My Dear Father:
Let me resume the interesting subject of which my letters have been so full.
It is now eight weeks since our return from Gilgal. For five weeks after we reached Jerusalem, we heard nothing of Jesus, until John, son of Elisaph, reappeared. He and Lazarus came into the city together, and to the house of Rabbi Amos. Our first inquiry was:
"Have you seen him? Have you heard anything from him?"
"John has seen him," answered Lazarus, seriously. "Ask him, and he will tell you all."
We looked at John, who sat sad and pensive, as if he were dwelling in his mind upon some painful, yet tender, sorrow. The eyes of my Cousin Mary, which always caught their lustre from his, were shaded with an inquiring look of sympathy and solicitude.
"You are not well, I fear," she said, placing her fair hand upon his white brow, and putting back the hair from his temples. "You have been long away, and are weary and ill."
"Weary, Mary? I shall never complain of weariness again, after what I have beheld."
"What have you seen?" I asked.
"Jesus in the desert; and when I remember him there, I shall forget to smile more."
"You have found him, then?" I eagerly asked.
"Yes, after days of painful search. I found him in the very center of the Desert of Ashes, where foot of man had never trodden before. I saw him upon his knees, and heard his voice in prayer. I laid down the sack of bread and fishes and the skin of water I had brought with me to succor him, and with awe drew near where he stood.
"As I came closer to him, I heard him groan in spirit, and he seemed to be borne down to the earth by some mortal agony. He was, as it were, talking to some invisible evil beings who assailed him.
"'Rabbi, good Master,' I said, 'I have brought thee food and water. Pardon me if I have intruded upon thy awful loneliness, which is sacred to some deep grief; but I weep with thee for thy woes, and in all thy afflictions I am afflicted. Eat, that thou mayest have strength to endure thy mysterious sufferings.'
"He turned his pale countenance full upon me, and extended towards me his emaciated hands, while he smiled faintly, and blessed me and said:
"'Son, thou art very dear to me. Thou shalt one day be afflicted for me, but not now, and then understand wherefore I am now a sufferer in the desert.'
"'Let me remain with thee, Divine Messias,' I said.
"'Thou believest, then, that I am he?' he answered, regarding me with love.
"I replied by casting myself at his desert-parched feet, and bathing them with my tears. He raised me and said, 'Go thy way presently. When the time of my fasting and temptation is past, I will see thee again.'
"'Nay, I will not leave thee,' I asserted.
"'If thou lovest me, beloved, thou wilt obey me,' he answered, with a tone of gentle reproof.
"'But thou wilt first eat of the bread I have brought, and drink of the water,' I entreated.
"'Thou knowest not what temptation thou art offering to me,' he replied, sadly. 'Thou hast not enough for thine own needs. Go, and leave me to gain the victory over Satan, the prince of this world, for which I was led by the Spirit thither.'
"I once more cast myself at his feet, and he lifted me up, kissing me, and sent me away. Oh, you would not have known him! Worn and emaciated by long abstinence, weak through suffering, he looked but the shadow of himself. He could not have lived thus if there had not been a divine power within to sustain him! His existence so long, for he had been in the desert five weeks without food when I found him, was a miracle in itself, proving the power of God to be in him."
"For what mighty work among men is God preparing him?" said Rabbi Amos, with emotion. "Surely he is a prophet come from God."
"Think you he still lives?" I asked, with anxious fears, scarcely trusting my voice above a whisper.
"Yes," answered John. "I am come to tell you he was divinely sustained through all; and after forty days he came forth from the wilderness, and suddenly presented himself on the banks of Jordan, among John's disciples. I was standing near the Baptizer, discoursing of the Christ, and marvelling when his exile to the desert would terminate, when the prophet, lifting his eyes, cried with a loud voice full of joy:
"'Behold again the Lamb of God, upon whom the Spirit of God descended! He hath come from the furnace like gold seven times tried in the fire! He it is who alone taketh away the sins of the world!'
"I turned and beheld Jesus advancing. He was pale and wore an expression of gentle, uncomplaining suffering on his benign and spiritualized countenance. I hastened to meet him, and was kneeling in joy at his feet, when he embraced me as a brother and said, 'Faithful, and full of love, wilt thou follow me?'
"'I will nevermore leave thee,' I answered.
"'Where dwellest thou, divine Master?' then asked one of John's disciples, Andrew by name, who was with me.
"'Come, my friends, and see,' he answered; and we went after him with joy unutterable.
