Letter from Heaven. Jesus' sabbath letter plus four
others on one page. England, 1795. Link to image page below.
A Copy of a
Letter written by our Blessed Lord and Saviour
JESUS CHRIST,
[Centered oval image of Jesus, see description below.]
[Preliminary text divides around image.]
And found eighteen miles
from Iconium, fifty three years after our Blessed Saviour's Crucifixion.
Transmitted
from the Holy City by a converted Jew.
Faithfully
translated from the original Hebrew copy, now in the possession of Lady
Cuba's family at Mesopotamia.
This letter
was written by JESUS CHRIST, and found under a great stone round and large
at the foot of the cross. Upon the stone was engraved, "Blessed is he
that shall turn me over." All people that saw it, prayed to God earnestly,
desired that he would make this writing known unto them, and that they
might not attempt in vain to turn it over. In the mean time there
came out a little child, about six or seven years of age, and turned
it over without assistance, to the admiration of every person who was
standing by. It was carried to the city of Iconium, and there published
by a person belonging to the Lady Cuba.
On
the Letter was written, the commandments of Jesus Christ.
Signed by the Angel Gabriel, seventy-four years after Our Saviour's birth.
[Divided text ends above. Next two lines undivided and centered.]
King Agbarus's Letter
to Our Saviour, and Our Saviour's Answer; also his Cures and Miracles.
Likewise, Lentulus's Epistle to the Senate of Rome, containing a Description
of the Person of Jesus Christ.
[Remaining text in two columns, with narrow decorative scroll in
between.]
A LETTER OF JESUS CHRIST.
WHOSOEVER worketh on the Sabbath-day shall be cursed, I command you
to go to church, and keep the Lord's Day Holy, without doing any manner
of work. You shall not idly spend your time for bedecking yourself with
superfluities of costly apparel, and vain dresses for I have ordained a
day of rest. I will have that day kept holy that your sins be forgiven
you. You shall not break my commandments, but observe and keep them,
write them in your heart, and steadfastly observe that it was written with
my own hand and spoken with my own mouth. You shall not only go to
church yourself, but also send your men-servants and your maid-servants,
and observe my words and learn my commandments; you shall finish your labour
every Saturday in the afternoon by six o'clock, at which hour is the preparation
of the Sabbath. I advise you to fast five Fridays every year, beginning
with Good Friday and continuing the four Fridays immediately following,
in remembrance of the five bloody wounds which I received for all mankind.
You shall diligently and peaceably labour in your respective callings,
where in it hath pleased God to call you. You shall love one another
with brotherly love; and cause them that are baptised to come to church
and receive the Sacrament, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, and to be made
members of the Church, in so doing I will give you a long life and many
blessing; and your land will flourish and your cattle bring forth in abundance;
and I will give unto you many blessing and comforts in the greatest temptations,
and he that doth to the contrary shall be unprofitable. I will also send
hardness of heart upon them till I see them, but especialy upon the impertinent
and unbelievers. He that hath giving to the poor shall not be unprofitable,
remember to keep holy the Sabbath day, for the seventh day I have taken
to rest myself. And he that hath a copy of this my own letter, written
with my own hand, and spoken with my own mouth, and keepeth it without
publishing it to others shall not prosper; but he that publisheth it to
others, shall be blessed of me, and though his sins be in number as the
stars of the sky, and he believe in this he shall be pardoned; and if he
believe not in this writing, and this commandment, I will send my own plagues
upon him, and consume both him and his children, and his cattle. And whosoever
shall have a copy of this letter, written with my own hand, and keep it
in their houses nothing shall hurt them, neither lightning, pestilence, nor
thunder, shall do them any hurt, and if a woman be with child, and in labour,
and a copy of this letter be about her, and she firmly put her trust in
me, she shall safely be delivered of her birth.
CHRIST's CURES AND MIRACLES.
