Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/324

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APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.

when they said it was, the serpent, being called by the Lord, came forth without delay, submitting himself to him. And he said, Go and suck out all the venom which thou hast infused into this boy. The serpent therefore crawled to the boy and sucked out all its venom. Then the Lord Jesus cursed him: whereupon he was instantly rent asunder; and the boy, being stroked by the hand of the Lord Jesus, became well again. And when he began to weep, the Lord Jesus said, Weep not, for hereafter thou shalt be my disciple. And this was Simon the Cananite,[1] of whom mention is made in the Gospel.[2]

CHAPTER XLIII.

On another day, Joseph had sent his son James to gather wood, and the Lord Jesus had joined him as a companion. And when they came to the place in which the wood was, and James began to gather it, behold a noxious viper bit his hand, so that he began to cry out and weep. The Lord Jesus, therefore, seeing him in this condition, came to him and breathed on the place where the viper had bitten him; whereupon he was instantly healed.

CHAPTER XLIV.

One day when the Lord Jesus was again among

  1. Cananite, a Syriac word synonymous with Zelotes.
  2. Matt. x. 4.