December 19

Our hands have handled of the Word of life. 1 JOHN i. 1.

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. — JOHN xx. 27.

ON the evening after his resurrection Christ appeared to his disciples. Thomas was absent. When the disciples informed him of the visit of their risen Lord, he refused to accept their testimony. Nothing but an ocular demonstration would satisfy him. He specified with great particularity of detail the only evidence that would remove his incredulity. He continued in this state of unbelief for a week. He did not abandon his faith in the Christ he had known; he simply claimed that so astounding an event as the resurrection of the Lord should be made as plain to him as it had been to the others with whom he was on an official equality. He acted perhaps unconsciously, as if to have "seen the Lord" was essential to the office and work of an apostle. His devotion to Christ, his courage, his willingness to suffer death (John xi. 16), show him to be of strong character. He still clung to the disciples, although their statements were incredible to him. At the end of a week, he went with them to the place of meeting. He expected something or he would not have gone. He waited for the manifestation. According to his faith it was done unto him. Christ graciously appeared and spoke in the words of the text. Let us be cautious in our judgment. Every one must see Christ for himself if he would show him to others.

Robert Lowry.

God with us! oh, wondrous grace!

Let us see him face to face,

That we may Immanuel sing,

As we ought, our Lord and King.

SARAH SLINN.