their personal God and Savior from sin and

death. But faith does accept Him thus; and no visible sight of

the Lord ever worked that faith in the heart of man. That was

done, is done, and always will be done, alone by the faith-working

Word of Jesus, by His blessed Gospel.

Lord, have I not, like Thomas, doubted Thee?

Doubted Thy power, Thy goodness, and Thy love;

Doubted that Thou from sin couldst set me free;

Doubted the voice that called me from above?

Melt my hard heart and break my stubborn will,

Wean me from thoughts that trouble and deceive;

0 let mine be the blessing promised still

To those who, having seen not, yet believe.