TRUE EXPLANATIONS

OF THE

BIBLE

PART THE THIRD.

Monday Evening, Oct. 8, 1804.

JOANNA had been reading her Bible to Judges xiii. and deeply pondering in her heart how the Lord visited Man, from the beginning, age after age, and in what a familiar manner he was with men, made her call to her remembrance how the world had cried out about her writings; some saying they did not believe that the Lord would condescend so to visit in the Spirit; others saying, it is too low for a God. Here then they must deny the truth of their Bible, especially the books of Moses. And now I shall bring forward the Bible, from the first condescension of the Lord, after he had made Man. In Genesis ii. 18-"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the Man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Here was his condescension in the beginning. Chap. iii. 9-"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" Ver. 10-"And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Ver. 11-"And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" In reading this chapter through it appeareth to me, that the Lord deals perfectly with men after the manner of men, and after the language of men: and with mercy mixed with anger, see in what manner the Lord speaks to Cain, in chap. iv. 6-"And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?" Ver. 7-"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." After Cain slew Abel, the Lord said unto Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother? And he said I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." After the Lord had reproved Cain, he said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear: and the Lord said, no man should slay Cain; and he put a mark upon him, lest any should find him and slay him. Here were mercies mixed with anger, both in the reproof to Adam and Eve, in casting the greatest curse upon the Serpent, and then next in his mercy, in giving Cain room for repentance. Then after the world had been near 2,000 years standing, and sin greatly abounded in the land, see how the Lord cometh to instruct Noah, in chap. vi. Hear what is said in ver. 6-"It repented the Lord that he had made Man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart; and the Lord said, I will destroy Man." In ver. 14, he telleth Noah how to make the Ark, as a master builder would tell those he employed; and perfectly as man would direct man, so the Lord directed Noah; and directed him, in what he should take into the Ark. In chap. ix. the Lord spake with Noah, as man with man, when he tells him, the Flood shall no more destroy the Earth; and said he would set his bow in the clouds-"and I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature." Now see how the Lord condescends to talk to Noah, in chap. xi. when they were building the tower of Babel, to reach to the heavens; in what manner does the Lord speak in ver. 6, 7?-"Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." Here the Lord speaks and acts after the manner of men. Again, in chap. xii. in what manner did the Lord appear to Abram, but as man speaking to man-"Get thee out of thy country." Ver. 7-"And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." In chap. xvii. it is said, "the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." Here the Lord condescends to talk with Abram, as man would talk to man. If you go on in the chapter, where the Lord saith, thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations I have made thee. And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt no more call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be; and I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her. Thus the Lord condescended to talk with Abraham, as man with man. In chap. xxii. he trieth Abraham, by ordering him to offer up his son; and when Abraham goes through, "the angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of Heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing, I will bless thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice." It is fruitless to go through with all the condescension of the Lord with Abraham, and how he gave Abraham liberty to plead with him for Sodom and Gomorrah. Again how often the Lord appeared to Jacob, when he was distressed by his father-in-law. Chap. xxxi. 3-"And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee." And he sent his angel through the journey with him: and the Lord visited Jacob, throughout all his troubles. Now when we come to Exodus, we see how the Lord visited Moses, in chap. iii. where the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire-"Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people, which are in Egypt." Here the Lord goes all through, reasoning with Moses, as man reasons with man. When he complained of the slowness of speech, did not the Lord send Aaron his brother to speak for him? And the Lord gave Moses a Covenant of spiritual things, which was his command, and he gave him a Law of temporal things, in every particular as the kings of the earth make their laws, and in what manner they are to be punished for every law they break. In Numbers xiv. 11-"And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them." And Moses said unto the Lord, and pleaded for the children of Israel, saying, "the Egyptians shall hear of it; for thou broughtest up this people in thy might, and they will tell it to the inhabitants: for they have heard that thou, Lord, art among this people, that thou, Lord, art seen face to face, that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy"-"And the Lord said, I have pardoned, according to thy word; but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Now if you go through all the books of Moses, you will find the Lord talked with Moses, as man with man. And in the book of Joshua, how the Lord visited Joshua. Chap. i. 1-"The Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them." In chap. x. 12-"Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until they had avenged themselves upon their enemies." Now if you go through the Bible, you will find that the Lord visited his people, to warn them, to direct them, to protect them, and to reprove them, throughout the Old Testament; there he appeared visibly throughout, either by himself, or