Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/262

 give thee." And he says to him, "Sell me the palace which thou hast in heaven." And the King said, "A palace in heaven—whence comes this to me?" And he said, "(it is) that which that Christian built for thee, who is now in prison, whom the merchant brought, having bought him from a certain Jesus. I mean that Hebrew slave whom thou didst wish to punish, as having suffered some imposition from him, on account of whom I also was grieved and died, and now have come alive again."

24. Then the King heard and understood (his words) about the eternal benefits that were conferred upon him and destined for him, and said, "the palace I cannot sell thee, but I pray to be permitted to enter into it and to dwell there, being deemed worthy to belong to its inhabitants. And if thou wilt really buy such a palace, behold, the man is alive, and will build thee a better one than that." And having sent immediately, he brought out of prison the apostle, and the merchant who had been shut up along with him, saying, "I entreat thee, as a man entreating the servant of God, pray for me, and to ask him whose servant thou art to pardon me and to overlook what I have done to thee or intended to do, and that I may become worthy to be an inhabitant of that house for which indeed I have done nothing, but which thou laboring alone hast built for me with the help of the grace of thy God, and that I may also become a servant and serve this God, whom thou preachest." His brother also fell down before the apostle, and said, "I entreat thee