"He entered the village of Bethabara, and, approaching the house of a widow, where he abode, went in. We followed him, and by his request took up our abode with him. Oh, how shall I be able to make known by words," added John, "the sweet expression of his discourse! In one day in his presence I grew wise; his words filled the soul like new wine and made the heart glad. The next day he wished to go into Galilee, and so on to Nazareth, where his mother dwelleth; and as I have made up my mind to follow him as his disciple henceforth, I have only come hither to make known my purpose to Mary, and to arrange my affairs in the city. To-morrow I will leave again, to join this, my dear Lord, at Cana of Galilee."
"Canst thou divine at all his purpose?" asked Rabbi Amos of John, "whether he intends to found a school of wisdom, to preach like the prophets, to reign like David, or to conquer like his warrior namesake, Joshua?"
"I know not, save that he said he came to redeem that which was lost, and to establish a kingdom that shall have no end."
Upon hearing this, all our hearts bounded with hope and confidence in him, and we all together burst forth into a voice of thanksgiving, and sang this hymn of praise:
"O sing unto the Lord a new song. He hath done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten the victory."The Lord hath made known his salvation; his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen."He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."
"O sing unto the Lord a new song. He hath done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten the victory.
"The Lord hath made known his salvation; his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
"He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."
There was this morning, dear father, no little excitement produced among the chief priests by a formal inquiry sent by Pilate to Caiaphas, the High Priest, asking whether this new prophet was to be acknowledged by them as their Messiah, "for, if he is to be, it will be my duty," said the Governor, "to place him under arrest, inasmuch as weunderstand the Jewish Messias is to declare himself king." Upon this there was a tumultuous assembling together of the priests in the porch of the Temple, and with many invectives they agreed to send answer to Pilate that they did not acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ. What Pilate will conclude to do, I know not. Rabbi Amos informed us that the Procurator had got some news by courier that morning that Jesus, on his way to Cana, had been followed by a full thousand people, who hailed him as the Christ.
Thus you see, my dear father, that this divine person is already taking hold of the hearts of the people, and arousing the jealousy of our enemies. Be assured that the day will come when he will lift up his standard to the Gentiles, and draw all men unto him.
Your loving,
Adina.
My Dear Father:
Since I last wrote you, my faith has been confirmed by the testimony which in one of your letters you demanded. You said, "Let me hear that he has done an authentic miracle in attestation of the divinity of his mission—such a miracle as was prophesied Messias shall do, as healing the sick by a word, restoring the blind to sight, and raising the dead—and I will prepare to believe in him."
Miracle he has performed, dear father, and one the genuineness of which is not disputed by any one. I can give you the particulars best by extracting from a letter written by John to Mary, a few days after his departure to join Jesus at Nazareth:
"Upon reaching Nazareth," says the letter, "I was guided to the humble dwelling occupied by the mother of Jesus, by a large concourse of people gathered about it, of whom inquiring, I learned that it was to see the new Prophet they had thus assembled. 'What new Prophet?' I asked, wishing to know what the multitude thought of Jesus.
"'The one of whom John of the wilderness foretold,' answered one.
"'They say he is Messias,' replied another.
"'He is the Christ,' boldly asserted a third.
"Hereupon a Levite standing by, said scornfully, 'Does Christ come out of the country of Galilee? You read the Prophets to little purpose, if you see therein any Christ prophesied to come out of Nazareth of Galilee.' Hereupon, seeing the faith of many staggered, I said, 'Brethren, Christ is truly to be of Bethlehem, and verily Jesus, though now he dwelleth in this place, was born in Bethlehem.'
"'Thou canst not prove it, man!' said the Levite angrily.
"'The stranger speaketh truly,' spoke up both an old man and a gray-haired woman in the crowd. 'We know that he was not born here, and that when his parents moved hither, when he was an infant, they then said he was born in Bethlehem. We all remember this well.'
"Hereupon the Levite, seeing that he had not the people with him, passed on his way, while I went to the door of the house where Jesus dwelt with his mother. There were two doors, one of which led into a workshop, where I noticed the bench and tools of the occupation at which he had toiled to support himself and his mother. But when, as I entered the dwelling, I saw him standing, teaching those who hung on his lips, and listened to his calm voice, and heard the sublime wisdom of his instructions, beheld the dignity of his aspect, and felt the heavenly benignity of his manner, I forgot the carpenter, I forgot the man, and seemed to behold in him only Messiah the Prince, the Son of God.
"Upon beholding me, he extended his hand, and received me graciously, and said, pointing to five men who stood near him, regarding him with mingled love and reverence, 'These are thy brethren, who have also come out of the world to follow me.'
