On the death of Mrs Wooland the bakers wife whose death was foretold in 1794, that both her and her Son would die from a dream of Mr Wooland the Maltster. He dreamed he saw a hearse with red tassels to it, and it passed before his door and they were singing most beautiful hymns that were following the hearse. I was then told that his dream alluded to the baker Wooland’s wife’s death and that of her Son. In 1795 she was with Child and had a still born Son which caused her death in May 1796 – this was explained by the Spirit to Joanna Southcott in the following manner.

I was ordered to put three O’s over the dream

And the first O for man

But when my anger there abates

The other woe shall come

For, for my Gospel I’ll prevent

The present coming here

In Leech’s letter tis contained

What surely will appear

That unto him thou’st never sent

But it is sealed up

And all together ‘twill appear

The curtain must come back

And all the truth will then appear

Perfect like Woolands dream

O’er the hearse the tassels are

‘Tis the read Seals for man

Because the dye will sure look black

And all with ink is penn’d

My promises shall not be slack

The seals must all appear

To shew that I was sealed up

By unbelief before

And unbelief does still abound

Unto the present day

But when the Seals do all come round

Fatal their dye will be

From Channon thou dost hear the sound

That every soul shall see

For down the kingdom it shall fall

That Satan does support

My kingdom it shall come to all

My Gospel I'll support

The promised blessings will come down

And Channon it will sing

Thou’lt see the mysteries to come round

For he shall break the wing

I said that Channon would rejoice

When they should surely mourn

And like the owl they’ll hear the noise

The wilderness will come

That in the desert they will cry

Or like the Owl to be

I say their turtles are begun

The fatal month of May

And May twill be they all will see

And may they all awake

Or else they’ll see their destiny

That may their hearts all break

I said their troubles would come on

Ere Wollands Joys abound

And when together it doth come

‘Twill be in a straight line

But in what manner it will be

It is unknown to all

And thy escape I shall direct

If I to thee shall call

Now to the Altar thou turn back

And mark what happen’d there

Thou knowest the woman all in black

In madness did appear

And at her all did strangely gaze

And wonder’d what she’d done

I said thou wouldst them all amaze

When to the purpose come

For at the first they looked surprized

And wonder’d what thou’st done

But darkness soon will blind their eyes

That 'mazed they’ll see thou’rt come

And in this manner ‘twill go on

And 'mazed they’ll all think thee

The way that I shall lead thee on

My footsteps none shall see

For in the deep they all are hid

And deeply this is done

The Son was dead be not misled

Thou knowest ere he was born

Then could he die the mystery’s high

But death came in the womb

Let men look deep to prophecies

And know the time is come

That in the womb of providence

All this hath been decreed

To kill the child ere man was born

And break the serpents head

Out of thy sleep thou must awake

For all thy work’s in haste

Doth unbelief so much abound

And 22 near past

Then 7 more will soon be here

The 29^th of May

The branches I shall sure cut down

That every soul shall see

Before the throne thou’st wish to bow

And know my perfect will

Write out the language of thy heart

For I shall now stand still

My heart and mind were perplexed by the discourse of unbelievers that chance might make true the prophecies, but did not believe the others would be ever true. This threw my mind into a doubtful and perplexed state which I was ordered to pen. What shall I answer? Is there a thought in my heart or a word in my mouth that is concealed from the most High? Is the Lord my director, my guide and my keeper and will He still lead me in bye paths that I know not? On the one hand I am unworthy of His mercies and my unworthiness makes me doubt. Is it possible that a heart that is influenced by the Spirit of God can be so dead or dull as mine. The life of others shames me, and makes me jealous of the truth. I am lost in confusion buried in thought of all the past and the present. On my early days I look back with shame and confusion, my mind crazed after vanity and my eye like the fools to the ends of the Earth. When awakened by Sermons on the Sufferings of Christ I promised to live to Him and to Him only, but it was like the morning cloud and the early dew which passed away till my mothers death sunk deep in to my heart. Since that I may say I have been desirous to live in the knowledge of the Lord, but to my shame I can reproach myself I have forgotten him days without number, and am an unworthy object of his loving kindness. This puzzles me. Can it be possible that the Lord will reveal His will to one that is so unworthy? On the other