an account of the occasion he had to use this speech. He had appeared
to his disciples, in the absence of Thomas, and shewn them his hands
and feet, which still had the marks of his crucifixion: the disciples
report this to Thomas: he thought the thing impossible, and expressed
his unbelief, as men are apt to do when they are positive, in a very
extravagant manner: You talk, says he, of the prints of the nails in
his hands and feet; for my part, says he, I'll never believe this
thing, 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. Now, in the first place, here is nothing said of open wounds;
Thomas talks only of putting his finger into the print, that is, the
scar of the nails, and thrusting his hand into his side. And, in
common speech, to thrust an hand into any one's side does not signify
to thrust it through the side into the bowels. Upon this
interpretation of the words, which is a plain and natural one, the
Gentleman's objection is quite gone. But suppose Thomas to mean what
the Gentleman means; in that case the words of Christ are manifestly a
severe reproach to him for his infidelity: Here, says Christ, are my
hands and my side; take the satisfaction you require; thrust your
fingers into my hands, your hand into my side; repeating to him his own
words, and calling him to his own conditions; which, to a man beginning
to see his extravagance, is of all rebukes the severest. Such forms of
speech are used on many occasions, and are never understood to import
that the thing proposed is proper, or always practicable. When the
Grecian women reproached their sons with cowardice, and called to them
as they were flying from the enemy, to come and hide themselves, like
children as they were, in their mothers' wombs; he would be ridiculous
who had asked the question, Whether the women really thought they could
take their sons into their wombs again?