"Of these, one was Andrew, who had been, as well as myself, John's disciple. Another was Andrew's brother, whose name is Simon, whom Jesus, from the firmness and immovable zeal of his character, which he seemed to understand, called also Peter, or Stone. The fourth disciple was of Bethsaida. His name was Philip, and he followed Jesus from having been prepared by John the Baptist to receive him. He was, moreover, so overjoyed at finding the Christ, that he ran to the house of his kinsman, Nathaniel, and finding him in his garden, beneath a fig tree, at prayer, exclaimed:
"'We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, the Messias of God!'
"'Where is he, that I may behold him?' asked his relative, rising.
"'It is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,' Philip answered.
"Upon hearing this answer, the countenance of Nathaniel fell, and he replied:
"'Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?'
"'Come thou and see for thyself,' answered Philip.
"Nathaniel then went with him where Jesus was. When Jesus saw him approaching, he said to those about him:
"'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!'
"'Whence knowest thou me?' asked Nathaniel, with surprise, for he had heard the words which were spoken. Jesus answered and said:
"'Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.'
"Upon hearing this Nathaniel, who knew that he was all alone in his garden and unseen at prayer when his brother came, regarded the serene face of Jesus steadfastly, and then, as if he beheld therein the expression of omnipresence, he cried before all the people:
"'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel!'
"Jesus looked upon him as if pleased at his confession, and said:
"'Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'
"The next day James, my brother, and I went to the sea of Tiberias, but two hours distant, to see our father Zebedee, and transfer our interests to him; and, during the afternoon, Jesus passed near the shore on his way to Cana, when, calling us, we forever left our ships and our father and joined him. His mother and many of her kinsfolk were of the company, all going to a marriage of the cousin of the family. Upon our arrival at Cana, we were ushered into the guest chamber.
"The marriage feast at length commenced. The wine which should have come from Damascus had not arrived, the caravan having been delayed by the insurrection near Cesarea, and the chief ruler of the town, presiding at the feast, seeing that the wine had given out, bade the servants to place more upon the board. The mother of Jesus, who knew that the wine was out, and that, looking upon this as an ill omen, the family of the bride were in great distress, turned to Jesus and said, 'They have no wine.'
"The holy Prophet of God looked grave and said, applying to her the title which we deem most honorable of all others, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.'
"She must have understood his words, all mysterious as they were to me, for, turning to the servants, she beckoned to them, while her cheek borrowed a rich color from her hidden joy, and her eyes kindled with loving sympathy for those about to be relieved in their distress. When two or three of the servants had approached, she said to them:
"'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.'
"The face of Jesus, ever calm and dignified, now seemed to assume a look of majesty inexpressible, and his eyes to express a certain consciousness of power within, that awed me. Casting his glance upon several stone vases, which stood by the door empty, he said to the servants:
"'Fill the water pots with water.'
"In the court, in full sight from the table, was a well to which the servants forthwith went with jars, which I saw them fill with water, bear it in upon their heads, and pour it out into the water pots, until they had filled them all to the brim.
"In the meantime the governor of the feast and the majority of the guests were absorbed in conversation and did not observe what was taking place.
"'Draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast,' said Jesus to the servants.
"They obeyed, and pouring rich, blood-red wine from the jars which I and others had seen filled up with simple water from the well, the amazed servants bore it to the chief of the feast. He had no sooner filled his goblet and tasted it, than he called to the bridegroom, who sat in the middle of the table, and said:
"'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now.'
"'Who hath brought this wine?' asked the bridegroom, drinking of the water that was made wine. 'Whence it came, sir, I know not.'
"Then the servants and others told that they had filled the six water pots with water to the brim, at the command of Jesus the Prophet, and that when they drew out, behold it flowed forth wine instead of water! Upon this there was a general exclamation of surprise, and the governor of the feast, crying out, 'A great prophet indeed hath been among us, and we knew it not!' rose to approach and do honor to Jesus; but he had already conveyed himself away, at once rising and passing out through the door, and seeking the solitude of the gardens."
The rumor of the miracle at Cana has reached Jerusalem since I began this letter, and I hear that it has produced no little excitement in the market-places and courts of the Temple. Rabbi Amos, on his return from sacrifice, a few minutes ago, said that he saw, in the court of the Temple, more than thirty priests with rolls of the Prophets in their hands, engaged in looking up the prophecies of the Christ.
Your affectionate daughter,
Adina.
