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The Strange Effects of Faith.

THIRD PART.

I shall begin this Book with the explanations of the other two, and the meaning of the third chapter of Genesis. The two volumes of books are deep and weighty, which I must call your attention to, and request you will compare them together (the first and second) how they will be fulfilled; and which I shall shew you in this book. But now I must direct your thoughts to the third chapter of Genesis. The first prophecy that was given, was to the serpent; the second to the woman; and the third to the man. Now I shall shew you how it is explained; and how it will be fulfilled you will see in the volume of this book. To me it appeareth, as clear as the noon-day sun, just and right for the serpent to bear the blame the woman cast on him, if the Lord of Life and Glory bore on the cross the blame which man cast on him in paradise, when he fell; for those are the reasons assigned to me why he died, which I shall shew you in the following manner; but this must be judged by the world at

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large. The writings that I am ordered to put in print, are to try what is in man, to open the eyes of the blind, and to unstop the ears of the deaf, that the dead might hear his voice and live. And now I say unto this land, if this year that hath begun in sorrow, does not end in joy, it is your own faults: for England may be a blessed land; and the first redeemed of all the earth; be able to boast in the God of their salvation; and see every enemy fall before them, spiritual and temporal; for the fulness of the Gentiles is the calling of the Jews; and in this book you will find it written, how your full redemption must come. But as the Lord hath appointed ministers as shepherds to their flocks, so all who read this book, if they cannot understand it, ought in duty to appeal to their ministers; for they have as much right to demand their judgment, as the ministers have to demand their money for preaching; and the sacrament binds and commands all persons distressed in mind to go to their ministers, and make known their grief; and they must be careless readers, who are not desirous of knowing, if this calling be of God, or not; for as the benefit is great to those who receive it worthily, so is the danger great to those who receive it unworthily, for then ye have eat and drunk the body and blood of Christ to your condemnation, not discerning the Lord’s body till his coming. This I shall explain, that I might not hurt weak minds. The manner of receiving it worthily, is, to see the justness of God, how it was placed, and how it was all ordained. But if jealousy arise in your breasts, whether the report be true or not, appeal to the ministers of the Lord for further instruction, to know what spirit hath inspired a woman, to write such things in these last days, as never entered into the heart or thought of any one since earth’s foundation was placed. Those that thus concern themselves, are worthy

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partakers of the body and blood of Christ, and will reap much benefit thereby, to their great and endless comfort; but those that receive it unworthily, are such as read it as an idle tale, and do not care whether it be true or not; and their conduct will kindle God’s wrath against them, and provoke him to plague them with divers diseases, and sundry kinds of deaths; for they have eat and drunk their own condemnation, by eating the bread, and drinking the wine in memory of his death and suffering. And now they are shewn clearly what his death and suffering meant,—to turn it back on the serpent at last as he bore it at first. Then ye cannot be worthy partakers, unless the same mind be in you, as was in Christ; for you know the devil was the author of every sin; and the finisher when Christ died upon the cross; for then he betrayed both God and man, when he entered into Judas; Judas hanged himself, and our Saviour was crucified; therefore our dear dying Lord said, it was finished. But you must know, from Isaiah, that the day of vengeance was in his heart; that meaneth, to turn on Satan the spear. Know if we are worthy partakers of his body and blood, we shall all drink into the same spirit, lest we bring that day of vengeance on ourselves, by committing the sin against the Holy Ghost. But such a monster, I trust, there is not upon earth; yet I fear there are many Laodiceans, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm; they are unworthy receivers of the sacrament. I shall now answer those who marvel at my saying I am the Bride. I tell you all, Christ styleth himself the Bridegroom; and whoever hath his mind and will written on his heart, the same is the Bride; for Christ is the Bridegroom, the Church is the Bride. Now call his words to your remembrance—“Who is my mother? he that doeth the will of my Father, the same is my mother, my brother, and my sister.” And now I ask you,

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who is the Bride? those who have my mind and heart within them, to avenge the injuries done to the Lord. I am the Bridegroom, they are the Bride, saith the Lord Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed me; but he could not crucify me, had not others agreed with him;” and though the petition is made by me, it cannot be offered up as an acceptable sacrifice till the church unite together. I shall shew you the meaning of this mystery hereafter, from the two rams that Moses was ordered to offer up as a burnt sacrifice. To explain the type of those two rams, is too deep, too weighty, and a field too large to enter into at present.

But now I will come to Pilate’s question, “Which of the twain will ye that I release unto you? the serpent, or the woman? Here is as just an inquiry as Pilate made. One of the two must be cast, before your full redemption can be accomplished. Now answer for thyself, O man! and I will for the woman. Did I not bear all the blame man cast on me? And is it not just, the serpent should bear the blame the woman cast on him? If ye judge this simple, read back your Bibles, and ye will find all as simple. Simple was my coming into the world, and my manner through the world, and my going out of the world; all was as simple to the Jews as this appears to the Gentiles. Was I not born of simple parents, laid in a manger, and simply warned the wise men to return another way for fear of Herod, when I could have destroyed him? Did I not simply fly into Egypt, and full as simply returned again? For a God to be afraid of man, you must confess a simple thing.

And now in verse I shall begin

To echo back the lines to men.

Of simple parents I was born,

And worldly wise men did me scorn;

Simply to Egypt I did fly,
And simply all was done,

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And simply another way
I did turn back again;

Simply I oft myself did hide
When man I could destroy;

Simply the manger made my bed,
While mankind did enjoy

Their beds of down, and wore their crown,
While I was forc’d to flee;

And simply shall their pride come down,
That every soul shall see.

Simple among the sons of men
I always did appear;

And simple in the woman’s form
I’ve surely acted here.

Simple as these appear to be,
So simply all was done,

When on the cross at Calvary
I gave my life for man.

For, oh! how few regard my love,
Or to the manger go,

Just like the shepherds you have heard,
To know if it be true.

The manger here doth now appear
As much despis’d by man;

They cannot see the mystery clear—
The servant cannot come

No greater here for to appear
Than was her Lord before;

And like the Jews the Gentiles are,
And open every pore.

Do I not see as well as thee
Thy poverty despis’d?

For like the Jews the Gentiles be,
And pride hath dimm’d their eyes.

So now take care, I warn you here,
The natural branch did fall;

Then the wild olive sure must fear,
If none can judge the call.

Now I shall explain what the calling meaneth, from what was omitted to be put in the proper place in the first book; what is placed in the 17th page ought to be in the 9th page. Now I shall call you to the Bible. “Had all stood in its proper place as soon as I received the sentence from man, that he cast on me at first, Satan ought to receive the

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sentence the woman cast on him; but this was omitted, till the fulness of the time came, that God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law; that meaneth the spirit of prophecy given to the woman; for the spirit of prophecy is the Spirit of Jesus. Now this spirit is sent to a woman, to fulfil the law that was then given between the serpent and a woman; Satan hath already bruised my heel, when they nailed my feet and hands to the cross; and now, to fulfil the law, the woman must bruise his head; therefore I let loose his reins, to cause such enmity between thee and the serpent. The meaning of the whole verse I shall explain another time.”

And now I will tell you how to compare the two books together. The first book is the beginning, the other sheweth the ending, of all the visions. The 30th p. book i. and the 83d p. book ii. is the end of the visions; the last vision in 1792 ends with the dream in 1794, in the 83d p. book ii. Here I have shewn you the end of the visions that you are to compare together: now weigh the 36th with the 74th page, and the 38th with the 87th (the thief upon the cross). I shall end with comparisons for the present, only call you to the 16th page—

“Now, if they say all this by thee is done,

Thy head is wiser than the sons of men;

And now in wisdom all shall see it clear,

Men by their wisdom brought on me the spear;

Or by their folly they did not discern

The day of vengeance in my heart must come.

And if the vengeance I had in my heart

Was but on man to turn the fatal dart,

Then surely man must judge I died a fool,

To take such vengeance on the mortal soul.

To leave my Father’s throne, and here come down,

To heighten sin, that man might sure be found

A guilty object of my just revenge,

And heighten sin, if this was all my ends;

To have such day of vengeance in my heart,

On Man alone can turn the fatal dart;

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Or if I died, to save them in their sin,

I ask what victory I that way could win?

But if I died to set the sinner free,

And bore the blame that man did cast on me,

The day of vengeance I had in my heart,

It was on Satan for to turn the dart,

That he should bear the blame as well as me,

Cast by the woman. Now let all men see,

No other way I could for man atone,

To free his guilt, but take it all my own.

Then as I first took on me every blame

That man did cast, then Satan sure must come

To bear the blame the woman cast on he,

And there’s no other way you can be free;

Your full redemption ye can ne’er attain

But by the woman, whom I did ordain

To be your helpmate in your sore distress,

And in the end complete your happiness.

