Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/52

 the glory of the Lord.' And being laid hold of by them, she looked up into heaven, and said : ' God, terrible and incomparable, and glorious to Thine adversaries, who didst deliver me out of the fire, who didst not give me up to Thamyris, who didst not give me up to Alexander, who didst deliver me from the wild beasts, who didst save me in the abyss, who hast everywhere worked with me, and glorified Thy name in me, now also deliver me from these lawless men, and let them not insult my virginity, which for Thy name's sake I have preserved till now, because I love Thee, and desire Thee, and adore Thee, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen.' And there came a voice out of the heaven, saying : ' Fear not, Thecla, my true servant, for I am with thee. Look and see where an opening has been made before thee, for there shall be for thee an everlasting house, and there shalt thou obtain shelter.' And looking up around, the blessed Thecla saw the rock opened as far as to allow a man to enter, and she did according to what had been said to her, and courageously fleeing from the lawless ones entered into the rock; and the rock was straightway shut together, so that not even a joining appeared. And they, beholding the extraordinary wonder, became as it were distracted ; and they were not able to detain the servant of God, but only caught hold of her dress, and were able to tear off a certain part; and that by the permission of God for the faith of those seeing the venerable place, and for a blessing in the generations afterwards to those that believe in our Lord Jesus Christ out of a pure heart.

"Thus, then suffered the first martyr of God, and apostle, and virgin, Thecla, who came from Iconium when eighteen years of age. With her journeying, and the going round, and the retirement in the mountain she lived yet seventy-two years more. And when the Lord took her, she was ninety years old. And thus is her consummation. And her holy commemoration is celebrated on the twenty-fourth of the month of September, to the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen."