Page:Suppressed Gospels and Epistles.djvu/44

 10 And that same side, on which Judas: struck him, the Jews pierced with a spear.

1  Jesus and other boys play together, and make clay figures of animals. 4  Jesus causes them to walk, 6  also makes clay birds, which he causes to fly, and eat and drink. 7  The children's parents alarmed, and take Jesus for a sorcerer. 8  He goes to a dyer's shop, and throws all the cloths into the furnace, and works a miracle therewith. 15  Whereupon the Jews praise God.

AND when the Lord Jesus was seven years of age, he was on a certain day with other boys his companions about the same age;

2 Who, when they were at play, made clay into several shapes, namely-asses, oxen, birds, and other figures;

3 Each boasting of his work, and endeavouring to exceed the rest.

4 Then the Lord Jesus said to the boys, I will command these figures which I have made to walk.

5 And immediately they moved, and when he commanded them to return, they returned.

6 He had also made the figures of birds and sparrows, which, when he commanded to fly, did fly, and when he commanded to stand still, did stand still; and if he gave them meat and drink, they did eat and drink.

7 When at length the boys went away, and related these things to their parents, their fathers said to them, Take heed, children, for the future of his company, for he is a sorcerer; shun and avoid him, and from henceforth never play with him.

8 On a certain day also, when the Lord Jesus was playing with the boys, and running about, he passed by a dyer's shop, whose name was Salem.

9 And there were in his shop many pieces of cloth belonging to the people of that city, which they designed to dye of several colours.

10 Then the Lord Jesus going into the dyer's shop, took all the cloths, and threw them into the furnace.

11 When Salem came home, and saw the cloths spoiled, he began to make a great noise, and to chide the Lord Jesus, saying,

12 What hast thou done to me, O thou son of Mary? Thou hast injured both me and my neighbours; they all desired their cloths of a proper colour; but thou hast come and spoiled them all.

13 The Lord Jesus replied, I will change the colour of every cloth to what colour thou desirest.

14 And then he presently began to take the cloths out of the furnace, and they were all dyed of those same colours which the dyer desired.

15 And when the Jews saw this surprising miracle, they praised God.

1  Christ miraculously widens or contracts the gates, milk pails, sieves, or boxes, not properly made by Joseph, 4  he not being skilful at his carpenter's trade. 5  The King of Jerusalem gives Joseph an order for a throne. 6 '' Joseph works on it for two years in the king's palace, and makes it two spans too short. The king being angry with him, 10  Jesus comforts him, 13  commands him to pull one side of the throne, while he pulls the other, and brings it to its proper dimensions. 14  Whereupon the bystanders praise God.''

AND Joseph, wheresoever he went in the city, took the Lord Jesus with him, where he was sent for to work to make gates, or milk-pails, or sieves, or boxes; the Lord Jesus was with him, wheresoever be went.

2 And as often as Joseph had