For this I tell you was my Father’s will;

And, lo! I come, his promise to fulfil,

And pay the debt was cast on me by man;

And now the other mystery comes on.

When Satan pays the debt was cast on he,

Your full redemption you with joy may see;

No other way can your redemption come,

But by the woman copying after man,

To say to Satan, now must come the spear,

’Tis just that you your sentence now should bear.

Now I shall come to reason with man. What ideas could fill thy head and heart, O man! to think my Father and I should agree together for me to leave my Father’s throne, to come down on earth, to suffer hunger and thirst, poverty and want, temptation and persecution; go through a life, the half of what I suffered here below was never penned; and then to make myself a sacrifice for sin, for man; or suffer man to make me a sacrifice for sin, that knew no sin, that man might live; and at that time to cast out my chosen people, the Jews, and scatter them over the face of the earth, as a just mark of my resentment; and make them my people that were not my people; call them beloved that were not beloved? Wherein have I changed

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for the better? Trace your Bibles back; look to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and Job, in all the Prophets and Apostles; are ye better than any of them? you must answer, no; yet the martyrs shewed their love as great in dying for me, as the Jews did: then here ye stand together, both alike faithful, so I have not changed for the better, nor the worse: but I will tell you what I changed for—to try you all in the end. The Jews perished for want of that knowledge which the devil told them they should have; for had they been as gods, knowing good from evil, they would have known me, when I put them to the trial of their knowledge; therefore I told them the devil was a liar from the beginning, and by their ignorance they proved it: neither understood they their prophets; but judged what they prophesied of my second coming would be fulfilled at the first, and erred for want of knowledge; and proved the truth of what I said to man, that he should be dead as to every knowledge of God. And now I am come to try the knowledge of the Gentiles, and find them as far from knowledge as the Jews; or they would have discerned from whence the Spirit came: but here is man lost in wisdom and understanding, and dead as to the knowledge of God. Now I will throw open the Bible unto all men. The woman, through her strange effects of faith, was betrayed by the serpent, and gave it to the man; the man betrayed his Lord; then followed the wondrous prophecies, that no man ever understood, that as the serpent bruised my heel, so shall I bruise his head, by the same weak instrument he first betrayed to bring it on me, and should in the end bring it back again; so I suffered what man cast on me; and Satan shall suffer the blame the woman cast on him; and that man that will not own it just, shall go with his master he most prizes; for now I will cut short my work in righteousness.”

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Do these things appear too marvellous in the eyes of the readers to believe them? I answer, they appear to me so just, that the god of this world must so blind their eyes, that in seeing they cannot see, nor in hearing they cannot understand, if they do not see it clear: and every one must own the sentence just; for I may say with the thief upon the cross, Satan received the just sentence passed upon him from the woman, but the Lord suffered an unjust sentence from the man, at first and at last; for if they thought it right to hearken to the woman at first, why not Pilate hearken to the woman at last? So I cannot see but man is blameable, as well as the woman; but the author of the whole was the devil; he first rebelled in heaven; and, as soon as man and woman were created, he studied arts and lies to betray them, and made them break the commands of God; and the best of men cannot shun all his arts; therefore it is impossible for the will of God to be done upon earth, as long as Satan’s power reigneth; for his arts are as many as his power is great. Now is it unlikely that the Lord should pass so just a sentence on him, to turn back on his head the destruction he had brought on us all? He did not spare his Son, neither hath he spared man, and why should he spare the devil, who was the author of every evil? For we learn from Judas, that the devil entered into his heart, before he betrayed his Lord; and it is plainly proved from his hanging himself afterwards; and I believe he entered into every heart, or they would never have betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Then why should it be marvellous in any one’s eyes to say, the day of vengeance the Lord had in his heart turned on Satan the spear, that he should receive his sentence from the woman, as Christ did from the man? This appeareth to me consistent with the mercy, wisdom, and the goodness of the Lord, who is wise in all his ways, and just and right in all his

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works; and when I disbelieve the one, I shall the other; for the prophecies are as clear of the one as of the other. So here is my firm belief gone out into the world; and I believe this spirit as much came from the Lord, as I believe Christ died on the cross. Now let men of learning bring forth their arguments, and shew their strong reasons, why they believe the one and not the other; and I will bring forth mine, and shew my strong reasons, why I cannot believe the one without the other. Whatever be your thoughts, as judging it of myself, I will tell you the answer of the Spirit to it—“Thy pen is the pen of a ready writer; thy heart hath indited a good matter; and all men shall know the weight, and the truth, and justness of thy words; either to their joy and comfort, and everlasting salvation, or to their everlasting destruction. For now be it known unto all men, the redemption of man would never have been bought with my blood, had not that been in the bosom of the Father and me, for me to take the blame man cast on the Lord, that Satan might bear the blame the woman cast on him; therefore I said unto thee, in answer to the minister, when he said he would never have believed one God died to atone to another—

One God unto another to atone;

It is a mystery understood by none.

But now the mystery I shall shew it clear,

The fatal sin I bid you now beware;

For here’s the sin against the Holy Ghost,

To say the serpent’s sentence is not just;

Then sure unjustly I for man did die;

Look unto Calvary, men, and tell me, why

You nail’d my hands and feet unto the cross?

If Satan’s freed, then man, I say, is lost.

Greater than Adam, man brought on the guilt,

And on your heads must all my blood be spilt,

If from my side there does not come the spear

To bruise the serpent’s head, and wound it here.

My side, like man’s, was open to your view,

Look on the woman now; believe it true,

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That here’s a woman taken from my side,

That I’ve declar’d to man to be the bride,

And to take vengeance for the Bridegroom’s heel,

And justly claim the serpent’s blood to spill.

Now if this justice is denied by man,

I tell you plain, you’ve brought your ruin on;

For then the vengeance I had in my heart

Must be on man to turn the fatal dart;

But if you own the woman’s sentence just,

Then man is freed, and Satan’s sentence cast.

So now the hearts of men I mean to try,

And then my arrows they shall surely fly;

On men or devils shall my fury fall;

So now take care, I warn you one and all.

Now I have shewn you plainly why I took man’s nature upon me, and died for man that I might bear the blame he cast on me, that Satan might bear the blame the woman cast on him; for I felt for man, that I had made him subject to the powers of darkness. But was there no other way could be ordained for man’s redemption; and could my Father’s wrath be no other way appeased, but by my shameful death upon the cross? How inconsistent with reason, to think the shameful death men put me to, should appease my Father’s wrath. No, no, I tell you plainly, O man! was it to stop there, it would sooner increase his anger than abate his wrath: But what will abate his displeasure with men, is, their seeing clearly the justness of his sentence, in casting on Satan the sentence from the woman, as they cast the sentence on the Lord by man; for though the petition is made by thee, the justness of the sentence must be cast by man, before ever God and man can be reconciled. Where is the age that sheweth or proveth God was ever reconciled to man? Have not the judgments of God overtaken men in every age of the world? Then how is my Father’s wrath appeased, when sin and sorrow, and the judgments of God, have followed man to this day? Will you say I died for them that

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were good men, and believed in me? And was that all I died for to reconcile to God? then my blood was shed in vain; for in every age of the world, they that feared God, and worked righteousness, were saved. So there is no way man’s judgment pointeth out my death was of any use to him. But here are the ends of my death; to see the travail of my soul, and be satisfied; to triumph over death, hell, and the grave; when I see my deadly foe cast by man that crucified me, and clamour for Satan’s destruction, as they did for mine; and all men say, with the thief on the cross, Satan is cast justly, but the Son of God has done no wrong; then will my Father be reconciled to man; and Satan must confess I have done him no wrong, if I bore the sentence man cast on me, for him to bear the sentence the woman cast on him. If I stoop to the failings of men, Satan must fall the same way; for if man is the sufferer, man must be the judge. But consider, the Son of God suffered with man, and must be the Judge for man; men as men must be the jury, God as God must be the Judge, to pass the sentence, when clearly proved by man; then will God and man be reconciled. Weigh deeply these lines with reason and the Bible, and tell me, O man! whether this sentence is just or unjust, and I will answer thee again.

But ne’er no judges in your land

Had e’er so weighty trial in hand,

Since I was judg’d at Pilate’s bar.

The Holy Ghost must be judg’d here;

But I do tell them, ’tis not thee,

It is the writings they must see;

I am the Spirit did indite,

That did induce thee first to write;

And all mankind shall know I AM,

And I Jehovah is my name,

The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

In these three Is the sentence pass’d,

And every mystery I’ll explain,

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And echo back the lines to men.

I am the Maker of ye all,

Eden was found, when man did fall,

A tree of life within to stand:

Hear now my voice, ye sons of men!