his angels; making men prophets, as they had no knowledge of any inspiration of the Holy Ghost, before our Saviour came upon the earth. Now our Saviour's command is, to teach us to look for the Holy Spirit of God, which is a Spirit within: for know what our Saviour saith-the wind bloweth where it listeth, ye hear the sound thereof, but ye cannot tell whence it come, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Now the Holy Ghost, which is called the Comforter, is to come in spirit, and in power; but it is not said he is to come in person, like the visitation of the Lord to the people of old; for we do not read that the angels of the Lord were with the Apostles, after our Saviour's Death, as they were with the people of old; or that the Lord appeared to them after his ascension to glory, as he appeared throughout to Moses in the Wilderness. The Apostles were taught to look for the visitation of the Lord from his Spirit; therefore St. Paul saith, Quench not the Spirit, despise not Prophecies. The New Testament as much affirmeth, that the Spirit of the Lord shall be given to prophesy, and to know the mind and will of God, by the power of his Spirit, by the influence of his Spirit, and by the visitation of his Spirit, as ever the people of old were taught by the visitation of the Lord, by his sending his angels visibly to the prophets; but our Saviour taught us, that the Power of his Spirit would be invisible. So he that denieth the one denieth the other; and how can men pretend to believe, that the Lord would condescend to shew such wondrous visitation to Moses, so many times as he came upon the Tabernacle in Fire, that the children of Israel were afraid, and desired that Moses would speak to him; for if the Lord spoke to them, they should die? Then how can men be so ignorant, to think they can be fit for the Coming of Christ, and his Kingdom, before their hearts be prepared for his Coming, as the Lord prepared the heart of Moses to be able to bear his presence? The more I read the Bible the more I am convinced that the visitation of the Lord must first come in the Spirit, to warn of his Coming, before he cometh in might, majesty, and glory, to act consistent with all the ways of God, throughout the Bible. How did the Lord try Pharaoh, before he destroyed him! But some will say, the Lord himself hardened Pharaoh's heart. I grant it. Now, before we pass judgment on these things, we must look at the beginning, lest we charge God foolishly. Consider what Pharaoh did in the first place; by arts he tried to kill all the male children of the Hebrews, by consulting with the midwives; but when private arts would not do, then he made a public decree, that every male child of the Hebrews should be destroyed. Here he put his bloody practices into execution; and the Lord preserved Moses for his destruction. Now, as that Pharaoh died, so you might say, it was not for his destruction, but for the destruction of the Pharaoh that came after him; but we read that he was the same as the Pharaoh before him, and the groanings of the children of Israel grew greater and greater. So the sin of one rested upon the head of the other, to work wickedness, and act with cruelty. Then why should we marvel at the Lord's hardening his heart, that he might shew his visible signs and judgments in the land of Egypt, to punish the king and the people, for their cruelty to the children of Israel, and to prove to them, that there was a God in power, whom the children of Israel were called to worship; and whom they themselves ought to worship? Now remember what Pharaoh said to Moses, Exodus v. 2-"Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." Now we see from this, that Pharaoh had no idea of a God in power, to punish his iniquities; neither had the Egyptians; for they believed none were in greater power than their own wise men, the soothsayers and magicians, who had power to work by enchantments. Therefore the Lord wisely hardened Pharaoh's heart, to shew them the difference between the Power of God and the Power of Men that worked by the Power of the Devil; therefore the Lord hardened on his heart, to let him know who he was, and to convince the Egyptians of the folly of the wise men, that they trusted in. But how could this be done, if Pharaoh's heart had not been hardened to contend with the Lord, to make him know and feel his power, that it might appear visibly here upon earth? Now men do allow that there is a punishment for sin after death, which they also allow to be just; but where is the man that goes to see this punishment? For it is of no use to the living; neither does it turn any from their sins! But when the Lord begins to shew his punishment and judgments here upon earth, then they turn many from the evil of their ways; and they stand to posterity to shew the power of God, and his judgment. Therefore the things that I once marvelled at, why the Lord should harden Pharaoh's heart, I now see divine and infinite wisdom in it; for if the Lord had not visibly punished Pharaoh in this world, no man would have thought of his punishment afterwards; therefore, if we look back to the original crimes of Egypt, and their cruelty to the children of Israel, it was wisdom, justice, and goodness in God, to shew his public judgments to the world; and that crimes like theirs should not go unpunished; but had not the Lord raised them up to shew them, the world could never have known them. Now, when we trace the wondrous works of God throughout the Bible, they stand upon record, to shew the punishment due to sin in this world, which never would have been of use to man, if all had been punished in the world to come, and if no visible judgments had appeared here, their punishment after death would be of no use to the living. Now if we look to Turkey, we see the wretched cruelty that is committed there; yet till the Lord begins by visible judgments, to shew his wondrous works and power, the Turks will have no more knowledge of God than Pharaoh had; for the death of one bloody monarch raised up another just as bad. Therefore, the Lord must shew his visible power in this world, that it might be made known in the earth, that there is a God, to reward the righteous and punish the wicked; therefore I see the wisdom of God in all his dealings.

