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My Dear Father:—In these letters to you which give
an account of my excursion with Rabbi Amos to
the Jordan, I hope you will pardon the details which I enter
into, for it is my earnest desire that you should see every
thing with my eyes, as if you had been present with me;
in order that you may, though absent, be able to judge as
if you had been an eye-witness of the remarkable events
of which I have undertaken to give you a complete history.
I know that your liberal mind, and your sense of equity
and justice, will lead you to read all I have to write before
you take upon you to make a reply to the facts which,
with filial love and reverence, I present to your consideration.

After Rabbi Amos had reached the house in the wheatfields
of Gilgal, where he intended to take up his sojourn
for the two weeks of harvest, and had directed his servants
what to do, he kindly told us that he was ready to accompany
my cousin Mary and myself to the Jordan, to hear
the prophet. It was with no little gratification, therefore,
that my cousin and myself once more mounted our mules,
and proceeded towards the place where we heard the prophet
was baptizing. But we had not ridden a great way
from the house when we overtook two men on foot, with

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staves in their hands and wallets upon their shoulders.
As we passed, one of them raised his cap with respect to
Rabbi Amos, who, from his rank as a priest, and his venerable
appearance, always commands the homage of all
men.

“Whither goest thou at such a pace, friend Matthew?”
said Rabbi Amos, returning his salute; for he seemed to
know him. “Canst thou leave thy tax-gathering these
busy times to go into the wilderness?”

The person, who was a man of stout figure, with dark
hair and beard, and a look of intelligence, but whose
costume was plain and ill-worn, smiled, and answered:

“If a man would find the payers of tribute now-a-days,
good master, he must not stay at home, forsooth, but
go into the wilderness of Jordan where all men have gone.
Verily, this new prophet emptieth our towns, and we
publicans must remain idle in our seat of customs, or go
with the tide.”

“Thy words are near the truth, friend Matthew,”
answered my uncle; “but hast thou no other motive in thy
heart than looking after thy Roman coins, in taking this
journey from Jericho?”

“I have curiosity to see a man whom multitudes resort
to from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem,
and from all Judea, and from beyond Jordan.”

“And thinkest thou,” continued my uncle, as the two
men walked along by the side of his mule, “thinkest thou
this prophet is a true son of the prophets?”

“He works no miracles, unless, indeed, the power of
his preaching be a miracle,” answered Matthew.

“This man is an impostor. There can be no prophet

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unless he prove his mission by miracles,” suddenly said
the companion of Matthew, speaking up abruptly in a
sharp and unpleasing voice. Now neither Mary nor I
liked the face of this man from the first. He was of good
height, he was well-featured, and his attire was rich; but
he had a haughty air, combined with a cringing deference
to Rabbi Amos, that made me think he must be a hypocrite.
He smiled with his mouth and teeth, but at the
same time looked sinister out of his eyes. He had an air
of humility which seemed to me to be put on to conceal
the pride and wickedness of his character. He looked like
a man who could artfully deceive to gain his selfish ends,
and who would kneel to you to overturn you. The sound
of his voice confirmed my first impression of him. Upon
his speaking, Rabbi Amos fixed his eyes upon him, as if
he did not like the manner of his breaking in upon the
conversation, and then mildly replied:

“Moses performed no miracles. Aaron, or Aaron's rod
was the instrument whereby these were done before Pharaoh.
This prophet may be as Aaron to the great Prophet
he foretelleth. What is thy companion's name, friend
Matthew?” he asked aside, as the other walked on ahead.

“His name is Judas, called Iscariot. He hath been
engaged by me to bear the moneys I collect in the country
villages; and as we are to gather taxes both at Gilgal and
Bethabara, he cometh with me.”

We now came in sight of the Jordan, but could discover
no crowd upon its banks. While we were wondering at
not beholding any signs of the multitude, we met a stranger
who was riding a horse, and coming from the northward,
who, seeing us apparently in perplexity, inquired

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with courtesy if we were not seeking John the prophet.
Upon Rabbi Amos replying in the affirmative, the horseman
informed us that he had removed up the river, some
two hours' ride, and was then baptizing at the little village
of Bethabara, on the east bank of Jordan; and he
added, that not less than eight thousand people must be
thronging the shore.

“Dost thou know this stranger?” asked of Matthew
Rabbi Amos, who had gratefully thanked him for his intelligence,
looking back after him, as he rode on. “I saw
thee salute him.”