O people! simple and unwise,

Vain are your thoughts, for to despise

A God that gave the woman first;

I AM, I AM, too, gave her last;

By her obedience freed the score,

Her faith is just, if man sees clear;

And she hath err’d the safest side,

The path is straight, the field is wide.

So if you judge her senses lost,

It is where man can never boast,

So far beyond the learned’s skill;

So you may judge it as you will.”

The following was written, in answer to a dignitary of the church, to whom I have sent many letters. It was from the text he preached on a thanks-giving day in 1797—“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling,” Psalm ii. ver. 11. It was answered me in the following manner:

“Now thou hast ended I’ll begin.

The second Psalm to all is come;

My sword is drawn, and dipp’d in blood;

’Tis time for man to know his God;

For conquering now I’ll conquer all,

And fast the deluge down shall fall,

Till every nation, you shall see,

Will each fall down and worship me.

I’ll trifle now with man no more;

My sword I’ll send from shore to shore,

Until the nations do comply,

And in the valleys humbly lie,

To worship at Immanuel’s feet;

Now I’ve begun I’ll finish it.

But if your peace you’ll keep at home,

My mind and will must be made known;

That every nation now may fear,

Let England know my kingdom’s near,

When every burden I’ll relieve,

And gladden soon the hearts that grieve.

But if this way ye do go on,

To keep in darkness still your land,

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Just like thy head all hearts will be;

We cannot stand, lie down like thee.

Provok’d by anger, first they’ll go

Careless, like thee, of what they do,

Until their feet are wet with blood,

And soon the pain will seize their head;

Then sure like thee they’ll all lie down—

‘We cannot stand, nor bear the wound.’

Therefore ye shepherds now awake,

The helmet of salvation take,

And the whole armour now put on,

And shew the Corner-stone to man;

The temple-gate throw open wide,

And shew your flocks where they must hide;

The Rock of Ages now is come;

Such days as these were never known;

Nor did a woman so appear

To write or act as thou hast here.

Then every thing together weigh,

You’ll see the dawning of the day,

Though like the weather it doth appear;

The sun seems hid and cloudy here,

That you cannot behold the sun,

No more you see the days are come.”

If my readers are at a loss to know how these things came to me; and cannot believe them, because they cannot find out the mystery; I shall answer them from another text, and part of the sermon preached by a reverend divine on the 25th of December, 1797. I hope my readers will weigh deeply the words, and the answer to them. The text was from 2d Corinthians, chap. viii. ver. 9. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

In the course of his sermon he said, if we did not believe in Christ, because we could not find out all mysteries, we should be like a man that sought for an anchor in the dark, and so make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience; or like a philosopher, who threw away his cup, because he was outdone by

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a boy, that made a cup with the hollow of his hand to drink out of. In his sermon he said, nothing could strike us more forcibly than our own conscience, when our Saviour said, “I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; thirsty, ye gave me no drink; as much as ye did it not to the least of my disciples, ye did it not unto me.” When I came home, it was answered me in the following manner:

“Now, Joanna, thee I’ll answer,
As the matter did appear,

If thou clear canst judge thy Master,
In it I was surely there.

Out of his mouth dost thou condemn,
And I will condemn him too;

What he did say, I bade him weigh
And lay before his view.

The thing’s too high, ———— now cry,
Too wondrous to believe;

As he can never find the way
These truths thou didst receive.

Then like the man will he go on,
His cup to throw away;

Because he is outdone by one
Appears as low as thee;

Or in the dark, to miss his mark,
No pilot can he see,

No rock to climb, his anchor gone,
His shipwreck let him see:

What hazard run, what rock to climb,
When he’s benighted here,

And faith, and hope, and all is gone,
And charity despair:

For charity he’th none for me,
To see my honour die;

Am I not come to poverty,
Humbly to him apply?

And will he say, like thee, that day
He did something bestow,

For to assist me in the way,
My journey to go through?

To bid me come has he begun,
Or wish’d my kingdom here;

As all my flock has now become
Just like thy father here?

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Wounded like he my people be,
What clothing do you send?

I ask you where’s your charity?
See my imprison’d friend!

With grief oppress’d, you wound her breast,
And stones for bread you send;

She does not want your charity,
If gold be what you mean:

The charity wanted by she
Is faith and love to show,

The feeble knee for to confirm
With charity below.

And judge your God as Abram did—
He’s faithful in the end;

He won’t deceive those that believe;
Come, to the other send.

For perfect here do men appear?
My word they do forget;

No prophecies are mine; by them
The mysteries seem forgot;

My Bible’s clear, ’tis man doth err,
And trace my Bible back;

Did I not tell you in the end
The mysteries would be great?

The Prophet’s word is on record—
A Child should lead you all;

What answer now from you I’ve got?
You mind it not at all.

And marvellous things to you I bring,
And marvellous all is done;

Were you to see the perfect day
Your senses would be gone.

The sun so bright would take your sight
When brilliant it doth shine;

You cannot long look in the sun,
Nor see the things divine;

So must appear now clouded here,
Your senses to secure.

Thy Father’s hand so near doth stand,
I can’t say any more.”

Now I shall begin with our Saviour’s words when he was about to leave his disciples; he said, “When the Holy Ghost cometh, that is the Comforter, whom the Father shall send in my name, he shall bring all things to your remembrance.” Now you are not to suppose he meant it at that time to

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his disciples; for though he sent the Holy Ghost upon them, and gave them power to work miracles by the power of his Spirit, yet the Father did not send it then in his name, as being the fulfilment of the meaning of his words; for Christ appeared personally unto his disciples, and the power of his Spirit was given them. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit of God and Christ, as the soul and body are united in one man, the body visible, the spirit invisible, yet the two are one; so God and Christ are one in power, one in wisdom, and one in heart and mind; yet they are two in person; but the Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit of God and Christ invisible; and where is the inspired penman that ever said the Holy Ghost was seen? Now, as the Holy Ghost was to come, to bring all to your remembrance, you are to consider further our dear Redeemer’s words, “What I say unto you, I say unto all; lo! I am with you to the end.” This is meant to all his believers and followers, that he should be with them till the end was come; to send the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, whom the Father should send in his name, to bring all things to their remembrance. Now, my friends and enemies, I must address the different readers; for I know, as in ages past, so is the present; for in every age of the world unbelief hath abounded, and so it will in this present age; or the 12th chapter of the Revelation can never be fulfilled. If the devil did not work in the hearts of some men, how could the dragon cast out floods against her? But to come to the purpose. I shall inform my readers, it is by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost my writings are to bring all things to your remembrance. I am ordered to write in his name, to call you back to the tree of knowledge, and to lay all the Bible before your eyes. I am to call to your remembrance what our Saviour said; and what he meant by saying, the Holy Ghost was

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the Comforter, for I have now to inform you of the dangers and distresses; sword, and almost famine, seem to appear; yet your redemption is nigh, to be redeemed from death, hell, and sin; that is, from Adam’s fall, by the redemption in the blood of Christ; Satan to be chained down; Christ’s kingdom to be established; and the good fruit that was on the tree of knowledge must come unto all men: for the dead shall hear his voice, and live; that meaneth, those who were dead by the fall of Adam, shall come to the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of their Bibles. The man that was born blind received his sight by Christ, and so will men that are pronounced dead be made alive by Christ; and first, see men as trees walking, will soon see they are perfect men, and no more appear like trees; but so they now discern their Bibles; for the Scriptures are hid unto them that are lost: Now we were all lost by Adam’s fall; and the Scriptures have been hid from all men. But the proper meaning of the word is—it is hid from the powers of darkness; for as soon as the devil found out the command was given to man, he found a way to betray him; and as soon as the Son of God was upon the earth, he found a way to work in man to betray him; and did the devil understand the Scriptures, he would soon find a way to work on men, and make them like himself, till he would draw men to the same pride, presumption, and rebellion, as he did the fallen angels; so all must perish. “Therefore, it is for the sake of man that the Scriptures are hid from men and devils, till the powers of darkness are chained down; then I will throw open the meaning of all the Bible, and give them the enlightened knowledge that the fallen angels had got, and place man in a state of perfect happiness, as they were placed; and try man for one thousand years; then I shall see what man is, when Satan hath no power over him; to be clear when I judge,

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and just when I condemn, I will let him loose again, to see what he will do. Now, if Satan does not tempt man again, he shall have his perfect freedom to walk up and down in the earth; but if he tempteth man again, he shall have his sentence passed in that day, to be cut from off the face of the earth, when the seventh thousand is expired. Now I will appeal to men’s consciences, if I am not as just with Satan, as I was with man; and if I am not just in judging, and clear in condemning, when I have made so fair a trial, and set bounds for the devil as well as for man. But this I will explain another time.”

The answer to some one’s inquiry, what use the prophecies were?

