Joanna Southcott: Unpublished Manuscripts
The Vision of Candles and the spacious Room
The Vision of Candles and the spacious Room that was seen by Joanna 1794, these words were spoken to her.
Arise and shine for thy Light is come, and Glory of the Lord is Risen.
Now Joanna thee I’ll answer
As these two Visions do appear
All will know I am thy Master
When they both I’ve made them clear
Arise and shine ‘twill by high time
When both together come
The mysteries deep are now behind
Like sparkling Rays of Sun.
In glory bright to see the sight
When I’ve fulfilled my word
To bring these shadows all to light
Then men will know their Lord
Did strong appear in Visions here
To shew you all the end
For every Mystery then I’ll clear
And Prove myself your Friend
But see the bed where Thousands laid
And all before thy view
And mark the words that I have said
You’ll find these Visions true
For I shall shine in every mind
And shew the Mystery clear
The lighted candles then will find
The way I shall appear
To slide them up so they may hope
Tho’ glimmering now they see
I tell thee now no one shall drop
That’s on the line with thee.
I tell the no, it is not so
I’ll slide them up through all
And they shall see the Light from Me
To make their foes to fall
So do not fear the shadows here
Tho’ dangers over their heads
This way their foes do now appear
But now mark what I’ve said
I’ll slide them up thy friends may hope
Tis not thy friends must mourn
When I’ve begun to work in man
And make the candles burn
Then they’ll confound in every sound
Mark what was said before
I said the end would so be found
When I in Power appear
So I shall come in Power strong
And make thy foes to fall
Thou’lt see the sparkling light to burn
These Visions shew you all
What I’ve said be not misled
The End will so appear
The candles see will lighted be
And make thy foes to fear.
For to hang there they may appear
As lighted candles come
And of the Grave thou’st nought to fear
For now I’ll tell thy doom
In Glory Bright before my sight
Thou surely wilt appear
The candles they will all burn bright
When I have ended here
So rise and shine tis then the time
For sparking light you’ll see
But should I make them drunk with wine
And drown’d the eyes of thee
In tears to flow I well do know
If I should light too soon
Therefore this way I on do go
The setting Sun must come
For all to see the Mystery
The clouds I must dismiss
And every foe that’s join’d with thee
I tell thee must be cast
Before the time I’ve told my mind
The hearts of Men I know
Mark how thy spirit is confin’d
When joined with a foe
And mine’s the same behold my name
With foes I’ve join’d thee here
As well as friends to shew the end
That Satan may see clear
I gave him Room it must be known
To work his every will
But now the light will soon be shewn
That he with all his skill
Could not work round in any sound
To quench the light in thee
Thy obedience so is found
That all my friends may see
Their light to burst thy foes are cast
But now thy thoughts I know
Why is this written on their heads
Must they Receiv’d A Blow?
The Vision see is drawn by thee
A way you don’t discern
I told you like the setting sun
Thy ending sure will come
So perfect like the setting sun
In sparkling Rays, all round
In lustre bright before your sight
The vision so is found.
So discern the way I warn
Mark what I told thee first
Arise and shine behold the time
This vision so is plac’d
As seen before doth now appear
The other visions see
I told thee like the setting sun
Thy end would surely be
When sparkling bright before my sight
And so thou’st drawn it here
When I all mysteries bring to light
They’ll see the Visions clear
That thy must join as now they hang
To conquer every foe
Tho’ on their head is malice laid
By Satans arts I know
That is work’d round in every sound
And I shall work Round all
Till men shall see they lighted be
And very mystery shine
In wonders here for to appear
When I have work’d Round all
Now from this writing who can clear
For up and down I call1
So up and down in every sound
You’ll see the truth come on
A mystery the end will be
Unto the sons of men
But mark this writing how tis plac’d2
My ways are placed the same
For who can find in every line
A straight path to go on
So ‘tis with mine the end they’ll find
For Crooked Paths seem here
But in the end ‘tis my intend
To make them straight appear
As this might be I now tell thee
The lines may all be Plain
Upon another Paper wrote
And so I’ll make the end
How different here doth it appear
The Vision thou hast drawn
Than in the way thou see’st it here
And so the end will come
So like the first I say ‘twill burst
For all may rise and shine
You’ll see the Mystery at the last
In sparkling light divine.
The candles see are plac’d by thee
And in the sockets here
And perfect so mankind do see
But I shall make all clear
These Visions two before thy view
Shews plain to all your end
A mystery you all will see
For I this way shall Bend
The candles all when Loud I call
I’ll make their Light more strong
For I shall slide them up of all
That now with thee will hang
Upon the Line they’ll see the time
When I shall slide them up
All will know my words divine
Tho’ simply I did stoop
To come to man in simple form
As I told thee at first
And in the stable to be born
That way my Bible did burst
So now again ye sons of men
I humbly have stoop’d low
In the same manner I had done
And so my words do flow
In simple manners to appear
But should I lead thee on
In wondrous wisdom bright and clear
In likeness of my throne
Should I come down in every sound
To make these Mysteries known
I ask thee how I should be found
In mercy for to come?
Simplicity you all must see
Was surely seen at first
And so the end was my intend
That way again to burst
So simple here doth all appear
And simply I go on
To work in thee they all shall see
But now discern thy hand
How do appear thy visions here
And mark how now thou’st drawn
The sparkling lustre now see clear
They’ll find the end is so
When I do come to make an end
To visions Both fulfil
Around thy bed as I have said
They’ll see the mystery still
But now within thou dost begin
To ask what this doth mean
I could not come in mystery here
To speak in nobler strain
But I’ll appear to answer here
And tell thee what I mean
Why I in mystery could not come
To spear in nobler strain
Had I come down in every sound
In Language like a God
The sons of men must so be found
To tremble at my Rod
Because that clear it must appear
The calling it was mine
Yet Satan would mens hearts ensnare
To mock me at the time
Then how could I who dwell on high
Shew pity unto man
That did my mercies so deny
My Gospel all discern
To Rise and shine tis then the time
When I’ve work’d all through
And from the Vision here are seen
They’ll find my words are true
So from the Sun I shall begin
And place the Vision here
Because I tell thee, like the Sun
The Ball doth so appear
Then shewn to thee in fire to be
But rounded like the sun
And so they’ll find the Mystery
When I begin to burn
Like fire below they friends will know
That I shall make them mine
So cut no more the time is oer
For now I’ll shew the sign
So perfect as this vision is
I’ll make the end appear
To every friend tis my intend
To make them sparkle here.
Notes:
1
The verses placed irregular2
Irregular not in the order of the figures