Afterwards, when the Lord had arisen, and appeared to the other apostles, in the absence of Thomas, he could not believe it, as he said, unless he should put his fingers into the prints of the nails with which he had been crucified, and thrust his hand into the Lord’s side, which a soldier had opened with a spear. But when the Lord came again, and appeared also to him, saying, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side,” etc., then he, being convinced, began to salute Christ with divine titles of honor, saying, “My Lord and my God.” John 20:24–28. After this, he, together with the other apostles, received commandment to preach the Gospel in the whole world, and to baptize the believers; to which end, ten days after, namely on the day of Pentecost, he, with all his fellow-ministers, received the Holy Ghost in full abundance. Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16. According to history, he sent Thaddeus unto King Abgarus, shortly after Christ’s resurrection. _Euseb. Hist. Eccl., lib. 1, cap. 13._ As Parthia, India, Ethiopia, and many other countries had as his portion, been assigned him, he traveled through them; he dreaded, however, as it appears, to go to the moors and the savage nations of India. Nevertheless, God having strengthened him, he there converted many to God. _Euseb. Hist. Eccl., lib. 3, cap. 1._ Concerning the end of Thomas, the most probable account found by the ancients is this, namely, that at Calamina, a city in the East Indies, he put a stop to the abominable idolatry of the heathen, who worshiped there an image of the sun; so that through the power of God he compelled the Evil One to destroy the image. Thereupon the idolatrous priests accused him before their king, who sentenced him, first to be tormented with red-hot plates, and then to be cast into a glowing furnace, and burned. But when the idolatrous priests, who stood before the furnace, saw that the fire did not hurt him, they pierced his side, as he lay in the furnace, with spears and javelins; and thus he conformed in steadfastness unto his Lord Jesus Christ, whom he confessed even unto death. Jerome states that his body, which, it seems, was taken out of the fire, was buried in the same place where he died. _Joh. Gysii Hist. Mart., fol. 11, col. 4. Konst-tooneel van veertig, in the life of Thomas._ MATTHEW, THE HOLY EVANGELIST, NAILED TO THE GROUND, AND BEHEADED AT NADDAVAR, UNDER KING HYTACUS, ABOUT A. D. 70. [Illustration: MATTHEW, THE EVANGELIST, BEHEADED AT NADAVAR.]