“Now, Joanna, I will answer thee in plain words. At the beginning, when man fell from the perfection in which he was first made, he fell under the powers of darkness; and had it not been for prophecies, man would soon have become like the wild ass’s colt. The wild Indians, and the complete heathens, who worship stocks and stones, shew you what man was fallen to; and what all men would be, had I not sent my Spirit amongst them, to instruct and direct them; and by prophecies foretold what lay before them. The promises and threatenings were both foretold, and both were fulfilled, to enlighten men’s minds, and make them live in faith and fear. But all this time man remains under the fall; few see any form or comeliness in religion; ignorant of God, pursued by the devil; and what are men now, but like wild bulls, rushing one upon another? Hath this made your land, or any other, one whit the better or wiser? Various constructions do all men put on it; then how will ye become new creatures? How will ye know the Lord, if your understanding is not enlightened? And how

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will it be enlightened, but by the spirit of revelation, and by the spirit of prophecy? How shall I bring men out of darkness into my marvellous light, or how shall the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the great deep, if I do not go on as I have begun? Men now see but as trees walking; but when I open to men all mysteries, then they shall see as men, why I permitted the fall; and why I fixed their bounds to be under the fall; and why I promised to redeem them from the fall. These are mysteries concealed from man; and was I to shew signs and wonders in heaven above, or in the earth below, it would not enlighten men’s minds. For though my Gospel is clear and plain before them; yet those who do see, it is through a glass darkly; but then shall ye see face to face: when the truths of thy prophecies are made known, then will men see the mysteries of the Bible, and all men become of one mind, and one heart; therefore have I made it so strong, and brought it round in so strange a manner, that it is impossible for man to be deceived. The truths of thy prophecies will convince men of the truths of their Bible; the strange manner it will be brought to light, will convince men it is the Lord’s doing, and will be marvellous in their eyes. The more men wonder at thee, the more will they wonder at their Bibles, when they are brought plain to their view. Some stumble at thee; others at my chosen men; but the end will convince all men that it is the wisdom of God, and not of man, who chose these very men to bring to light the hidden things that are done in darkness, and bring my Bible and thy prophecies together. I will explain it more fully on the morrow.”

The 29th of June, 1798.

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I have given you a short account of the use of prophecies, and now I will explain the mystery of prophecies. They were delivered to the Prophets, who never understood them, nor any that read them; as you will see by the vision of Ezekiel’s Dry Bones. It was delivered to the Prophet long before Christ came; and the end of the vision was seen by John (see Revelation, chap. vii. where he speaks of the sealed people). Happy are those who believe and pray to be some of the sealed number: for the Lord will wipe away all tears from their eyes (as you will see in the last verse), and lead them to living waters, and breathe in them the breath of life; as you will find in Ezekiel’s vision, which is explained in the following manner:

“It must appear, the dry bones here,
Men’s hearts are all grown dry,

In Satan’s snare, I tell thee here;
Does this a mystery

Appear to thee? How can it be
The meaning of the word?

The vision that was seen by him
Foretells the power of God.

When I do come to breathe in man
A spirit that is new,

I’ll surely make the dry bones come,
And give them sinews too,

Upon their feet; the number’s great
When I do all awake;

Though men have been all dead in sin,
Their sinews I shall shake.

Bone to his bone is known by none,
Nor is it understood

That I did make man for my own;
’Tis there they death elude.

That by the fall, be ’t known to all,
I did pronounce man dead;

But when I do them all recall,
They’ll see their living Head,

That conquer’d death, will bring them forth,
And join them bone to bone;

That is to me, the mystery,
I therefore took man’s form.

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My sinews there shall sure appear;
But then the Jews will quake,

When I do tell them when and where
My statutes they did break,

Till they did come dry bones to man,
And sinews they have none,

And number’d in their graves so long,
And almost buried down.

Canst thou not see the mystery,
How they are buried here,

And like the dead in graves now be?
I’ll make it to appear:

A living people once they were,
And trace their fathers back,

Abraham and Joseph now appear,
And judge how Enoch walk’d

Close with me; the mystery see—
Let all the just appear;

Then you will see they liv’d in me,
And shone as pillars here.

But those are dead, and all are fled,
The branches are behind.

I ask what living stones appear,
What corner-stone to find,

For to keep up a Joseph’s hope,
And Abraham’s faith appear?”

The following lines were answered me from the words of a Jewess, who said; “They were of all people the most unhappy; for they were obliged to wander up and down the earth to get their bread.” She was answered, “Some people were of opinion, that the Jews and Gentiles would soon be of one mind.” The Jewess replied, “She wished it was to-morrow, if it was the will of God,” and repeated it three times; “they had expected it for two hundred years ago, but feared now it was not so near.” Her words were answered me in the following manner:

“To her words I’ll deeply answer.
Of one mind you soon may be;

The two hundred and two thousand
Is a hidden mystery.

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The two hundred they have shorten’d,
As I told thee heretofore;

The two thousand are approaching;
Let the Jews begin to fear.

Tell me why they are complaining
That they wander up and down?

For when first I came among them,
They no place for me could find.

All the wonders I did shew them
Did but swell their malice high,

As I was not then exalted;
Now I’ll shew the mystery.

Pomp and grandeur then did swell them,
And my poverty despis’d;

Trace the judgments, now I tell them,
It is time for to be wise.

If my love they longer slight it,
Fatal shall their sorrows come;

They for me no house provided;
I for them prepar’d no land.

My disciples they did wander,
And as martyrs they did die;

They are murmuring and complaining,
But I bid them tell me why.

Haughty titles they were seeking,
And my poverty despise;

If I bring them to the manger,
Will they now the babe despise?

If they do not, I do tell them,
All that their forefathers done

I will blot out of my memory,
If they to the purpose come.

When I come ’twill be in glory,
And that every soul shall see;

If on earth I dwell amongst them,
In the spirit it shall be.

I have died for man already,
But I say I’ll die no more;

Let them tell how they expect me,
And I’ll fully answer here.

If they wish the days approaching,
Then to-morrow it may be;

In my Gospel they may seek it,
In it there’s a mystery.

Now the Jews, thou soon must warn them,
And the reasons now assign,

In what manner they expect me
In their own appointed time.

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Then their reason I will answer,
And their folly I will shew;

But I say I’ll not reject them,
If they own my judgments true.

All their lands I will redeem them;
Nations shall before them fall;

For one man shall chase a thousand
Till I have destroy’d them all.

And that is the heathen nation,
With them I shall next begin,

Till Jews and Gentiles join together,
Then the victory they shall win;

For by two I’ll kill ten thousand,
And the rebels then shall fly;

I will build that holy city,
And the time is drawing nigh;

Then my kingdom it will flourish,
And you golden days will see;

For the rebels all must perish,
That won’t put their trust in me.

With the Jews thou now hast ended,
Till of them thou more dost hear;

And of others I did tell thee,
I shall answer all thy prayer.”

I shall now inform my readers the fulfilment of these things is to all nations; but more particularly to Jews and Gentiles, as you will see explained from Simeon’s words—“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of my people Israel.” The type was explained to me from the two candlesticks at the altar, in the following manner.

“How shall the glory now in Israel shine,

If I don’t open the benighted mind?

Or the fulfilment of the Gentiles come?

’Twas by a woman first the deed was done;

Because she did the serpent first obey,

To bring it back must turn the other way;

The Mother she was surely of the Jews,

But now the Bride I’ll of the Gentiles choose.

Judge for yourselves, if these things don’t agree,

That God and man might perfect likeness be;

And if I stoop to come so low as man,

Why should I not now do as they have done?

Two candles on the altar now are plac’d,

For types and shadows now, as Moses was;

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But soon these shadows will be put away,

When every one doth shine to perfect day.

The meaning of the candles is conceal’d,

And now the mystery I’ll to thee reveal.

’Twas the two lights that Simeon he did see,

The Jews and Gentiles, glorious lights to be;

And why so glorious did these two appear?

Because the Virgin did the Saviour bear;

And to the Gentiles thou must surely come.

The Prophet’s words must unto all be known:

Rejoice, thou barren! thou who dost not bear,

Break forth in singing, thy Deliverer’s near;

And of thy children many more shall be

Than of the married wife, most certainly;

The Lord of Hosts thy husband he doth call,

And by the Bride I’ll join both one and all.

But deeper mysteries lie still behind,

That thou another day the truth shalt find;

For every mystery I’ll reveal to thee,

Before my servants warned they shall be.”