He cleansed a leper by touching
him; he healed the Centurion's servant, afflicted with the palsy; Peter's
mother-in-law of a fever; several possessed of devils; a most violent
tempest stilled by him; a man sick of the palsy cured; raised a man from
the dead; two blind men, a dumb man, who was possessed of a devil; fed
about 5000 with five loaves and two fishes; walked on the sea; all the
diseases of Genesaret cured by the touch of his garment; cured a woman of
a devil; and multitudes of lame, blind, dumb, maimed, & he fed 4000
with seven loaves and a few little fishes.
KING AGBARUS's LETTER TO CHRIST.
I have heard of thee and the cures
wrought by thee without herbs or medicines; for it is reported thou restorest
sight unto the blind, maketh the lame to walk, cleanseth the leper, raiseth
the dead, and healeth those that are tormented with diseases of long continuance
- having heard all this of thee, I was fully persuaded to believe one
of those two things, either that thou art very God, and camest down from
heaven to do such miracles, or else thou art the Son of God and performest
them; wherefore I have now sent these lines intreating thee to come hither
and cure my diseases. Besides having heard that the Jews murmur against
thee, and contrive to do thee mischief, I invite thee to my city, which
is little indeed, but exceeding beautiful, and sufficient for us both.
OUR SAVIOUR's ANSWER.
Blessed art thou Agbarus for believing
in me whom thou hast seen not, for it is written that they who have seen
me should not believe, and they who have not seen me should believe and
be saved; but as to the matter thou hast wrote about, these are to acquaint
thee, that all the things for which I am sent must be fulfilled, and
that I shall be taken up and returned to him that sent me, but after
my ascension I will send one of my disciples who shall cure thy distemper,
and give life to thee and all them that are with thee.
LENTULUS's EPISTLE TO THE SENATE OF
ROME
There appeared in these our days a man
of great virtue, called Jesus Christ; who by the people is called a prophet;
but his disciples call him the Son of God. He raiseth the dead,
and cures all manner of diseases, a man of stature, somewhat tall and
comely, with a reverend countenance, such as the beholders both fear and
love. His hair is the colour of a chesnut all ripe, and is plain
almost down to his ears, but from thence downwards is somewhat curled,
but more of the oriental colour, waving about his shoulders ; in the middle
of his head is a seam of parting like the Nazarites. His forehead
very plain and smooth. His face without either wrinkle or spot, beautiful
with a comely red, his nose and mouth so formed that nothing can be reprehended;
his beard thick the colour of his hair on his head, his eyes grey, clear
and quick. In reproving he is severe; in counselling he is courteous; he
is of a fair spoken, pleasant and grave speech; never seen by any one to
laugh, but often seen by many to weep; in proportion to his body he is
well shaped and straight; and both hands and arms are very delectable.
In speaking he is very temperate, modest and wise. A man for his
singular beauty, far exceeding all the sons of men.
Printed by J. Evans, 42, West-smithfield, London.
Broadside, printed
by J. Evans, 42, West-smithfield, London. This printer was active from
1789 to 1800, according to several on-line sources (http://microformguides.gale.com/Data/Introductions/30330FM.htm).
Size: 12" by 8 1/8". In top center is an oval illustration of Jesus (size
3.5" by 3") with halo and holding a globe in his left hand. In a band
around the oval: FAIRER THEN THE CHILDREN OF MEN PSALXIV. Contains (1)
Jesus' Sabbath letter, (2) Christ's Cures and Miracles, (3) King Agbarus's
Letter to Christ, (4) Our Saviour's Answer, (5) Lentulus's Epistle to the
Senate of Rome. Sic "especialy", "intreating", "chesnut", "grey", "counselling".
Provided by Bruce L. Johnson. Ebay lot 6551512232 closing 8/12/05. Entered
by DWV. Physical item no longer available in archive.
he1795u_jesus+4_sab
Scan available at: he1795u_jesus_sab+4
image.htm
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