the answer of the lord.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer the pondering of thy heart, that thou art afraid to mention; but as thou canst not conceal thy thoughts from me, thou shalt not conceal them from the world; for I knew every thought of thy heart, as thou wast reading through thy Bible, that if it was not from what I had revealed to thee before, to try Satan's reign here upon earth, that I might be clear to men and angels of my first casting him out of Heaven, and at last to chain him to utter darkness by himself, thou shouldest have marvelled why I created Man at all, as all knowledge was in me, that men would sin, and sin would bring upon them sorrow. These have been the ponderings of thy heart; and that the revelation, which has been given to thee, is the very thing that clears the justice of God in all things; for without Satan's suffering, who is the origin of evil, thou couldest not see in thy heart why Men should be created to suffer; but thou sayest thou art afraid, that thy thoughts have been sinful, taking in question the wisdom of the Most High. Now I shall answer thee: the ponderings of thy heart are just; for it was I that caused them to work within thee. It was never my justice, nor ever my decree to create men to suffer, and free the author that tempts them to evil; yet Men are endowed with sense, and with reason; and as thou sayest they had my visitation from age to age, to warn them, to teach them, to direct them, and to punish them, visibly in this world, that men might know there was a punishment due to sin; therefore if men were determined to be rebellious, they ought to suffer for their rebellion; and if men will give themselves up to hearts of cruelty, they ought to suffer for their cruelty; and this in thy own heart thou sayest is just. And now I shall come to the creation of man: What I said before he fell-it was not good for the man to be alone, I would make a helpmate for him. Now you say that helpmate caused the Fall; but by whose arts did she cause it? Thou sayest by the Devil. Then on his head she cast it; and on his head I placed it: But know, in the garden the tree of life was preserved for man.-Now I shall go back to thy pondering thoughts of the creation. For as I hardened Pharaoh's heart, to shew my visible judgments in this world, so I put ponderings in thy heart to answer the world, at large thereby; for thy thoughts are the thoughts of thousands-why did I create Man to be miserable? I answer: I created Man to be perfect in happiness; and perfect in happiness are millions, which will be till time is no more; then their happiness and heavenly joys will be visibly seen. Then why should I keep back that happiness from Man? Or why should I not create a race to be happy, because all would not accept that happiness? Now I shall come to the flood. When the whole world was hardened in sin, and their hearts were bent to do evil, would my prolonging their lives have been a blessing to them, that they might add sin to sin, and make their punishment the greater? Thou sayest no: then where was the difference of my putting a stop to their sin in a day, that they might increase no more in it, or letting them live a little longer in this world, and so cut them off one by one without any visible sign? Would their punishment have been the less? I tell thee, No; but now as I cut off the race of Man in a day, that had none of my Spirit within them, so will I cut off all the powers of darkness, whose spirit is opposite to mine: and as I saved Noah in the ark, wherein my Spirit dwelled, so will I preserve men who long for my Spirit to be within them; and as I told Noah how to make the ark, so I have told thee every particular, how to make the ark of the new covenant that is between God and Man; and how I shall destroy all the works of the Devil. Know what I said to Noah after the flood, I do set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Now mark my next visitation to Man-Let us go down and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speeches. Then followeth my visitation to Abraham, and the great Promise I made to him, for his Obedience. Then followeth my visitation to Jacob, and to Joseph. All were blessed through the obedience of Abraham, till it came to Moses. Then a king rose that knew not God; then came on their afflictions; and then came their deliverance. And now I tell thee, the Type of Pharaoh is already begun in Satan: my commands have been obeyed as they were by Noah, when I destroyed the world of sin; and now I will destroy the Man of sin, which is the Devil, with all his host, and all his power; as I destroyed Pharaoh, and all his host, for pursuing after the children of Israel, so will I overthrow Satan for pursuing those whom I forbid. For the perfect obedience of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has been here; and in this perfect and true obedience all the families of the earth shall be blessed, that will join with thee; let them be as the heart of one man united together in faith; and I will free them, as I freed the children of Israel; for I told thee, that was a Type of the last days; and know how Pharaoh was destroyed, that pursued after them, and how I destroyed their enemies, that were before them, who had no knowledge of a God.