I shall now proceed with what was explained to me in 1797. In that year I was ordered to fast throughout Lent, and eat no meat but one day in the week: so I fasted six days, and eat no more than a basin of broth a day; not a morsel of bread did I make use of but in my broth. Thus I fasted the seven weeks in Lent, as I was commanded; and on the Good Friday I was ordered to put three pens in the Bible, and write down where I found them. The first was in Micah, i. 2—“Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.” The second pen was in the 2 Chronicles, xxiv. 19—“Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the Lord, and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.” The third pen was in Numbers, xxvii. 15, 16—“And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.”

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After I had written where I had found my pens, as I put them in the Bible without knowing where, I was answered in the following manner:

“Now hear the words of the Lord, ye men of Israel, and all ye inhabitants of the house of Jacob, thus saith the Lord, I am God, and there is none besides me that can deliver you. I am the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever. In me there is no variableness, nor the shadow of turning. Then why have men sought out so many inventions? Why have ye set at nought all my counsel? or why have ye despised prophecies? On what foundation does the house of Israel trust? Have ye seen vain visions? Have ye deceived yourselves in vain divination? Are ye become more wise than your forefathers? or are ye become more foolish? The prophets trusted in me, and sought me not in vain. I was a light unto their feet, and a lanthorn to their paths. I directed their goings, and my Spirit was upon them from generation to generation. I never left myself without a witness. Have I not cared for man, whom I formed? but how is the fine gold become dim! As past ages were, so is the present. They despised my prophets, they were full of their own inventions, till they brought destruction on their own selves. Then, lo! I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me. Here was my Father and me; one in spirit, one in power, and one in truth. The lame were healed and walked, the blind received their sight, and the deaf heard. Not half the miracles I wrought were ever penned. But here is the chain that hangs the Law and the Gospel together: the Law was given to man, but it was fulfilled by the Son of God. Then now hear ye him, “To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Did I come to give ye light, or to make ye blind? If light, walk in the light, and confess that my Gospel is true, and my word verified. Ye

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have wars and rumours of wars, nation against nation, city against city, men divided against themselves, and perplexities and distresses of nations; judge for yourselves if it be not true. Then now let the Bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the Bride go out of her closet; for Sion is in travail, and longing to be delivered; for darkness hath covered the earth, and gross darkness the hearts of the people; the wisdom of the wise men is perished, the understanding of the prudent men is hid, and the bows of the mighty men are broken: then fear ye the rod, and him that hath appointed it; for he that stumbleth shall be girt with strength; nor shall this generation pass away till all is fulfilled. Let men study their Bible, and they will find it is not fulfilled. Have I called the Jews from all nations whithersoever I have scattered them? Is Jerusalem new built? Do all the nations of the earth know me? These are not fulfilled; but the time is at hand, that I will throw down and build up; I will scatter abroad and gather together; I will wound and I will heal; I will cast down and I will raise up; I will kill and make alive; I will quench the flames of fire that are kindled seven times more than usual; I will stop the mouths of lions; I will gain the victories in war; I will go on as I have begun, till victory is accomplished; for judgment shall be laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. I have begun, and I will make an end. The days are accomplished for my chosen people; and their warfare must be accomplished and have an end. Paul, Paul, do not persecute me. Peter, Peter, do not deny me any more. I will gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings; I will set a watchman over you, and my banner shall be “love.” Then now hear me, O Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel; the stone that was rejected by the builders, is now

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become the head of the Gentiles; and here is the head of the building. I have chosen you a watchman over you, that ye may not be as sheep without a shepherd. Your shepherds are dumb dogs; your prophets are gone; your cities are laid waste; and ye are become as cakes not baken; for ye have followed after wind; and the pride of all nations testifieth against you. Then now let us reason together. Though your sins are as scarlet, I will make them as snow; and though they are as crimson, I will make them as wool. Then now let your rocky hearts be rent, and the graves of the dead be opened; for ye are dead in trespasses and sins; but now I will call you with an effectual call; now I will save you with an everlasting salvation. Turn unto me, and I will turn unto you; look back on your prophets, whom ye have slain; and look unto Calvary, whom ye have crucified; confess your faults, and wash your hands, and I will heal your backslidings, and love you freely: but if ye harden your hearts, as your forefathers did, then will I bring on you swift destruction. This is my will for the Jews.

“But now to come to the Gentiles. Awake, my shepherd, whom I have anointed as a watchman over you and all nations, to be a judge between me and my vineyard, and I will anoint him with the oil of gladness, and he shall come into my presence with thanksgiving. Give ear, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! the Lord hath a controversy with his people. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. Ye have drawn the sword in vain; ye have fixed your bows for nought; and by reason of your sins doth your land mourn. Now this commandment is for you,—I have chosen me a shepherd, in whom I find no fault: if you choose him, I will choose you; if you obey his counsel, I will heal your backslidings, and love you freely: but if ye reject him, I will

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reject you; and I will laugh at your calamities, and mock when your fear cometh; for if you refuse him you will refuse me; for he hath not testified of himself, but I have testified of him; my laws shall be written on his heart, and my Spirit shall be in his inner parts; in seeing he shall see; and in hearing he shall understand; he shall judge between thee and me; between me and my vineyard: true and just shall be his judgment; and by him thou must stand or fall; for my Spirit shall be upon him; because he hath acted more wise than others, so will I give him more wisdom than others; for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted; but he that exalteth himself shall be abased. Ye that seek for Wisdom, shall find her as silver, and ye that dig deep, shall find her as true gold, and be made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.”

No man can read his Bible, without being lost in wonder, love, and praise; and know, it is not our merits, but free unbounded love was the spring from whence all his goodness flows.

“The righteous all with their enlighten’d eyes,

With modest joy the humble host replies,

“Thy mercies, Lord, our goodness nought we know,

“No good, alas! then did we ever do,

“To be so highly favour’d of our God

“For Christ to die, and wash us in his blood;

“And full atonement for our ransom make,

“When we had run ourselves so deep in debt.”

And this will surely make the humble heart

Repent the sins that made its Lord to smart,

And then you’ll see there is no room for pride;

What is to one is unto all apply’d.

If Eve’s transgression fell upon us all,

Then one’s obedience sure the same must fall;

So men of wisdom now must clearly see

That the good fruit that hung upon the tree,

By the same hand it surely must come down

That pluck’d the evil. Man too soon was found

To cast the blame upon the Lord on high,

And now the blame on man must surely lie;

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Because the lying spirit was sent out

To fill the prophets’ hearts with fear and doubt,

That no Micaiah could to them appear

To make them wiser prophets than they were;

They judg’d their wisdom and their learning too

Brought greater knowledge unto all their view,

Than poor Micaiah’s prophecies could be;

And mock’d the prophet as they mocked thee,

And ask’d which way the spirit ever went

From them to thee, to tell thee my intent?

That all the prophets wrong did prophesy,

And in thy face they’d all give thee the lie.

Did not Micaiah in thy Maker stand,

And the Messiah nearly now at hand,

For to fulfil the words Micaiah spoke?

And now I’ll tell thee how they all did mock.

Thou know’st that I have said, like Ahab’s reign

Are all the prophets that advis’d the king

For to go on for to support the war;

But know not what they’re so contending for:

Is it for to support the Romish band?

Then Ahab’s prophets they are in your land;

And now Micaiah every one shall see

Is the true prophet prophesieth by me.

The Romish bands they never shall support,

And now Micaiah they shall never hurt;

Because too soon I’ll make it all appear,

And prove Micaiah is thy Maker here;

And the Messiah in that name doth stand;

’Tis but few letters chang’d from God to man.

For if they say they’ll have a glorious peace,

And gain the victory ere their arms do cease;

Then let the spirit’s sword begin to fight,

And say my Gospel must be kept aright;

Then I will soon support them in that war,

And prove to man the true Micaiah’s here;

Then as the difference in the name’s no more,

I’ll make it prove that the Messiah’s here:

And if my shepherds they do now awake,

To change the letter, and Messiah take

To be the prophet that did tell them true,

And bring my Law and Gospel to their view,

And let the Spirit’s sword begin to fight,

I tell you all I’ll make them men of might,

And every foe shall down before them fall:

That way you’ll conquer, and you’ll conquer all;

And then a happy nation you shall be;

Your land I’ll prosper, and your bonds set free;

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And you shall boast of victories in the war:

The night’s approaching; let the stars appear;

For if the evening star alone doth shine,

I ask what light will it give to mankind

Till all the rest be lighted in the skies?

Ye sons of learning look, and now be wise.

In this new century I have shewn the star,

Seal’d up from man, till night was drawing near;

Six years thou know’st that this hath been conceal’d,

But now, the seventh, publicly reveal’d,

And this discern is in the date that’s new;

Bring forth your reasons, or believe it true

That now the evening star it doth appear,

And Ahab’s prophets and Micaiah here.

So now act wisely, all ye sons of men;

Be clear in judgment ere ye do begin

To use the woman as you did the man;

You’ll find a Jehu after soon will come,

And Israel scatter’d as they were of old—

You’ll find the truth was by the woman told.”

