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Dear Father:—The visit of the prophet Jesus to the
city has produced results of the most amazing character.
His numerous miracles, performed in open day by
a word, or a look, or a touch, or a command, the power
of his preaching, the excellency of his doctrines, which are
evidently divine, his clear assertions that he is the very
Christ, have all contributed to bring the first men of
Israel, rulers as well as people, to believe in him! During
the four days he remained at the house of my uncle Amos,
the chief men of the city came to hear him, and, if possible,
to see some miracle performed by him. The priesthood
is divided. Caiaphas has publicly recognized him
as a prophet, while Annas has publicly declared that he is
an impostor; and thus two parties are formed in the city,
headed by the two priests, and all men have taken sides
with one or the other. But the majority of the common
people are in favor of Jesus, believing him to be the Christ.
The Pharisees most oppose him, because he boldly reproves
their sins and hypocrisies; and though they fear him,
they hate and would destroy him, for he preaches so plainly
against their wickedness, that the people have ceased to
respect them. Even Nicodemus, who at first was inclined

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to accept Jesus as a Prophet, finding the Phari seesagainst
him, and being unwilling to lose his popularity with them,
kept away from the house where Jesus was by day; but
his curiosity to learn more of him, led him to visit the
holy Prophet secretly by night. This he did twice, coming
alone in the darkness, and being let in by his friend Rabbi
Amos. What the result of these interviews was, I can
only tell you from Mary's account. She overheard their
conversation, her window opening upon the corridor, where
Jesus had been seated after supper, in the moonlight
alone, for full an hour, gazing meditatively heavenward.
His pale and chiseled features in the white moonlight
seemed radiant as marble, and as cold, when Rabbi Amos
came and announced the ruler Nicodemus, as desirous to
speak with him.

“Bid him come in and see me, if he has aught to say
to me,” answered the Prophet, turning towards him.

“Nicodemus,” added my cousin Mary, “then came to
the corridor, wrapped carefully in his mantle; and, looking
about to see if he were unobserved, he dropped it from
his face, and, bowing reverently, said to the Prophet:

“Pardon me, O Rabbi, that I come to thee by night;
but by day thy time is taken up with healing and teaching.
I am glad to find thee alone, great Prophet, for I
would ask thee many things.”

“Speak, Nicodemus, and I will listen to thy words,”
answered the Prophet.

“Rabbi,” said the ruler of the Pharisees, “I know thou
art a teacher, come from God; for no man can do these
things that thou doest except God be with him. That thou

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art a mighty Prophet, I believe, as do all men: but art
thou the Messias? Tell us plainly!”

“If I tell thee, Nicodemus, thou wilt not believe,” answered
Jesus, mildly. “I will ask you one question.
Whence cometh Christ?”

“He is the son of David, and cometh out of Bethlehem.”

“Thou hast well answered. Rabbi Amos, here, will tell
thee that he has examined the records. Ask him whose
son he is who speaketh unto thee.”

“The son of Joseph and Mary, of the lineage of David's
house,” answered Rabbi Amos. “The record of his birth
I have seen, O Nicodemus, and also has Caiaphas and
many others. Thou canst examine for thyself, if thou wilt
come to the Temple with me to-morrow.”

“Thy word suffices, O Rabbi Amos; for who ever knew
thy lips to utter falsehood?”

“The same record shows that the great Prophet, now
here among us, was born in Bethlehem, in the days of the
taxation,” answered Rabbi Amos.

“Then whence is it, O Prophet, that thou comest out
of Nazareth of Galilee?” asked Nicodemus, doubtingly.

“I will tell thee, Nicodemus,” answered Jesus. “My
parents dwelt in Nazareth, and as they sojourned at
Bethlehem, to be registered in their own family town,
David's town, I was born! Thus am I of the line of
David, of the town of Bethlehem, and also as it was prophesied
of me, a Nazarene. Dost thou ask more? Dost
thou believe?”

“Yea, Lord; but how read the Prophets that Messias
is to be a king, and to rule the whole earth?”

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“My kingdom, O ruler of the Pharisees, is not of this
world! I am indeed a king, but of a spiritual kingdom.
My kingdom, unlike all earthly kingdoms, has no end;
and those who become its subjects must be born again, or
they cannot see it!”

“Born again?” answered Nicodemus, with surprise.
“How can a man be a second time born after he is
grown to manhood? O Rabbi, thou speakest in parables.”

