Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/348

 after a short time." And the king said, "I advised thee what is profitable, but thou makest thy position worse."

128. When the apostle had left the king, Charis came and said to him beseechingly, "I pray thee, O man—for I never did anything wrong to thee or someone else nor against the gods—why hast thou brought such great misery upon me? Why hast thou excited such a sedition against my house? And what profit hast thou thereof? But if thou thinkest to profit by it, tell me what kind of profit it is, and I will obtain it for thee without trouble. Why make me mad, and destroy thyself? For if thou persuadest her not I shall lay my hand on thee and finally kill myself. But if, as thou sayest, there is life and death after this life, besides also a condemnation and victory and a judgment, I shall appear there also and be judged with thee, and if God, whom thou preachest, is just and judges justly, I know that I shall be vindicated. For thou didst harm me, without ever having been harmed by anyone. Here I can avenge myself for everything that thou didst against me. Obey me, therefore, and go into my house and persuade Mygdonia to behave toward me as before, ere she saw thee. Judas said to him, "Believe me, my son, if men loved God as much as one another, they would receive from him everything that they ask, without being forced by anyone."

129. While Thomas was saying this, they came into the house of Charis and found Mygdonia sitting,