But now I shall come to the purpose of types and shadows. The brazen serpent was a type of Christ, though made like a serpent that resembled the devil (for in that shape he betrayed the woman;) yet the brazen serpent was certainly a type of Christ; as the ram that was caught in the thicket, when Abraham offered up his son Isaac, was a type of the devil, though he was a sheep; and Christ compareth his flock to sheep, and himself to a lamb; yet then he compares the ram to a devil that will be caught in a thicket, and must be slain instead of man, when all men’s faith becomes like Abraham’s. This I shall shew you in the volume of my books. But to come to the type of the bells ringing in different hours in different parishes, so is the different calling of the nations, and the type of the seven and eight days. The seven o’clock bell denotes the Lord’s finishing all for man in seven days; at eight days old Christ was made known in the temple by Simeon: now reflect on his words—“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.” But what followed Israel then? Now, as

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the bells stand for types and shadows, consider, as the seven days were ended, so the decree for man, which is one thousand years. The eight denotes the eight hundred; then the nine is to call back the leprous men, who are to be brought back again and joined to the ten, which denotes, that some of different nations were convinced at that time, but did not abide in the Gospel of Christ. The stranger was the Gentiles. Now, all these men must be joined together by the ten and eleven o’clock bells; for then goeth in all churches. In the afternoon, the one o’clock bell in all parishes; so in the end all nations will come to the Three-One God. Now the one thousand denotes the Lord’s finishing for man; and the eight hundred, Christ’s second Coming. Then now judge for yourselves; as it is said to me, the Lord will begin his strange works with a new century, and go on in such a manner to fulfil my prophecies, that in three years the major part of our land will be convinced the Lord hath spoken by me;[1] and the Bible will be revealed very clearly unto men.

Mr. L——r dreamt one night he was going over London Bridge, and the bridge was broken in the middle; that many persons were looking at the water, and others were endeavouring to repair the bridge. Deep is the mystery of this dream; the explanation of which I shall give, in part.

“Now by this dream cannot mankind discern

How they are warn’d to guard against the storm?

In every age this thing hath surely been;

Then now I ask if I am not the same?

If that in dreams I ever do men warn,

’Tis by the Spirit, (they do not discern,)

And by the Spirit I do do the same,

By day and night my Spirit always came;

For should I leave man singly to himself,

There is no man could ’scape the powers of hell.

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But though I guard them with a father’s care,

I’ll try their wisdom ere I’ll say I’m here;

And he that doth with caution now go on,

I will protect ’gainst every coming storm.

But now the mysteries I will soon unfold—

This is the very mystery of his dream:

Bridges are safeguards for the sons of men;

But when they’re broken none can safe go through;

And now I’ll bring it plainer to thy view:

When bridges part or wholly are thrown down,

Some other road for man there must be found.

Thou know’st I said the storm was coming on,

That they must guard against the rising storm;

And now thou seest the shadow is begun,

I say the substance now is hastening on.”

I shall leave the further explanation of this dream to my readers.

Now I shall acquaint you with the days that are before you. The end of finishing what Christ died for is at hand, as I told you; and you must know, from the prophet Isaiah, lxiii. 4, “The day of vengeance is in my heart;” then will you bring the day of vengeance upon yourselves, by denying its being for the devil? then you may say it is for man. Then know, O man, that day is at hand, which you will see in Revelation, xi. 14—“The second woe is past; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” The first woe was when the world was drowned, and a fatal woe that was to men. The second woe was the destruction pronounced upon the Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the scattering of the Jews over the face of the earth. Now the third woe is to come. The two first were pronounced on man; the third and last is for the devil. If it fall on men, they will bring it on themselves by their careless regard of bringing it on the devil. But if men will look deep into the mystery, and pray the Lord to turn the day of vengeance on the devil, as being the author of sin and the finisher of their sorrow, then

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Christ, who was the author of their faith to lead them to trust in him, will be the finisher of their faith; which will now be the case with thousands. For now is coming the kingdom of our God and our Christ, and it is not all the powers of earth and hell can tempt all men to disbelieve it, or to say it is an unjust sentence in the Lord, to cast on the devil, that old serpent, the sentence the woman cast upon him. So you may begin to lift up your heads; for your full redemption draweth near; which you will see in Joel, ii. and in the Revelation, xxii—“For when that is fulfilled, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;” it must be fulfilled, that your women shall prophesy. Weigh the chapter deep, and these words, Revelation, xxii. 17—“And the Spirit and the Bride say, come;” then whomsoever will, may come and take of the water of life freely, which signifieth the water wherein the person is baptized, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to renounce the devil and all his works. But was this ever yet done? No man knoweth how oft he offendeth; the best of men have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; then how have ye renounced the devil and all his works? But now I shall open to your view, how you may renounce them all. By a stedfast faith in the Lord, that he will complete at last the promise he made you at first by the woman, to perfect your happiness: for though Satan robbed you, by working in the woman at first; ye trust in Christ, he will make it good by working in the woman at last; therefore are ye signed with the sign of the cross, in token of his death and passion; this is the mark ye have in your foreheads—Christ dying to atone for man; Christ is risen to arise in the woman, to cast her blame on the serpent; then cometh your victory. And this is your baptism—to join with her to renounce the devil and all

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his works; that is to say, it was all his works that brought on your ruin. A word to the wise is enough. But to turn to the Spirit and the Bride. The Spirit, you must allow, is the Spirit of God; the Bride represents believers in God; for Christ is compared to the church, and to a man and his wife. You do not suppose the church meaneth the walls or the building: no, it means the building of the body of man, as by the hand of God. Then before the Revelation can be fulfilled, the Spirit of God must visit all the churches, to make the church the Bride. Then why do ye marvel it cometh to one at first as the shadow, and then follows unto all as the substance? Now he that denieth those things, must deny his Bible, and take away the prophecies that are there written; for I have not added thereto, nor taken therefrom; for it is written in the book of God; and whomsoever says it is wrongly explained or revealed to me, let him explain it another way, and he must add thereto, or take therefrom; for I have shewed you the meaning of the chapter. How can Christ’s kingdom come upon earth, before the Spirit of Christ is come to warn them of his coming? And you may as well expect the sun in its full meridian as soon as it is risen, as to expect the Spirit of God will appear to every one when it first cometh to warn. Yet by one Spirit ye have divers gifts (see 1 Corinthians, xii. 17, 18); the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of working miracles, and the spirit of prophecies; all these came from one and the same Spirit; for as the many members make the body, so the different gifts make the body of Christ’s church: for wisdom alone would fail you in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; and that day would come unawares, was not the spirit of prophecy given to warn you of his coming; and the spirit of prophecy would fail, was not the spirit of wisdom given

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to others to discern it. So the head cannot say to the foot, I have no need of thee; nor the foot to the head, I have no need of thee; then where is room for any to boast? If I had ten thousand gifts of prophecy, and could speak with the tongues of angels, if none had the spirit of wisdom to discern it, my prophecies would avail nothing. He that hath the spirit of wisdom to discern, hath the gift of God; for the natural man cannot discern the things of God; for they are spiritually discerned. So, if you weigh these things deeply, you will say I have not made myself more than another; neither am I preferred before another; but there is one that cometh after me, that is preferred before me, who shall discern all mysteries; but where there are prophecies they shall fail. Prophecies were given in part, and on condition, that when one faileth, the other must also. Jonah’s prophecies concerning Nineveh failed at the time they were mentioned; the prophecies concerning Eli also failed; as did those concerning Hezekiah; and many more, which I could mention; but charity never faileth. Now charity is to judge your God, slow to anger, and of great mercy; and threateneth, because he is loath to punish; and repenteth of the evil, if men repent of their faults, as Nineveh did. Therefore you cannot believe all that the prophets have said: the Lord repented of the blessings pronounced on Eli, when he saw him careless of his honour and glory: the Lord said, they that honour me I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. I have explained these things, for the sake of some, who have said, that when they read my first books they trembled for fear of the famine. If this fear be in our land, no famine will be in it; for to that land that trembleth at his word, the Lord will look; that is, he will look in mercy; but that land that mocketh his word, will shrink beneath his rod; and

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what land that calamity will fall on, I know not; but this I am assured, from my prophecies, to convince all nations that this calling is of God, that there will come a three years famine, wherein there will be neither earing nor harvest. What nation, I know not; whether in France, or Spain, Africa, or America, or some other remote part; but I hope the Lord will keep it from our land; though I am promised it will never happen in my days; for I shall not live to see the affliction; yet I feel for those that are behind; and know the just must suffer with the unjust. My prophecies go to all nations; and it was unintentionally omitted in the first book, “That the Lord would go from nation to nation in the fierceness of his anger.” Now I have set one sign before you, to convince all nations this calling is of God; viz. in some nation or other there will be three years of total famine, wherein there will be neither earing nor harvest. And now I am come to set another sign before them; if the things that are already come to pass, and what is now before you being foretold, do not convince mankind it is of God, as men think the Lord stoops too low for them to regard his words (which was the very spirit of the Jews; they thought the Lord stooped too low for them to regard him;) now I say, if the Gentiles are the same, I will set another sign before them—“I will send out my destroying angel to go through the land, and I will set a mark over every house that faith and fear are in, and the angel shall pass by the door; but every house that mocketh my words, because I have stooped so low, the destroying angel shall enter in and destroy; and those that wish to abide in the dark, in the dark let them abide, till I come upon them as a thief in the night, and take them unawares. For out of your own mouths ye are condemned; for ye confess it is not placed as though it came from men of learning,

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and then ye must confess the Lord hath chosen the weak foolish things of this world to confound the great and learned, when ye see all these judgments executed that are here mentioned.”

