Thomas, this scene by the sea of Tiberias will not be the third but the fourth time that He showed Himself. Here, indeed, we must take care not to let any one suppose that, in speaking of the third time, John meant that there were in all only three appearances of the Lord. On the contrary, we must understand him to refer to the number of the days, and not to the number of the manifestations themselves; and, further, it is to be observed that these days are not presented as coming in immediate succession after each other, but as separated by intervals in accordance with intimations given by the evangelist himself. For, keeping out of view His appearance to the women, it is made perfectly plain in the Gospel that He showed Himself three several times on the first day after He was risen; namely, once to Peter; again to those two disciples, of whom Cleophas was one; and a third time to the larger body, while they were conversing with each other as the night came on. But all these John, looking to the fact that they took place on a single day, reckons as one appearance. Then he identifies a second—that is to say, an appearance on another day—with the occasion on which Thomas also saw Him; and he particularizes a third by the sea of Tiberias, that is to say, not literally His third appearance, but the third day of His self-manifestations. Thus the result is, that after all these incidents, we are constrained to suppose this other occasion to have occurred on which, according to Matthew, the eleven disciples saw Him on the mountain in Galilee, to which He had gone before them according to appointment, so that all that had been foretold, both by the angel and by Himself, should be fulfilled even to the letter. 83. Consequently, in the four evangelists we find mention made of ten distinct appear- ances of the Lord to different persons after His resurrection. First, to the women near the sepulchre.1564 Secondly, to the same women as they were on the way returning from the sepulchre.1565 Thirdly, to Peter.1566 Fourthly, to the two who were going to the place in the country.1567 Fifthly, to the larger number in Jerusalem, when Thomas was not present.1568 Sixthly, on the occasion when Thomas saw Him.1569 Seventhly, by the sea of Tiberias.1570 Eighthly, on the mountain in Galilee, of which Matthew speaks.1571 Ninthly, at the time to which Mark refers in the words, “Lastly, as they sat at meat,” thereby intimating that now they were no more to eat with Him upon the earth.1572 Tenthly, on the same day, not now 1564 John xx. 14. 1565 Matt. xxviii. 9. 1566 Luke xxiv. 35. 1567 Luke xxiv. 15. 1568 John xx. 19–24. 1569 John xx. 26. 1570 John xxi. 1. 1571 Matt. xxviii. 16, 17. 1572 Mark xvi. 14. 496 Of Christ’s Subsequent Manifestations of Himself to the Disciples, and of…