4. By such an impediment was our Apostle Thomas held back, who as to the Lord Christ,
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the resurrection that is of Christ, would not believe even his own eyes only. “Unless,” says
he, “I put my fingers into the places of the nails and wounds, and unless I put my hand into
His side, I will not believe.”3478 And the Lord who could have risen again without any vestige
of a wound, kept the scars, that they might be touched by the doubting Apostle, and the
wounds of his heart be healed. And yet as designing to call to His supper others, against the
excuse of “the five pairs of oxen,” He said, “Blessed they who do not see, and believe.”3479
We, my Brethren, who have been called to this supper, have not been kept back by “these
five pairs.” For we have not in this age desired to see the Face of the Lord’s Body, nor have
we longed to hear the Voice proceeding out of the mouth of that Body; we have not sought
in Him for any passing3480 odour. A certain “woman anointed Him with most costly oint-
ment,” that “house was filled with the odour;”3481 but we were not there; lo, we did not
smell, yet we believe. He gave to the disciples the Supper consecrated by His Own Hands;
but we did not sit down at that Feast, and yet we daily eat this same Supper by faith. And
do not think it strange that in that supper which He gave with His Own Hand, one was
present without faith: the faith that appeared, afterwards was more than a compensation
for that faithlessness then. Paul was not there who believed, Judas was there who betrayed.
How many now too in this same Supper, though they saw not then that table, nor beheld
with their eyes, nor tasted with their mouths, the bread which the Lord took in His Hands,
yet because it is the same as is now prepared, how many now also in this same Supper, “eat
and drink judgment to themselves”?3482
5. But whence arose an occasion, so to say, to the Lord, to speak of this supper? One of
them that sat at meat with Him (for He was at a feast, whither He had been invited), had
said, “Blessed are they who eat bread in the kingdom of God.”3483 He sighed as though after
distant things, and the Bread Himself was sitting down before him. Who is the Bread of the
kingdom of God, but He who saith, “I am the Living Bread which came down from heav-
en”?3484 Do not get thy mouth ready, but thine heart. On this occasion it was that the parable
of this supper was set forth. Lo, we believe in Christ, we receive Him with faith. In receiving
Him we know what to think of. We receive but little, and we are nourished in heart. It is
not then what is seen, but what is believed, that feeds us. Therefore we too have not sought
3478 John xx. 25.
3479 John xx. 29.
3480 Temporalem.
3481 John xii. 3.
3482 1 Cor. xi. 29.
3483 Luke xiv. 15.
3484 John vi. 51.
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke xiv. 16, ‘A certain man made a great supper,’…