“Art thou a wise man of the Pharisees, and a master
in Israel, and knowest not what I say?” answered the
Prophet. “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter my
kingdom. He who is born of Adam is of the flesh, and
of Satan's kingdom, of which Adam was; but he that is
born again is born a spiritual man, and is of my kingdom;
for I come to build up a kingdom on the ruins of Satan's
seat. Marvel not, then, that I say that the sons of Adam
must be born again to be sons of God. If ye would
enter into my kingdom and live forever, ye must be born
again, even of water and of the Spirit.”

“How can these things be? Pray, master, explain,
that I may know what this mystery meaneth. How can a
man be born when he is old?”

“What! dost thou stumble at the very threshold of the
doctrine of my kingdom, O Pharisee? If ye cannot believe
earthly things, how shall ye understand the heavenly
things, which ye seek to know? He that would be my
disciple must be born again! Your first birth is under
Satan's power, which rules the world as it now is in bondage;
your second birth is into His kingdom, who has

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come to destroy Satan's and build up His own. This
birth is spiritual.”

Upon this Nicodemus rose and said, with a shake of
the head:

“I will hear thee again, O Rabbi, of this matter touching
the new birth, of which thou speakest.”

When Nicodemus left him, Rabbi Amos said, “Is
it indeed true, O master, that thou art to establish a
kingdom?”

“Yes, Rabbi Amos, a kingdom in which dwelleth
righteousness,” answered the Prophet.

“And shall all nations pay us tribute?”

“Thou knowest not what thou sayest, O Rabbi. But
the vail shall be removed from thine eyes when thou seest
the Son of man lifted up on his throne, as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness.”

“Where will be thy throne, O Messias? Wilt thou
expel the Romans from the city of David, and reign
there?”

“Thou shalt yet behold me on my throne, O Amos,
raised above the earth, and drawing all men unto
me.”

“Wilt thou have thy throne in the clouds of Heaven, O
Master, that thou shalt be raised above the earth upon
it?” asked Rabbi Amos.

“My throne shall be set on Mount Calvary, and the
ends of the earth shall look unto me, and acknowledge
my empire. But thou knowest not these things now;
but hereafter thou shalt remember that I told thee of
them.”

Jesus then rose, and bidding his host good night,

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retired to the apartment which was assigned him, and Mary
remained wondering at his sayings.

Thus, dear father, it is made certain from his own
words, that Jesus is the Christ; that he is to establish a
kingdom; that he will stand on “a throne high and lifted
up,” as saith the Prophet, and all the earth shall acknowledge
him. But why his throne should be on Calvary
instead of Mount Zion, Rabbi Amos wonders greatly, in
conversing with us to-day; for Calvary is a place of skulls,
and of public executions, and is covered with Roman
crosses, where every week some malefactor is crucified
for his crimes! And yet it is more mysterious still, his
saying that we must be born again. But John remarked
that there are many things which he says to him and his
disciples, which Jesus plainly tells them they cannot yet
understand, but will by and by remember; and that he
tells them now that then, when they see these things fulfilled,
they may remember that he told them of them and
believe in him; and have confidence that other sayings
and prophecies of his, yet further in the future, will come
to pass.

Jesus, in all that he says, in all that he does, proves
that he is omniscient and omnipotent! Whatever he wills
to do, he doeth. Never man had power such as dwells in
him. This morning, as he was going forth from the
house to depart into the country, a man lame from his
birth, seated upon the threshold, caught him by his robe,
saying, “Master, heal me!”

“Son, thy sins be forgiven thee,” answered Jesus, and
then passed on; but the Scribes and Pharisees who stood
about, when they heard this, cried, “This man, be he

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prophet or no, blasphemeth; for God alone can forgive
sins!”

Jesus stopped, and turning to them, said:

“Which is easier, to say to this man, who has not
walked for twelve years, and whose legs and arms are
withered, as you see, `Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to
say, `Rise and walk?' If I can bid him rise and walk as
aforetime, and he does so before your eyes, is it not proof
to you that I have power to forgive his sins also? For
who could make him to rise and walk but the power of
God alone, who also forgiveth men's sins? But that ye
may know that the Son of God hath power on earth to forgive
sins, Behold!”

The Prophet then said in a loud voice to the lame
man, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house!”

Immediately the man rose to his feet, leaping and
praising God, and taking up the mattress upon which they
had brought him to the door, he ran swiftly away to show
himself to his kinsfolk, while all the people shouted and
praised God!

Thus did Jesus publicly show men that he could forgive
sins, if he could heal, as the power to do both came
equally from God. Does not this prove that he is the Son
of God?