My Dear Father:
You will not require the testimony of my letters to enable you to appreciate the fame of the wonderful young man of Nazareth, Jesus, of whose works you must have heard ere this. His fame for wisdom, for knowledge of the Scriptures, for power to teach, and for miracles, has gone abroad through all Syria, so that they bring to him sick persons, both rich and poor, even from Damascus, to be healed of him; and he heals all who are brought unto him, whether possessed of devils, lunatic, or having the palsy. While I now write, a company is passing the open window, bearing upon beds two wealthy men of Jerusalem, given over by their physicians, who are going to him to be cured.
"So great is the multitude which everywhere follows Jesus," writes John to Mary, "that he is often compelled to withdraw from them by stealth, to get to some by-place of quiet where he can refresh his wearied strength for a few days. At such times we, who are his immediate followers, have the benefit of his teaching and private instructions. But he cannot remain long away from the people. They soon penetrate his retirement. How wonderful is he who thus holds in his hands divine power! The authority of kings is nothing before that which he possesses in his voice; yet he is serene, humble, oh, how humble! to our shame; and always calm and gentle. He spends much time in private prayer to God, whom he always addresses as his Father. Never was such a man on earth. We, who know him most intimately, stand most in awe of him; yet with our deep reverence for his holy character is combined the purest affection. In one and the same breath I feel that I adore him as my Lord, and love him even as my brother. So we all feel toward him."
Such, my dear father, is the tenor of all John's letters. When we shall see Jesus at Jerusalem, I shall be able from personal observation to write to you more particularly concerning his doctrines and miracles. What is also of importance, it has been proven by the results of the examination made by some of the scribes of the Temple, that he was truly born in Bethlehem, and that both his mother Mary, and Joseph her husband, are lineal descendants of the house of David. Moreover Phineas, the venerable priest, whom you know, hath borne testimony to the fact that when Jesus was an infant, during the reign of the elder Herod, there arrived in Jerusalem three eminent princes, men of wisdom and learning. One of these came from Persia, one from the Grecian province of Media, and one from Arabia, and brought with them gifts of gold and spices, and were attended by retinues. These three princes reached Jerusalem the same day by three different ways, and entered by three different gates, each unknowing to the other's presence or object, till they met in the city before Herod's palace. One represented himself descended from Shem, another from Japhet, the third from Ham. And they mysteriously, it is said, typified all the races of the earth who by them recognized and adored the Savior of men in the child Jesus. The king, hearing that these three strangers had arrived in Jerusalem, sent to know wherefore they had honored his kingdom with a visit. "They answered," says Phineas, "that they came to do homage to the young prince, who was born king of the Jews." And when Herod asked what prince they spoke of, they answered, "We have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him."
"Hereupon," says Phineas, "the kingissued an edict for all the chief priests and scribes of the people to assemble in the council chamber of his palace. He then addressed them:
"'Ye to whom is given the care of the books of the Law and the Prophets, whose study they are, and in whom lies the skill to interpret the prophecies, search therein, and tell me truly where the Christ is to be born. Behold here present these august and wise men who have come from afar to do him homage; nay more, as they aver, to worship him as God. Let us have the courtesy to give them the answer that they seek, and let us not be found more ignorant of these things than those who dwell in other lands.'
"Several of the chief priests then rose and said: 'It is known, O king, to all who are Jews, and who read the Prophets, that Messias cometh of the house of David, of the town of Bethlehem; for thus it is written by the prophet: "And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel."'
"This question being thus decided," continued Phineas, "Herod dismissed the council, and retiring to his own private room, secretly sent to the three princes of the East to inquire of them what time the star appeared. He then said to them:
"'You have my permission, noble strangers, to go to Bethlehem, and search for the young child: and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.' Then they left the presence of Herod, and it being dark when they left the palace, they were overjoyed to behold the star which they saw in the East, going before them. They followed it until it left Jerusalem by the Bethlehem gate, and it led them on to the town of Bethlehem, and stopped above an humble dwelling therein. When they were come into the house, they saw the rays of the star resting upon the head of an infant in the arms of its mother Mary, the wife of Joseph. They at once acknowledged and hailed him as Prince and King of Israel, and falling down, worshiped him; and opening their treasures, they presented unto him gold, frankincense and myrrh, gifts that are offered on the altar to God alone."
When Phineas was asked by Caiaphas how he knew this fact, he answered that he himself, prompted by curiosity to see the prince they had come to worship, had followed them out of the palace of Herod, out of the gate, and even into Bethlehem, and witnessed their prostrations and offerings to the infant child of Mary. "And," he added, "if this be doubted, there are many Jews now living in Jerusalem, and a certain Hebrew captain, now stricken in years, who can testify to the slaughter, by Herod's command, of the infants of Bethlehem; for this captain, Jeremias, led on the soldiers."