“He is an officer of Herod the Tetrarch's household,”
was the response, “a Hebrew of great wealth, and he
payeth more tribute-money to the emperor from his lands
than any Israelite between Jericho and Jerusalem.”

At length, dear father, after hastening the speed of our
mules, and riding pleasantly for two hours along the verdant
banks of Jordan, we came in sight of a square tower
of stone, peering above the trees which marked the site
of the village of Bethabara. “That town,” said Rabbi
Amos, “stands over a cave in which Elijah long dwelt,
and in which Isaiah at one time concealed himself from
his enemies. It is now called the `Tower of Elijah.' From
the summit of yonder hill, at the left, the prophet was
caught up, and ascended to heaven upon the chariot of
fire; and near where you see the single rock, Elisha divided
Jordan, with the fallen mantle left him by the ascending
prophet of God.”

All these places, with many others which the intelligent
Rabbi Amos pointed out to us, were very interesting to
me, for nothing commands my attention so profoundly as

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allusions to the scenes of the olden days of the prophets
and kings of Israel. While my eyes were fixed upon the
hill, and my imagination presented to me Elijah upon the
chariot of heaven, disappearing amid the clouds, there was
an opening in the wood before us, and all at once we beheld
a scene that made my heart cease to beat, it was so
new and wonderful. At that place the river takes a broad
curve, and the opposite village of Bethabara lies in the
hollow of it, forming the centre of half a circle. This
wide curving shore was alive with the human heads that
filled it. Not a place could be seen where some one did not
stand. And of this vast multitude every eye was concentrated
upon the prophet, as from the crescent tiers of
the amphitheatre in Alexandria all gaze at once upon the
scenes passing in the arena. He was standing on the opposite
shore, (for Jordan here was very narrow, and can be forded,)
on the verge of the water, addressing the countless
assembly that stood opposite and half encircling him. Near
him, behind, and on either side, sat his disciples, at least a
hundred in number, chiefly young men. Behind rose the
Tower of Elijah, and receding farther from the shore lay
the sweet village of Bethabara, with its green gardens
and snow-white walls.

The clear voice of the youthful prophet of the wilderness
fell distinctly on our ears, so great was the stillness of the
vast audience. We could not approach very near on our
mules, and dismounting on the outskirts of the throng, we
left them with the two servants, and on foot drew as near
to the place where the prophet stood as we could. Many
of the people, seeing and recognizing Rabbi Amos, made
way for him, so that at length we stood directly opposite

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the speaker, with a full view of him, so that we could hear
every word. To my surprise I saw John, the cousin of
Mary, standing close to the prophet, and listening with
the deepest and most reverent attention to every word he
uttered. The subject of the prophet's discourse was as
before, and as always, the coming of the Messias. Oh,
that I could give you, my dear father, the faintest idea of
the power and eloquence of his words!

“There is no remission of sin without shedding of
blood,” he said earnestly. “The baptism of water with
which I baptize you is unto repentance; but there must
be blood outpoured ere sin can be washed away! Do you
ask me if the blood of bulls and goats take not away sin?
I answer and say unto you, that the Lord hath said that he
delighteth not in these rivers of blood.”

“For what, then, great prophet,” asked one of the chief
Levites who stood near us, “For what then are the sacrifices
ordained by the Law of Moses? For what then the
alter and the Temple, and the daily sacrifice of the
Lamb?”

“For what,” repeated the prophet, with his eyes beaming
with the earnest light of inspiration, “For what but
as types and shadows of the true blood—of the real and
true sacrifice appointed by God from the foundation of
the world! Think ye I can slay the lamb of my flock
for the sin of my soul? If God demands thy life, shall he
accept the life of a brute? Nay, men of Israel, the day
has come when your eyes shall be opened. The hour is
at hand when the true meaning of the daily sacrifice shall
be understood. Lo! the Messiah cometh, and ye shall see
and believe!”

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There now came several persons towards him who
desired baptism. While he was baptizing these persons,
both men and women, I saw appear on the little mound
near the tower from which Rabbi Amos had said Elijah
ascended, Lazarus, the brother of Martha, accompanied by
a man of about his own years, of an indescribable dignity
and grace of aspect, combined with an air of benevolence
and peace that at once attracted me.

“It must be the friend of Lazarus,” said Mary to me;
for she had discovered them at the same time. “See with
what calm serenity he gazes upon the multitude, yet
retiring in his manner as if he shrank from the common
eye!” He was wrapped in a vesture of dark blue cloth,
which was folded about his form; his head was bare, and
his dark hair flowed down about his shoulders. He seemed
so unlike all other men, in a certain majesty united with
sweetness that marked his whole air, that I could not
withdraw my gaze from him.