You should have seen him, dear father, as he left our
house, to go away into Galilee. Mary and I fell at his
feet and bathed them with our tears. Rabbi Amos, and
even Nicodemus, kneeled before him, with many others,
asking his blessing; mothers came with their infants,
that he might lay his hands on them; and the sick and
impotent were placed by their friends in his path, that

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his shadow in passing by might heal them. Hundreds
brought handkerchiefs, amulets, and springs of cypress
torn from the booths, in order that they might bring them
in contact with his garments. The street was lined with
all the afflicted of Jerusalem; and as he moved on between
the rows of wretched sufferers, whose hollow eyes
and shrivelled arms were turned imploringly towards him,
he healed by words addressed to them, as he moved on, so
that where he found disease before him, stretched on beds,
he left behind him health and empty couches. We all
wept at his departure, and followed him to the Damascus
gate. Here there were assembled a large company of Levites
and priests, among whom were mingled some of the
most desperate characters in Jerusalem. Knowledge of
this fact reached Rabbi Amos, who at once sent a message
to æmilius, our Roman friend, informing him that he
apprehended that there would be an attempt made to assassinate
Jesus at the going out of the gate, and asking his
aid.

æmilius placed himself at the head of fifty horse,
and reaching the gate, pressed the crowd back, and took
possession of it. When Jesus passed through the armed
guard beneath the arch, the young Roman courteously
offered him an escort to the next village.

Jesus, graciously looking on him, said:

“Young man, I need not thy help. My hour is not yet
come. They cannot harm me till my hour arrives. I am
not yet given by my father into their hands! Take my
blessing, and one day thou shalt know to whom thou hast
offered the aid of thy troop?”

The Levites and their hired murderers now pressed

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forward, and broke through the cohort to reach Jesus, uttering
wild and fearful cries; but æmilius charging them,
routed them, and put several to the sword. He then rode
to the side of the Prophet, offering him the best horse in
his company. This accommodation Jesus refused, but
walked by the Roman soldier, who insisted on escorting
him, affably conversing with him, and teaching him wonderful
things touching the kingdom of God.

æmilius, who informed me of these things, conducted
him as far as Ephraim, and then was about to leave him
to return to the city, when four lepers came from the
cemetery of the tombs, near the village, and crying out
afar off, said:

“Thou blessed Christ, have mercy on us!”

Jesus stopped, though his disciple Peter would have
bidden the lepers to hold their peace, as it was late, and
his Master was weary; but Jesus, who never wearies doing
good, called the lepers to approach. As they did so, the
whole company of people, as well as the Roman soldiers,
drew back to a distance, in horror at the sight of these
dead-living men. They came timidly within twenty paces
of Jesus, and stood still, tremblingly!

“Fear not,” said he, “I will make you whole!”

He then advanced towards them, and laying his hand
upon each of them, they all, at the touch, were instantly
changed to well men, with the buoyant form, clear eye,
and rich bloom of health!

When æmilius saw this miracle, he dismounted
from his horse, and falling at Jesus' feet, cried, worshiping
him:

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“Thou art Mercury or Jupiter, O mighty God! Give
me wisdom and power from the skies!”

“Rise, young man,” answered Jesus, sadly looking
upon him; “thou shalt have wisdom and grace, but not
from thy gods; there is but one God, even the Father;
worship him, and he will reward thee!”

æmilius said to me that his heart thrilled at these
words, with others he had spoken in the way, and he promised
me that he would henceforth “cast aside his gods
and believe in the God of Israel, and in Jesus, his holy
Prophet.”

Is not this blessed news? “Lo! he proclaims,” as
saith the prophet, “liberty to the Gentiles.”

Now, my dear father, I have thus far faithfully
written all that I have heard and witnessed respecting
Jesus, as you desire. You must see that he is more
than a Prophet, and is the very Christ, the son of the
Blessed. Withhold, oh, withhold not, your belief longer.
Thousands believe in him, love and reverence him,
as Messias. Daily his power over the hearts and minds
of men is increasing. The common people worship the
very dust of his sandals. The priests believe and tremble;
but, like Herod, when he was an infant in Bethlehem,
would destroy him, lest he should supplant
them. They say the daily sacrifice will cease, the
Temple fall to ruins, and the faith of Israel depart, if
Jesus be suffered to live and preach, and do these
mighty signs and wonders among the people. But all
this establishes his claims! Did not David prophesy
of Messias, that when he should come, “The kings of
the earth would set themselves, and the rulers take

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council together against the Lord and against his
anointed? But he that sitteth in the heavens shall
laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” Thus,
dear father, all things more and more go to prove
Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ of God.

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