"And wherefore this slaughter?" asked Caiaphas. "It is not on record."
"Kings do not record their deeds of violence," answered Phineas. "Herod kept it hushed up when he found that he gained nothing by it but hatred. He slew them in order that the infant Jesus might be destroyed among them; for the three wise men, instead of returning through Jerusalem to their own country, and informing him where they had found the child, departed by another way. But the child escaped, doubtless by God's powerful protection."
"Dost thou believe in him also?" asked Caiaphas, with angry surprise, looking sternly on Phineas.
"I will first see and hear him speak, and if he be proven to me to be Messias, I will gladly worship him."
"Hereupon," said Rabbi Amos, "there arose a great uproar, some crying that Jesus was the Christ, and others that Phineas should be stoned to death."
Thus you see, my dear father, how the evidence increases in value and importance, proving Jesus to be the Messiah. Tell me, is not this the Christ?
Your affectionate and loving,
Adina.
My Dear Father:
The inquiry you made in your last letter, "What hath become of the prophet of Jordan, since the fame of Jesus hath so eclipsed his own?" I can answer but with sadness. The mission on which John came terminated when Jesus came. Soon afterwards he left the wilderness and entered Jericho, where Herod chanced to be visiting. Here he preached in the public places, and in the market, and on the very steps of the Governor's palace. Now while he was thus speaking to the people, and the officers andsoldiers of the Tetrarch's guard, Herod himself came forth upon the balcony to listen. The prophet no sooner beheld him than he boldly addressed him, and sternly reproved him for the sin of having married the wife of his brother Philip, contrary to the law. Now Herod, it is said, did not show resentment at his plain dealings, but, inviting the prophet into his hall, talked much with him, and in parting offered him gifts, which John refused to touch. The next day he sent for him again to ask him some questions touching the Messias of whom he preached. Now Herodia, when it was reported to her, after the return of Herod from Jericho to his Tetrarchy, how that the prophet had publicly spoken against her marriage with Herod, became very angry; and when she found that John was still favored by her husband, she sent for Herod and said that if he would please her he must throw the prophet of Jordan into prison. At length Herod yielded, against his own will, and gave orders for the arrest of the prophet; who, the same night, was thrown into the ward of the castle. For some weeks this holy man, whose only offense was that he had the courage to reprove sin in high places, remained in bonds, while Herod each day sought to find some excuse for releasing him without displeasing Herodia, of whose anger he stood in great fear, being an abject slave to his love for her. At length the birthday of Herod arrived, and he conveyed word to John that in honor of the day he would send and fetch him out of prison as soon as he should obtain the consent of his wife, which he believed she would accord to him on such an anniversary.
Now, after the feast, Philippa, the daughter of Herodia, and of her former husband Philip, came in and danced before Prince Herod; and being beautiful in person and full of grace in every motion, she so pleased her step-father that he made a great oath, having drunk much wine with his guests, that he would give her whatsoever she would ask, were it the half of his kingdom. Her mother then called her, and whispered to her imperatively.
"Give me," said the maiden, turning towards Herod, "the head, now, of John the Baptist in a charger."
The Tetrarch no sooner heard this request than he turned pale, and said fiercely:
"Thy mother hath been tampering with thine ears, girl. Ask half of my kingdom and I will give it thee, but let me not shed blood on my birthday."
"Wilt thou falsify thine oath?" asked his wife, scornfully.
"For mine oath's sake, and for those who have heard it, I will grant thy desire," he at length answered, with a sigh of regret and self-reproach. He then turned to the captain of the guard and commanded him to slay John Baptist in prison, and bring presently there his head upon a charger.
At the end of a quarter of an hour, which was passed by Herod in great excitement, walking up and down the floor, and by his guests in silent expectation, the door opened, and the captain of the guard entered, followed by the executioner, who carried a brazen platter upon which lay the gory head of the eloquent forerunner of Christ.
"Give it to her!" cried Herod, sternly, waving him towards the beautiful maiden who stood near the inner door. The executioner placed the charger in her hands; and, with a smile of triumph, she bore it to her mother, who had retired to an inner room.
All the disciples of the murdered prophet then went where Jesus was preaching and healing, and told him what had been done to John. "When Jesus heard of the death of John, he was very sorrowful," writes John to Mary, "and went away into a desert place apart." In the meanwhile the disciples of John Baptist fled, some into the deserts, while others sought Jesus to protect and counsel them. At length he found himself surrounded by a great multitude, chiefly of John's disciples, besides many who had come to hear him preach and be healed of him. The place was a desert and far from any town. Forgetful of all else, save following Jesus, they were without food. "Which," says John, writing to Rabbi Amos, "we who were his disciples seeing, suggested that Jesus should send them away to the villages to buy themselves victuals. But Jesus answered us, and said quietly:
"'They need not go away; give ye them to eat.'