Simple as these books appear to some readers, they are too high for any man to climb to, and too deep for any one to fathom. Could ye behold the mysteries of them, ye would see they wanted neither eloquent language, brightness of speech, nor noble style to set them forth, but depth of wisdom to understand them; and were they put into eloquent language, deeply spoken, and wisely placed, as though they came from men of learning, they would baffle all your belief, and men would judge it a cunningly devised fable from some wise inspired penman. But now to convince you it is from the simple, and that the Lord hath dealt simply; yet, however simple this may appear, it is too strong for all your senses; ye could no more look into these three volumes of books, and see them clear, and keep your senses, than ye could stedfastly behold the burning sun, and not hurt your eyes; for the one is as much too strong for your senses, as the other is for your eyesight. So I must call you to our Saviour’s dying words, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And may not this be the language of every heart, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken us, that in seeing we cannot see, and in hearing we cannot understand? for in the midst of life we are in death, as we are dead to the perfect happiness we were first created for; but we shall be changed; and this change must take place with thousands, that we may taste of that perfect happiness, which to live in God will produce; and this change must come to this generation, or ye could not have a true knowledge of the good and evil fruit; and this knowledge will come unto thousands that are in the midst of life

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and death, which I shall hereafter more clearly explain.

And now I shall come to the thoughts of my own heart, which I was ordered to pen and put in print, from what is revealed to me, and how the Bible is explained, which has thrown my ideas into a different channel from what they ever were before. I was meditating how all was explained; and it appeared so clear and just to me, so consistent with the wisdom of the Almighty, in creation and preservation, from the manner all was placed, and all was spoken at first; all have suffered, both God and man; then, to act according to the justness of God, the serpent must be cast. The ponderings of my heart I was ordered to pen, and my secret thoughts were known to the Lord. When I had written the whole, I was answered as man would answer man.

Here I shall give to the world at large what were the meditations of my heart, and how they were answered by the Spirit.

I was reflecting from the creation, how the man and woman were both obedient to the commands of the Lord, until the serpent, which is the devil, effectually imposed on the simplicity, innocency, and ignorance of the woman, by telling her they should be as Gods, knowing good from evil. Here she was ignorantly betrayed by artful lies, and simply drew in the man. Then the Lord spake unto the serpent, and fixed his curse to be above every creature; and he should bruise the heel of the seed of the woman; and the woman’s seed should bruise his head. Now you know the serpent hath already done it, unless ye deny the death of Christ. Then as all the prophecies of the Bible have come both on God and man, how can they be fulfilled until the serpent hath received the sentence passed on him? This must be, to fulfil the words of the Lord; and I cannot see the Bible clear without it. The justice, wisdom,

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goodness, and truth, of the Lord of Hosts, thus seem clear; but I cannot see them clear in any other way. The Lord cannot do justice to himself or to his Son, nor to the man or the woman, unless they fulfil his words, by casting the devil in the very manner in which it is placed and revealed. Then men and devils must acknowledge the Lord is clear from the blood of all men; and that the woman the Lord gave to man brought him that happiness at last which he promised man at first. When I had written these words, which had been the ponderings of my heart, I was answered, as man will answer man—

“Thou sayest, thy God cannot do justice to himself or to his Son, nor to the man or the woman, unless he does cast the serpent, as he promised to the woman. Answer for thyself—

Why the Lord cannot do justice to himself?”

I answer. How can the Lord, in justice to his honour, and glory, and great name, suffer the Son of his bosom to come down upon earth, and suffer such sorrowful life, and die so shameful a death, to bear the blame man cast on him, and the serpent be screened from bearing the blame the woman cast on him, and escape being treated with that contempt he deserves? The Son of God had done no wrong, but was deserving of honour, love and respect. Every honour, every gratitude, and every love, was due to the all-gracious Son of God. And if he condescended to bear the blame man cast on him, shall that cruel serpent, the devil, be freed by a just God? Far be it from thee, O Lord. If thou art clear from the blood of all men, wilt thou not be clear to cast it back on the serpent, and just to condemn him?

Here I was answered, as man would answer man.

“I shall now answer thee. From the ponderings of thy heart thou fearest to speak out what thy

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mind conceiveth; but canst thou conceal from me thy thoughts? I tell thee, no; for I am in them. Thou sayest, no judge will condemn an innocent person, and free a guilty murderer: these were thy thoughts; and thou judgest thy God cannot be just, to cast his Son, and free the devil. Thus far I will not blame thee. But answer me, how I cannot do justice to man, if I do not cast the serpent?”

Here is my answer. Man was betrayed by the woman and the serpent, and that guilt was passed on all men unborn. Now man said he should not have disobeyed had it not been for the woman; the woman said she should not, had it not been for the serpent. Then to give man a fair trial for himself, to discover where the fault lay, is to remove the cause, and to take the powers of darkness from man, as man lies under condemnation to this present moment.

Here I was answered—

“How dost thou prove that?”

I answered, from the Jews.

They stand out against their God, and their God against them; for it is written, In seeing they should not see; and in hearing they should not understand. So they stand out against their God, through unbelief against his Son: for if the Father and the Son are one, they must stand out against their Lord, if they do against the Son. Now it is written, The God of this world hath so blinded their eyes, that in seeing they cannot see; nor in hearing they cannot understand. Now if the Lord doeth them justice, he must take that power from them, that in seeing they may see, and in hearing they may understand. And if man suffereth for what his forefathers did, ought not the serpent to suffer for what he hath done, that was a transgressor from the beginning?

O, my God! pardon my weakness, if I have answered wrong. But thou hast commanded me to utter the thoughts of my heart, which I cannot

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conceal from the Most High. If wrong, cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Here I was answered, as man would answer man.

“Thou hast spoken right in all thou hast said. Now answer for the woman. What justice is there due to her, that is now left undone? Answer me that, and I will answer thee again.”

I answered. The woman still crieth for vengeance against the old serpent, called the devil. She was first betrayed by his arts, and condemned by God and man; her first son was betrayed by the devil to slay her second son; and when in purity and innocence she was so highly favoured and honoured of God as to be visited from on high, and to have the power of the Holy Ghost, and bare the Son of God, being called a spotless and pure virgin, pure and innocent before the Lord; yet how was her heart rent in pieces, and how was she pierced to the soul, to see her son offered up as a malefactor on the cross, by the devil’s entering into the heart of man! Then does not the woman’s blood cry for vengeance against the devil? If she cast it on man, she must cast it on herself for betraying man at first; but the serpent first betrayed her; then surely her soul must cry for vengeance against the devil, that was the author and finisher of all her sorrows. Then may not the woman cry for vengeance, and plead, Lord, avenge me of mine adversary, that is the devil, that we may wash our hands in innocence, and bring a pure heart before thee, O my God?

These questions and answers may appear simple to a world, that does not consider, that Abraham was permitted to plead with the Lord, and Moses the same, and Jacob wrestled with the angel: then now we must be all wrestling Jacobs, if we will be prevailing Israels.

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Whatever may be the judgments of men on my answers, I was replied to by the Spirit in the following manner, as soon as I had written the last words—bring a pure heart before thee, O my God:

“Joanna, Joanna, I’ll answer again.

Thy words and thy wisdom will ever remain

Enroll’d in heaven, and publish’d on earth.

Ye men of learning mark well what she saith.—

But out of her senses you know she is plac’d,

And judg’d by men’s wisdom as simple as the ass;

But know that the ass did wise Balaam reprove;

And now from this shews the woman is love;

As much as she’s scorn’d and despised by man,

I ask you what spirit unto her is come,

That she from her heart can now forgive all,

And pray for the vengeance on Satan to fall?

A hazard most fatal you know she must run;

If I do forsake her you know she’s undone;

If trifling with God, how can she appear?

