The Forgotten Gospels and Epistles of the Original New Testament. Various

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      17 As often therefore as we find ourselves oppressed with grief, we rise and go with this our mother to our father's tomb, where, when we have cried sufficiently, we return home.

      18 When the girl had heard this she said, Take courage, and cease your fears, for you have a remedy for your afflictions near at hand even amoung you and in the midst of your house.

      19 For I was also leprous; but when I saw this woman, and this little infant with her, whose name is Jesus, I sprinkled my body with the water with which his mother had washed him and I was presently made well.

      20 And I am certain that he is also capable of relieving you under your distress. Wherefore arise, go to my mistress Mary, and when you have brought her into your own parlour, disclose to her the secret, at the same time earnestly beseeching her to compassionate your case.

      21 As soon as the women had heard the girl's discourse, they hastened away to the Lady St. Mary, introduced themselves to her, and sitting down before her, they wept.

      22 And said, O our Lady St. Mary, pity your handmaids, for we have no head of our family, no one elder than us; no father or brother to go in or out before us.

      23 But this mule, which you see, was our brother, which some women by witchcraft have brought into this condition which you see: we therefore entreat you to compassionate us.

      24 Hereupon St. Mary was grieved at their case, and taking the Lord Jesus, put him upon the back of the mule.

      25 And said to her son, O Jesus Christ, restore (or heal) according to thy extraordinary power this mule, and grant him to have again the shape of a man and a rational creature, as he had formerly.

      26 This was scarce said by the Lady St. Mary, but the mule immediately passed into a human form, and became a young man without any deformity.

      27 Then he and his mother and the sisters worshipped the Lady St. Mary, and lifting the child upon their heads, they kissed him, and said, Blessed is thy mother, O Jesus, O Saviour of the world! Blessed are the eyes which are so happy to see thee.

      28 Then both the sisters told their mother, saying, Of a truth, our brother is restored to his former shape by the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the kindness of that girl who told us of Mary and her son.

      29 And inasmuch as our brother is unmarried, it is fit that we marry him to this girl their servant.

      30 When they had consulted Mary in this matter, and she had given her consent, they made a splendid wedding for this girl.

      31 And so their sorrow being turned into gladness, and their mourning into mirth, they began to rejoice, and to make merry, and sing, being dressed in their richest attire, with bracelets.

      32 Afterwards they glorified and praised God, saying, O Jesus, son of David, who changest sorrow into gladness, and mourning into mirth!

      33 After this Joseph and Mary tarried there ten days, then went away, having received great respect from these people.

      34 Who, when they took their leave of them, and returned home, cried,

      35 But especially the girl.

      CHAP. VIII.

      1 Joseph and Mary pass through a country infested by robbers. 3 Titus a humane thief, offers Dumachus, his comrade, forty groats to let Joseph and Mary pass unmolested. 6 Jesus prophecies that the thieves Dumachus and Titus shall be crucified with him and that Titus shall go before him into paradise. 10 Christ causes a well to spring from a sycamore tree, and Mary washes his coat in it. 11 A balsam grows there from his sweat. They go to Memphis, where Christ works more miracles. Return to Judea. 15 Being warned, depart for Nazareth.

      IN their journey from hence they came into a desert country and were told it was infested with robbers; so Joseph and St. Mary prepared to pass through it in the night.

      2 And as they were going along, behold they saw two robbers asleep in the road, and with them a great number of robbers, who were their confederates, also asleep.

      3 The names of these two were Titus and Dumachus; and Titus said to Dumachus, I beseech thee let these persons go along quietly, that our company may not perceive anything of them.

      4 But Damachus refusing, Titus again said, I will give thee forty groats, and as a pledge take my girdle, which he gave him before he had done speaking, that he might not open his mouth or make a noise.

      5 When the Lady St. Mary saw the kindness which this robber did shew them, she said to him, The Lord God will receive thee to his right hand and grant thee pardon of thy sins.

      6 Then the Lord Jesus answered, and said to his mother, When thirty years are expired, O mother, the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem;

      7 And these two thieves shall be with me at the same time upon the cross, Titus on my right hand, and Dumachus on my left, and from that time Titus shall go before me into paradise;

      8 And when she had said, God forbid this should be thy lot, O my son, they went on to a city in which were several idols; which, as soon as they came near to it, was turned into hills of sand.

      9 Hence they went to that sycamore tree, which is now called Matarea.

      10 And in Materea the Lord Jesus caused a well to spring forth, in which St. Mary washed his coat;

      11 And a balsam is produced, or grows, in that country, from the sweat which ran down there from the Lord Jesus.

      12 Thence they proceeded to Memphis, and saw Pharoah, and abode three years in Egypt.

      13 And the Lord Jesus did very many miracles, in Egypt, which are neither to be found in Gospel of the Infancy nor in the Gospel of Perfection.

      14 At the end of three years he returned out of Egypt, and when he came near to Judea, Joseph was afraid to enter;

      15 For hearing that Herod was dead, and that Archelaus his son reigned in his stead, he was afraid.

      16 And when he went to Judea, an, angel of God appeard to him, and said, O Joseph go into the city of Nazareth, and abide there.

      17 It is strange indeed, that he, who is the Lord of all countries, should be thus carried backward and forward, through so many countries.

      CHAP. IX.

      2 Two sick children cured by water wherein Christ was washed.

      WHEN they came afterwards into the city of Bethlehem, they found there several very desperate distempers, which became so troublesome to children by seeing them, that most of them died.

      2 There was there a woman who had a sick son, whom she brought, when he was at the point of death, to the Lady St. Mary, who saw her when she was washing Jesus Christ.

      3 Then said the woman, O my Lady Mary, look down upon this my son, who is afflicted with most dreadful pains.

      4 St. Mary hearing her, said, Take a little of that water with which I have washed my son, and sprinkle it upon him.

      5 Then she took a little of that water, as St. Mary had commanded, and sprinkled it upon her son, who being wearied with his violent pains, was fallen asleep; and after he had slept a little, awaked perfectly well and recovered.

      6 The mother being abundantly glad of this success, went again to St. Mary, and St. Mary said to her, Give praise to God, who hath cured this thy son.

      7 There was in the same place another woman, a neighbour of her, whose son was now cured.

      8 This woman's son was afflicted with the same disease, and his eyes were now almost quite shut, and she was lamenting for him day and night.

      9 The mother of the child which was cured, said to her, Why do you not bring your son to St. Mary, as I brought my son to her, when he was in the agonies of death; and he was cure by that water, with which the body of her son Jesus was washed?

      10 When the woman heard her say this, she also went, and having procured the same water, washed her son with it, whereupon