"And Simon said, 'Master, where can we get bread for so many? We have among us but five loaves and two small fishes.'
"Upon hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is enough; bring them hither to me.'
"We collected the bread and fishes, and I, myself, laid them upon a rock before Jesus. He then said to us, 'Command the multitude to sit down on the grass.' And when they were all seated, he took the five loavesand laying his hands upon them and upon the two fishes, he looked up to heaven and blessed them, and then, breaking them into fragments, he gave them to us his disciples, and bade us distribute to the people. As often as we would return for more, we found the loaves and the fishes undiminished, and I saw with wonder how, when this Prophet of God would break off a piece of one of the fishes or of a loaf, the same part would immediately be seen thereon as if it had not been separated; and in this manner he continued to break and distribute to us for nearly an hour, until all ate as much as they would. When no one demanded more, he commanded us to gather up the fragments which lay by his side, and there were twelve baskets full over and above what was needed. The number that was thus miraculously fed was about five thousand men, besides nearly an equal number of women and children. And this mighty Prophet, who could thus feed an army, voluntarily suffered forty days and nights the pangs of hunger in the desert! He seems a man in suffering, a God in creating!"
This wonderful miracle, my dear father, is one that has too many witnesses to be denied. Not a day passes that we do not hear of some still more extraordinary exhibition of his power than the preceding. Every morning, when men meet in the market places, or in the corridors of the Temple, the first inquiry is, "What new wonder has he performed? Have you heard of another miracle of this mighty Prophet?" The priests alone are offended, and speak evil of him through envy.
They even have gone so far as to assert that he performs his miracles by magic, or by the aid of Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. "If we suffer him to take men's minds as he doth," said Caiaphas to Rabbi Amos yesterday, when he heard that Jesus had walked on the sea to join his disciples in their ship, and stilled a tempest with a word, "the worship in the Temple will be at an end, and the sacrifice will cease. He draweth all men unto him."
You have asked, dear father, in your letter, "Where is Elias, who is to precede Messias, according to the prophet Malachi?" This question Jesus himself has answered, says John, when a rabbi put it to him. He replied thus:
"Elias has come already, and ye have done unto him whatsoever ye listed."
"Dost thou speak of John the Baptist?" asked those about him, when they heard this.
"John came in the spirit and power of Elias, and therefore was he thus called by the prophet," was the answer of Jesus.
I did not tell you that besides the six disciples whom I have named, he has chosen six others, which twelve he keeps near his person as his more favored followers, and whom he daily instructs in the doctrines he came down from heaven to teach. Of the thousands who never weary of going from place to place in his train, he has also selected seventy men, whom he has despatched by twos into every city and village of Judea, commanding them to proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand, and that the time when men everywhere should repent and turn to God, has come.
It is now commonly reported that he will be here at the Passover. I shall then behold him, and, like the wise men, I shall worship him with mingled awe and love. I will again write you, dear father, after I see and hear him. Till then, believe me your affectionate daughter,
Adina.
My Dear Father:
While I write, the city is agitated like a tumultuous sea. The loud murmurs of the multitudes in the streets, and even in the distant market-place, reach my startled ears. A squadron of Roman cavalry has just thundered past towards the Temple, where the uproar is greatest; for a rumor of an insurrection begun among the people has come to Pilate the Procurator.
I will relate to you the circumstance in detail.
Yesterday Mary's cousin, John, returned and came unexpectedly into the hall of the fountain, in the rear of the house, where we were all seated in the cool of the vines. Uncle Amos was in the act of reading to us from the Prophet Jeremiah, a prophecy relating to the Messias that is to come (nay, that is come, dear father), when John appeared. Mary's blushes welcomed him and showed how dear he was to her. Uncle Amos embraced and kissed him and seated him by us, and called for a servant to bathe his feet, for he was dusty and travel-worn. From him we learned that his beloved Master,Jesus, had reached Bethany, and was reposing from his fatigues at the hospitable though humble house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When we heard this, we were all very glad; and Uncle Amos particularly seemed to experience the deepest satisfaction.
"If he come into Jerusalem," said he warmly, "he shall be my guest. Bid him to my roof, O John, that my household may be blessed in having a prophet of God step across its threshold."
"I will tell my beloved Master thy wish, Rabbi Amos," answered John. "Doubtless, as he has no home nor friends in the city, he will remain under your roof."
