The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 16 -
The Vision Of The Midwife
THE WOMAN consented and followed Joseph to the cave, and when they arrived there, the cave suddenly became enveloped in a thick white cloud, so that they were unable to find the entrance.
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At this phenomenon the midwife expressed great surprise and said to Joseph,
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'My soul has this day experienced great things! This morning I had a sublime, wondrous vision, in which everything turned out as I now have seen it in reality, still see it and shall see more!
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You are the same man who came toward me in the vision. I also saw all the world rest in the midst of its appointed rounds and saw how a cloud came over the cave, and spoke with you as I now have spoken.
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And I saw still more most wondrous things in the cave, when my sister Salome came after me, to whom alone I confided my vision in the morning!
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Therefore I now say before you and before the Lord, my God: A great salvation is come to Israel! A Savior came, sent from above, in the time of our great distress!'
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After these words of the midwife the cloud quickly withdrew from the cave, and a light of such intensity streamed from the cave toward the midwife and Joseph that their eyes were not able to bear it, and the midwife exclaimed, 'Everything is then true that I have seen in the vision! Oh man, you fortunate one, here is more than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Elias!'
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Thereupon the strong light gradually became more and more bearable, and the Baby became visible, just as He took His mother's breast for the first time.
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The midwife now went into the cave with Joseph, inspected the Baby and His mother, and when she found everything loosed to perfection she asserted:
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'Truly, truly, That is the Savior extolled by all the prophets, who will be free of bonds already in His mother's body, to signify that He will unbind all the hard bonds of the Law!
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Now when has anyone seen that a newly-born child already reached for its mother's breast?
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That truly is visible proof that this Child when a man will one day judge the world according to love, and not according to the Law!
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Hear, you most fortunate husband of this maiden! Everything is in the best possible order, therefore let me go out of the cave, for it now begins to weigh heavily upon my breast, since I feel that I am not clean enough to bear the holy nearness of my and your Lord and God!'
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Joseph was thoroughly shocked at these words of the midwife, and she hastened out of the cave into the open.
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As she went out of the cave she met her sister Salome outside, who had followed her because she knew of the vision, and immediately said to her,
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'Salome, Salome, come and see my vision of the morning confirmed in reality! The virgin has given birth in fullness of truth to that which human wisdom and nature can never comprehend!'
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And Salome replied, 'As truly as God lives am I unable to believe that a virgin is supposed to have given birth until I have examined her with my hand!'