hand when I reflect on the divine goodness that it is not our merits, but Christs mercies whereby we are saved, and His unbounded love to sinners makes me lost in wonder and know not what to think. The manner my visitation first came to me strengthens my faith, and the thousand truths spoken amazes me. Can it be possible, that the Lord who dwelleth in the heavens above, and among the habitations of the Earth below would strengthen the hand of a child to go on, and to say the Lord saith if he had not spoken to seal up in his name what are his decrees concerning mankind to write in His name, and explain the Bible different from all the world, and always obey the voice of the Spirit at the Command of the Lord and the truth be verified – these recollections fill me with faith and fear, as I find it impossible to disbelieve, but the unbelief of mankind fills me with jealousy and doubts, but why hath my hand been strengthened or the hand of my forefathers to make me rely so much on the inward knowledge of God and not be disappointed of their hopes or I of mine if he had not wise ends in it that I cannot account for. The unerring wisdom of Jehovah I cannot direct, these things are too high for me, and I have no one can explain them to me. If I am led by the Spirit of God I am told my end will be fatal to disobey in one thing – If it be a false Spirit I know it will be fatal to obey. In this situation is my heart and mind wounded, and my peace broken. I fear to go backward, and I cannot disbelieve, and I fear to go forward as my faith is mixed with fear. But could I know of a truth by what Spirit I was led, then I should know what to do. If of God I should go on my way rejoicing, but if not I would burn all my writings, and go back from the false hand that deceived me, but as I stand in jealousy I stand in sorrow fearing to go backward, and cautious of going forward, dreading I am out of the way. Could I say this before the Lord I trust he would direct.

Now stop thy hand the end is near

Before the Lord is shall appear

From types and shadows I did say

The Bishop was a type of me

Tis in the last distressing hour

The Lord designs delivering power

The mount of danger is the place

Where he designs delivering grace

And all thy reason they are clear

Tis in thy heart for I am there

And all thy life I well do know

Backward and forward thou dost go

Thy life I will not justify

Nor yet condemn it from on high

I know thy life that it hath been

Like Adams seed tainted with sin

And on the Earth there’s none thats free

But may complain as well as thee

All hearts I know, all hearts I try

And who is he can justify

To say he did never sin

And now to reason I’ll begin

Thy family’s faith I’ve tried before

To see if they would fix it here

And on me they did all rely

Nor disappointed were in me

Strange things have happened heretofore

To prove that man could never err

That on my Gospel did rely

Now I’ll explain the mystery

Ere thou wast born I did ordain

I knew they seed from whence they came

And strange things in thy family

That thou a prophetess must be

Thy talents I’d never let shine

Because I’d stumble all mankind

And as a simple worm appear

That man might wonder as before

For in the manger it began

And to the manger now ‘tis come

Therefore thy father I brought low

The mothers family well I know

So let thy Scruples all end here

Until I make the mystery clear

And all thy writings they’ll burn

When to this nation I do turn

The truth will then be all confirmed

And all mens wisdom will be higher

So now thyself condemn no more

I want no merit, it is here

But if the merit were in thee

Unprofitable could’st thou then be

Because thy merit thou must plead

Tis thou that strikes the Serpent dead

But in thyself thou say’st there’s none

Then ‘tis by Christ he must come down

If in the woman ought I do

Tis to make my Gospel true

From what the woman did before

And man shall know when he did err

On me at first he cast the blame

But know that woman shall him shame

Simple at first Eve was deceived

Simple at last Joanna now believes

And full as perfect doth obey

Not one command she does say nay

Then Satan he must sure appear

The guilty woman now to clear

And man on him must cast the blame

Since weak as woman they have been

To think a woman should go on

To write and do as thou hast done

If I did not her hand support

Because my honour she must hurt

But how such life would I prolong

To make my Gospel such a song

So for the present thou must end

And mark the lines that thou hast penn’d

If unbelief did strong abound

Another place for thee is found

And all thy friends they must comply

For the command is from on high

You will not part from it more

Because the ark will all be here

But other people I shall try

If that my Chosen all deny

But what thou’ll do, thou’lt surely know

When May is past I bid thee go

A place for thee I will prepare

If none be offer’d thee before.