surprising miracle, they praised
God.
CHAP. XVI.
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 he went.
2 And as often as Joseph had
anything in his work, to make
longer, or shorter, or wider, or
narrower, the Lord Jesus would
stretch his hand towards it.
3 And presently it became as
Joseph would have it:
4 So that he had no need to
finish anything with his own hands,
for he was not very skilful at his
carpenter's trade.
5 On a certain time the King
of Jerusalem sent for him, and
said, I would have thee make me
a throne of the same dimensions
with that place in which I
commonly sit.
6 Joseph obeyed, and forthwith
began the work, and continued two
years in the king's palace before
he finished it.
7 And when he came to fix it
in its place, he found it wanted
two spans on each side of the
appointed measure.
8 Which when the king saw,
he was very angry with Joseph;
9 And Joseph afraid of the
king's anger, went to bed without
his supper, taking not any thing
to eat.
10 Then the Lord Jesus asked
him, What he was afraid of?
11 Joseph replied, Because I
have lost my labour in the work
which I have been about these two
years.
12 Jesus said to him, Fear not,
neither be cast down;
13 Do thou lay hold on one side
of the throne, and I will the other,
and we will bring it to its just
dimensions.
14 And when Joseph had done
as the Lord Jesus said, and each
of them had with strength drawn
his side, the throne obeyed, and
was brought to the proper
dimensions of the place:
15 Which miracle when they
who stood by saw, they were
astonished, and praised God.
16 The throne was made of the
same wood which was in being
in Solomon's time, namely, wood
adorned with various shapes, and
figures.
CHAP. XVII.
1 Jesus plays with boys at hide and seek.
3 Some women put his playfellows in a furnace,
7 where they are transformed by Jesus into kids.
10 Jesus calls them to go and play, and they
are restored to their former shape.
ON another day the Lord Jesus
going out into the street,
and seeing some boys who were
met to play, joined himself to their
company.
2 But when they saw him, they
hid themselves, and left him to
seek for them;
3 The Lord Jesus came to the
gate of a certain house, and asked
some women who were standing
there, Where the boys were gone?
4 And when they answered,
That there was no one there; the
Lord Jesus said, Who are those
whom ye see in the furnace?
5 They answered, They were
kids of three years old.
6 Then Jesus cried out aloud,
and said, Come out hither, O ye
kids, to your shepherd;
7 And presently the boys came
forth like kids, and leaped about
him; which when the women saw,
they were exceedingly amazed, and
trembled,
8 Then they immediately worshipped,
the Lord Jesus, and beseeched him,
saying, O our Lord Jesus, son of
Mary, thou art truly that good
shepherd of Israel! have mercy
on thy handmaids, who stand before
thee, who do not doubt, but that
thou, O Lord, art come to save,
and not to destroy.
9 After that, when the Lord
Jesus said, the children of Israel
are like Ethiopians among the
people; the women said, Thou,
Lord, knowest all things, nor is
any thing concealed from thee:
but now we entreat thee, and
beseech of thy mercy, that thou
wouldest restore those boys to
their former state.
10 Then Jesus said, Come hither,
O boys, that we may