"Say not no friends!" I exclaimed. "We are all his friends here, and fain would be his disciples."
"What! Rabbi Amos also?" cried John, with a glance of pleasure and surprise at the venerable priest of God.
"Yes, I am ready, after all that I have seen and heard, I am ready to confess him a prophet sent from God."
"He is far more than a prophet, O Rabbi Amos," answered John. "Never prophet did the works Jesus does. It seems that all power is at his command. If you witnessed what I witness daily, as he traverses Judea, you would say that he was Jehovah descended to earth in human form."
"Nay, do not blaspheme, young man," said Rabbi Amos, with some severity of reproof.
John bowed his head in reverence to the rebuke of the Rabbi, but nevertheless answered respectfully and firmly. "Never man did like him. If he be not God in the flesh, he is an angel in flesh invested with divine power."
"If he be the Messiah," I said, "he cannot be an angel, for are not the prophecies clear that the Messiah shall be 'a man of sorrows'? Is he not to be 'the seed of the woman'? a man and not an angel?"
"Yes," answered John, "you remember well the prophecies. I firmly believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Yet, what he is more than man, what he is less than God, is incomprehensible to me and to my fellow-disciples. We wonder, love and adore! At one moment we feel like embracing him as a brother dearly beloved; at another, we are ready to fall at his feet and worship him. I have seen him weep at beholding the miseries of the diseased wretches which were dragged into his presence, and then with a touch—with a word, heal them; and they would stand before him in the purity and beauty of health and strong manhood."
"And yet," said Nicodemus, a rich Pharisee, who entered as John was first speaking, and listened without interrupting, "and yet, young man, I heard you say that Jesus, of whom you and all men relate such mighty deeds, has remained at Bethany to recover from his fatigue. How can a man who holds all sickness in his power, be subject to mere weariness of body? I would say unto him, Physician, heal thyself!"
This was spoken with a tone of incredulity by this learned ruler of the Jews, and, stroking his snowy beard, he waited of John a reply.
"So far as I can learn the character of Jesus," replied John, "his healing power over diseases is not for his own good. He uses his power to work miracles for the benefit of others through love and compassion. Being a man with this divine power dwelling in him for us, he is subject to infirmities as a man; he hungers, thirsts, wearies, suffers, as a man. I have seen him heal a nobleman's son by a word, and the next moment seat himself, supporting his aching head upon his hand, looking pale and languid, for his labors of love are vast, and he is often overcome by them. Once Simon Peter, seeing him ready to sink with weariness, after healing all day, asked him and said, 'Master, thou givest strength to others; why suffer thyself, when all health and strength are in thee as in a living well, to be weary?'
"'It is not my desire to escape human infirmities by any power my Father hath bestowed upon me for the good of men. Through suffering only can I draw all men after me!' he replied."
John said this so sadly, as if he were repeating the very tones in which Jesus had spoken it, that we all remained silent for a few moments. I felt tears fill my eyes, and I was glad to see that the proud Pharisee, Nicodemus, looked moved. After a full minute's serious pause, he said:
"This man is doubtless no common prophet. When he comes into the city, I shall be glad to hear from his own mouth his doctrines, and to witness some potent miracle."
"Prophet he is, without doubt," answered Amos. "It is not the question now whether he be a prophet or not; for the hundreds he has healed are living witnesses that he hasthe spirit and power of the old prophets, and is truly a prophet. The question that remains is, whether he be the Messiah or not."
Nicodemus slowly and negatively shook his head, and then answered:
"Messias cometh not out of Galilee."
At this moment a sudden wild, joyful cry from Mary thrilled our nerves, and looking towards the door, we saw her folded in the arms of a young man whom I had never seen before. My surprise had not time to form itself into any definite explanation of what I saw, when I beheld the young man, who was exceedingly handsome and the picture of health, after kissing the clinging Mary upon her cheeks, leave her to throw himself into the arms of Rabbi Amos, crying:
"My father, my dear father!"
My uncle, who had stood amazed and wonderingly gazing on him, as if he could not believe what his eyes beheld, now burst into profound expressions of grateful joy, and as he clasped the young stranger to his heart, fell upon his neck and wept, with scarcely power to articulate the words:
"My son! My son! Lost, but found again! This is the Lord's doing and is marvelous in our eyes!"
John also embraced the new-comer, and the ruler stood silent with wonder. While I was looking bewildered upon the scene, Mary ran and said to me, with tears of gladness shining in her dark, fine eyes:
"It is Benjamin, my lost brother, beloved Adina!"
"I did not know you had a brother," I answered in surprise.