The anger of Satan she must kindle here.

So how do you judge her now trifling with all,

An ass now for wisdom your nation to call,

And warn you of dangers before they appear?

Then judge from your Gospel, your Master is here

So strongly upon her, your Gospel now see;

I ne’er will condemn her for carrying of me.

So now if you judge her as ignorant as an ass,

Your King is upon her, the Gospel now says;

So those that believe her, their clothing is here,

And now laid upon her, the Master to bear;

The boughs and the branches you all may cut down,

In the way you may strew them, from heaven’s the sound.

If this appears simple, as simply I came,

Your King on an ass, for to spread forth his fame.

For where is the man will so humbly descend?

Your chariots are ready your kings to attend.

But now all the mystery I surely shall clear;

I went in that manner to shew you all here,

When I come to conquer, in triumph appear,

A woman that’s simple my Spirit must bear.

So you that believe her, your clothing is cast

In faith now upon her, your joy now may burst.

The boughs and the branches I’ll surely cut down,

Men’s wisdom advancing I’ll surely confound;

For babes now and sucklings my praises shall sing.

From Solomon’s wisdom I next will begin;

For he that’s so humble at first to appear,

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At last is exalted, I now tell you here;

And know before honour humility comes.

These words they were spoken by wise Solomon;

Then Solomon’s wisdom I tell you must shine;

The Spirit from heaven was given divine;

And now you will find all heaven descend;

I come for to warn you, and speak as a friend,

That all is fulfilled so near to the word;

You’ll find that the Spirit’s the Spirit of God,

That work’d in the woman to see it all clear.

If men do despise her, I now tell you here,

This May will be fatal, I tell ye, for man;

And coals on your heads from her prayers will come.

Her questions and answers I bid you weigh deep;

Consider the cost, or you’ll fall in the pit.

The way you are building you cannot go through;

The cost is too great to be paid now by you;

My laws you have broken; my Son you have slain;

Mark well what is spoken, I tell you again.

As wise as the woman you all must appear;

Cast all on the serpent, your debt for to clear;

And say that he robb’d you to run you in debt.

Mark well from your judges how oft do they put

Words wisely before you, the prisoner to free;

And I am your judge, and have done so by ye;

Because that ye know not your danger’s so near;

To execute justice my angels appear,

As soon as I send them to fulfil my word;

Then blame not your judge, you’ll find ’tis the Lord

That shew’d you the vision so clear in the dream;

And from the two boys I the whole shall explain;

For well I know many will turn to the beast,

Though death’s now upon them, the sentence is past;

While others for mercy they humbly will cry,

“My God, on the serpent thy vengeance must lie,

“For I have been robbed, I can’t pay the score”—

The thief must be taken, I need not say more.

So this I have publish’d, your hearts for to try;

And then fast my arrows they surely will fly.

And deep you will find is the vision and dream

That were spoke of those boys; you may read it again.

But deeper doors I have to open,
Deeper shall my Spirit go;

You shall know, from what I’ve spoken,
From Jehovah all doth flow.

Deeper dreams and deeper visions
Surely shall to all appear,

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I’ve begun in this new century,
And the scenes I’ve chang’d them here.

Men have chang’d the scenes already
By the century that is past,

And the end they made it bloody;
But the new I’ll make it burst.

For the style by man was alter’d,
And the shadow all do keep;

So I see that men do falter,
All my flock is hush’d asleep.

Do my shepherds see no danger?
Nor my Bible yet discern?

They mistake the heavenly Stranger,
In what way he meant to come.

Perfect like the style they’ve chang’d it;
But their changing I’ll not blame;

Eleven days they brought it sooner,
And like man I’ll do the same.

So the days they shall be shorten’d,
As they shorten now the year,

As men did by the last century,
So the new shall now appear.”

Here I have finished the answer of the Spirit to my words. Judge as you please; it was answered me by a Spirit invisible.

I shall now answer a letter, sent me by a gentleman from London. Having read my second book, he desired to have these two questions answered, viz. 1. Whether the woman deceived the serpent, and did not first eat the forbidden fruit? 2. Will a foreign enemy land in England?

This I shall publicly answer, as many of my readers may be of the same mind. The woman eat of the forbidden fruit, and gave it to her husband: so she did not cheat the serpent that way; as she knew no arts, she could practise none; she was betrayed in a state of perfect innocence; but the way she cheated the serpent was, in casting the blame on him. And now, to make it more plainly appear, I will answer it from the judge of assize. Bring a criminal before a judge, and if he is condemned for

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stealing, and he brings the person who was confederate with him, and drew him in at first to do the deed, by assuring him there was no harm in what he did, as the property was his own, and therefore he had a right to take it, and thereby deceives an ignorant and innocent person; now when such a case is brought before a just judge, if the law obliges him to punish the one, would not justice compel him to punish the other, knowing the innocent was betrayed by the guilty? Let two such stand before a just judge, and which do you think he would be most ready to punish; he that was betrayed through ignorance, or he that deceived him through deceitful arts to make the innocent as bad as himself? Any just man can be a just judge in such a cause as this; for Satan was an old offender in heaven, and drew the third part after him, and so he began upon earth to draw in man the same; but the woman turned, as you say, king’s evidence, and betrayed her betrayer. Now judge the cause. When the Lord beginneth like man, he that turneth king’s evidence is freed, and so is man. God will deal with man, perfectly after the manner of men; therefore it is written, our secret thoughts must be had into judgment; and the saints must judge the earth. My secret thoughts are gone out into the world; and the day of judgment is already begun with man. This I shall explain more clearly in my next book; as I cannot answer all the first inquiry in this; for my book was too near its end before I received the letter; but you will see every particular answered in my next book.

Now I shall answer the other inquiry in part, from a dream or vision that was shewn me in 1795. I dreamt I had a basket of birds, and that I left them at a house I knew not where, and left them to the care of the people; but when I came to seek them, they were gone. I thought I went from place to

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place to find them; but to no purpose. At last I saw two monks and two friars; I asked them if they had seen them. I thought they scornfully answered me, “They knew nothing of the birds, nor had they seen them.” After a long and fruitless search, I gave them up for lost, and went away with a heavy heart, despairing of ever seeing them more. At last, to my great comfort, some one said they had brought my basket of birds, and opened them; but they were so changed, I did not know them. They stood on their feet like children, with the most beautiful feathers I ever saw, hanging in the most curious manner. Those who brought them, and others that were with me, stood and gazed with amazement at the beauty of the birds. I shall give the explanation in part, as it was explained on the following day.

“To monks and friars I will never stoop:

Let France beware, it is not there
My Gospel is made known;

And let the Romish soldiers fear,
It is not so in Spain.

Then let the feather’d fowls appear,
If they be in your land;

For though thy basket seemeth lost,
I’ll bring it to thy hand:

And as the feathers seem’d to hang
In such a curious strain,

Such birds I’ll surely make them here
As ne’er were seen by men.

No foreign nation you’ve to fear
Will now invade your land;

But of your own you may take care—
Be wise, and understand.

O England, O England, I’d have you take care;

A house now divided I’d have you beware;

A city divided, oh! how will ye stand?

With wisdom decide it, and so keep your land.

In heart be united; when you have a peace,

If my warnings are slighted your griefs will increase.

The monks nor the friars my Gospel don’t see;

My honour shall keep you, if you will agree;

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I’ll warn you of dangers when they do appear;

And in my next volume I’ll shew you more clear

What doors I’ve to open to bring to your view;

The woman hath spoken, you’ll find it all true;

So let May be over, and June but appear,

Then weigh well my writings, and with all compare;

Your nobles and country, see how all doth stand,

And then I’ll inform you how to judge your land.”

But all must look to the old style. I have not given you all the explanation of the dream in 1795; but I have set a mark of what is spoken now from the two woes, when the verse begins to change.

Now I am come to the end of the third volume of a work, on which men of learning and ministers are at a loss to form a judgment, whether I am inspired by the Spirit of the Lord, or whether my head is a little deranged. Ministers have acknowledged they are at a loss, and will not therefore decide hastily. But I can assure them my head is no way deranged, but by the visitation of some Spirit invisible; and what Spirit that is, may be easily discovered from the vision seen in 1794, when I was perfectly awake. If then three books puzzle the heads of the learned, the fourth will puzzle them much more, when they see the day of judgment explained. It must first take place upon earth, before it takes place with the Lord. Shall I astonish my readers to tell them, men must judge the Lord, before the Lord judgeth men? And as the war was begun in heaven, so it will now end upon earth; which meaneth, men will be divided concerning Christ’s kingdom.

Joanna Southcott.

Exeter, May 19, 1801.

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[1] This was Joanna’s own judgment, that from the three good harvests following as foretold people would be generally convinced.