The prophet at the same moment rested his eyes upon
him, and as he did so, I saw a change come over his face,
as if he had seen an angel. His eyes shone with unearthly
brilliancy, his lips parted as if he would speak, yet had
lost the power; and then with his right hand stretched
forth towards the noble stranger, he stood for a moment
like a statue. All eyes followed his, and the direction of
his stretched-out arm. Suddenly he exclaimed, and oh,
how like the trumpet of Horeb his voice rung:

“Behold!”

There was not a face in that vast multitude that was not
directed towards the little eminence, where Lazarus,

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evidently amazed at the attitude and words of the prophet,
and the gaze of all that way, stood by his friend.

“Ye have asked wherefore is slain the daily lamb,”
continued the prophet. “The day has come when the
lamb of sacrifice, which can take away no sin, shall cease.
Behold!” and here he stretched forth both arms towards
the dignified stranger: “Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sins of the world. He it is who, coming
after me, is preferred before me. He it is to whom I bear
witness, as the Messiah, the Son of the Highest! There
stands the Christ of God! Behold the only true Lamb,
whose blood can wash away the iniquities of us all! He
hath stood among you—He hath walked your streets—He
hath sat in your homes, and I knew him not, till I now
behold above Him the sign of the Messiah, and therefore
know I that it is He who is to redeem Israel!”

When the prophet had thus spoken in a voice that
thrilled to every bosom, we beheld the august stranger
advance towards the prophet. He moved on alone.
Lazarus had fallen prostrate on his face when he heard
that it was the Messiah with whom he had thus been on
terms of friendship. As he continued to come forward, all
was expectation in the immense multitude. The mass of
heads swayed this way and that to get a sight of his face,
which I could see was serene, but pale and earnest. John,
the cousin of Mary, seeing him approach, lowly knelt, and
bowed his head in reverential awe and love. Those who
stood between him and the prophet moved apart, and left
an open path for him to the water-side. He walked at a
slow and even pace, with an air of humility, veiling the
native dignity of his kingly port.

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The prophet, on seeing him come near, regarded Him,
as it seemed to me, with more awe than all others.

“What wouldst thou of thy servant, oh, Messiah,
Prophet of God, mighty to save?” he said, in tremulous
tones, as the Messiah came even some paces into the water
towards him.

“To be baptized of thee,” answered the Christ, in a still,
quiet voice, that was heard to the remotest bounds of the
crowd: Never, oh, never shall I forget the sounds of that
voice, as it fell upon my ears!

“I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to
me?” answered the prophet, with the lowliest humility
and awe of manner, and with looks expressive of his
amazement.

“It becometh us to fulfill all righteousness,” answered
Messiah, mildly; and when He had said this, the prophet,
though still with a manner of doubt, and with the holiest
reverence, administered unto Him, in the sight of all the
people, the same baptism which he had administered to
his disciples.

And now, my dear father, comes to be related the most
extraordinary thing that ever took place in Israel, and
before human eyes, and which it must be clear to you
bears unquestionable testimony, that Jesus of Nazareth,
the noble stranger baptized in Jordan, and to whom John
bore witness, is truly Messias, the Son of God.

No sooner did the baptized stranger go up out of the
water, than there was heard above all our heads a noise
of rolling thunder, although the sky was cloudless; and
when we looked up we beheld a dazzling light, though it
was noon-day, brighter than the sun; and from the midst

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of this celestial splendor there darted with arrowy velocity
a ray of light which descended upon the head of the
Christ. Some of the people said it thundered; and others
that it lightened; but judge the amazement and admiration
of all, and the dread awe that shook every soul, when,
amid the glory above his head, was seen the form of a
dove of fire, with outspread wings overshadowing Him as
it were, and from the heavens what was supposed to be
thunder, shaped itself into the voice of God, which uttered
these words in the hearing of every ear:

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
Hear ye Him.”

At hearing these words a great part of the multitude
fell on their faces. Every cheek was pale, and each man
gazed on his neighbor in wonder and fear. When the
majestic, yet terrible voice had given utterance to these
words, the light disappeared, the dove re-ascended to the
skies, and was lost to the sight; and Messias, who alone
seemed unmoved and calm amid all this awful scene, went
up from the river and disappeared suddenly from my
earnest gaze. At length, when men came a little to themselves,
and would gaze on Him whom all knew now to be
the Christ, no one could find Him, so effectually had he
withdrawn himself from their homage.