"We have long regarded him as dead," she replied with mingled emotions. "Seven years ago he became lunatic, and fled to the tombs without the city, where he has long dwelt with many others who were possessed with devils. For years he has neither spoken to nor known us. But oh, now—now behold him! It seems a vision! See how manly, noble, like himself he is, with the same intelligent, smiling eyes."
She then flew to take him by the hand and lead him toward me, all eyes being fixed upon him, as if he had been a spirit.
When he saw their wondering gaze, he said:
"It is I, both son and brother to those dearest to me. I am in my right mind and well."
"Who has effected this change, so extraordinary, oh, my son?" inquired Rabbi Amos, with trembling lips, and keeping his hand on Benjamin's shoulder, as if he feared he would vanish away.
"It was Jesus, the Prophet of the Highest!" answered he, with solemn gratitude.
"Jesus!" we all exclaimed in one voice.
"I could have said so," answered John, calmly. "Rabbi Nicodemus, thou knowest this young man well. Thou hast known him in childhood, and beheld him in the madness of his lunacy among the tombs. Dost thou doubt now whether Jesus be the very Christ?"
Nicodemus made no reply, but I saw from the expression of his face that he believed.
"How was this done to thee, young man?" he asked, with deep and visible emotion.
"I was wandering near Bethany this morning," answered the restored one, with modesty, "when I beheld a crowd which I madly followed. As I drew near I beheld in their midst a man, whom I had no sooner cast my eyes upon than I felt seize me an ungovernable propensity to destroy him. The same fury possessed seven others, my comrades in madness, and together we rushed upon him, with great stones and knives in our hands. The crowd gave way and fell back aghast, and called him to save himself. But he moved not, but, left alone in a wide space, stood calmly awaiting us. We were within a few feet of him, and I was nearest, ready to strike him to the earth, when he quietly lifted one finger and said, 'Peace!' We stood immovable, without power to stir a foot, while our rage and hatred increased with our inability to harm him. We howled and foamed at the mouth before him, for we then knew that he was the Son of God, come to destroy us.
"'Come out of the men and depart quickly!' he said, in a tone of command as if to us, but really to the demons within us. At this word I fell at his feet in a dreadful convulsion, and my whole body writhed as if it had been wrestling with an invisible demon. Jesus then stooped and laid his hand upon my brow and said, 'Son, arise. Thou art made whole!'
"At these words a black cloud seemed to be lifted from my mind. The glory of a new existence appeared to dawn upon my soul, while his voice melted my heart within me. Bursting into tears, the first I have shed for seven years, I fell at his feet and kissed and embraced them."
When Benjamin had done speaking, we allgave glory to God, who had given him back to us, and who had sent so great a Prophet among men.
I commenced this letter, dearest father, by an allusion to a great commotion which is agitating the whole city, but as I have taken up so much of this letter in relating what passed yesterday in the hall of the fountain, I will leave the account of the tumult for my next letter, which I shall write this evening.
May the God of our fathers be with you, and bless you and the holy people of the promise.
Adina.
My Dear Father:
When, on the morning of the Passover, it was noised abroad that the Prophet of Galilee was entering the city by the gate of Jericho, the whole city was stirred, and from houses and shops poured forth crowds which turned their steps in that direction. Mary and I went upon the house-top, hoping to see something; but far and near was visible only a sea of heads, from which a deep murmuring arose, like the ceaseless voice of the ocean chafing upon a rocky shore. The top of the gate-way was visible from the place where we stood, but it was black with the people who had crowded upon it to look down. There was heard at length an immense shout, as of one voice, which was followed by a swaying and onward pressure of the crowds.
"The Prophet must have entered the gate," said my Cousin Mary, breathlessly. "How they do him honor! It is the reception of a king!"
We were in hopes he would pass by our house, as we were on one of the chief thoroughfares, but were disappointed, as he ascended the hill of Moriah to the Temple. A part of the ascent to the house of the Lord is visible from our roof, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the Prophet at a distance. We knew him only because he was in advance. The nighest one to him, Mary said, was her Cousin John, though at that distance I could not have recognized him. The head of the multitude disappeared beneath the arch of the Temple, and thousands upon thousands followed after; and in the rear rode the young Roman centurion, whom I have before spoken of, at the head of four hundred horse, to keep order in the vast mass. Mary could not recognize him, saying it was too far to tell who he was; but I knew him, not only by his air and bearing, but by the scarlet pennon that fluttered from his iron lance, and which I had bestowed upon him, for he told me he had lost one his fair Roman sister, Tullia, had given him, and as he so much regretted its loss, I supplied its place by another, worked by my own hands.