"So here the Type stands deep for Man-

Thy pondering thoughts I shall go on:

Thou judg'd it cruelty in me,

When all those nations thou didst see

That by the Jews I did cut off,

And so their kings I brought to nought,

And all their people I did slay;

Thou judged it hard my hand did lay-

But I shall answer as before:

In nought but sin they did appear,

And if their lives I had prolong'd,

I ask what good to them 'twould done?

Because thou knowest that all must die,

And in the grave forgotten lie:

And so in death they did appear;

But they are not forgotten here,

Because it stands upon record,

The wondrous working of the Lord;

When that my people I did free

Behind I drowned their enemy,

And then before them I did go,

Till I'd destroyed their every foe.

Now here's the shadow of the last;

The Type stands deep how I shall burst;

Now I am come to make an end,

This is the way the whole shall bend.

The enemy doth now pursue,

As Pharaoh did at first;

Because that me, he well doth know,

I'm come to have him cast,

My friends to free from misery,

But he'll not let them go;

But doth pursue, I well do know,

Like Pharaoh he doth do;

But I'll go on the same with him

As Moses did at first;

I tell you 'tis my strong intend

That way it now shall burst;

The shadow there that did appear

Shall now be done for Man;

And Satan is the Pharaoh here,

And so his doom shall come;

And so behind, they all shall find,

Though he doth follow close,

I tell thee, now my every mind

Is to destroy his host.

Then I'll go through, they all shall know,

And smite the foes before;

For every nation now shall know

Their end is drawing near.

The Promise great, without deceit,

Shall surely come to Man;

For Abraham's faith, I now shall clear,

In thee it hath been strong;

Then Isaacs see, and Jacobs be

Now joined with the word,

And in obedience I do see

How they believe their Lord.

So Jacob's sons they now may come,

Believers may appear;

They'll find my Promises are strong,

As I have spoken here.

And so the lands they now do stand

Like Israel's chosen race,

That I'll redeem from Satan's hand,

For so the end shall burst;

So he behind, you all do find,

Like Pharaoh to pursue;

And from the Type my Bible stands-

Bring all before your view:

The heathens here must surely fear,

They'll perish like the Kings;

Because the likeness I shall clear,

The ending of the thing.

I tell you Men, for shadows strong

My Bible came so first;

And from the shadows I'll go on

Till every likeness burst.

When they were free you all do see

What wonders I did do;

How I destroy'd their enemy,

That was before their view.

These shadows here I now shall clear-

The nations do abound,

But their destruction they may fear;

My friends shall now be found

My lands to claim, they shall be mine,

My chosen to enjoy;

And every Foe, they now shall know,

I shall them all destroy.

Now perfect as the Jews of old

Mankind do now appear;

For though the truth to them was told,

Thou knowest, in deep despair

Did many go, thou well dost know,

Before they saw the end;

Their unbelief they strong did shew,

No wonders made them bend,

The end to see in faith to me,

And so to Man appear;

Because the End they do not see

Fulfilled in one year;

Then they turn back, and they do droop,

As Israel did of old,

Thinking that I to Man must stoop,

As I my mind have told,

To tell them plain I shall redeem

From every sore distress;

They think it hasty must be seen,

Or I do them oppress,

So now I'll clear like Israel here

My chosen Men are come;

Josephs and Calebs I have here

Amongst my chosen men;

Their minds, I see, are bent in me

The End for to go through;

And others like the Jews they be,

Their murmuring I do know.

Thou now seest Men like them become,

And like the Jews appear;

They think deliverance must be come,

If I have spoken here;

If't be not so they back will go,

Ne'er wait to see the end:

And from these shadows you must know,

Just like the Chapters penned

Do all appear, I tell thee here,

Believers do complain,

As their deliverance don't appear,

The promised land to gain;

They cannot wait to see their fate,

Of what is hastening on,

Though all the nations they do see

In wars and tumults come.

Then I'll go through, they all shall know,

As I went through before;

I surely will destroy their Foe,

And bring him to the shore;

So he behind his death shall find,

Like Pharaoh now to fall;

The Foes before now in the war,

I'll surely conquer all;

The nations all they down shall fall,

That will not stoop to me;

The promised land I now shall call

And to my people give,

That Abrahams here in faith appear,

And Jacobs to go on:

From Isaac see the Type of me-

I rose again for Man;

So he the same, and Jacob came,

And so I shall go on,

Till Jacobs here do strong appear,

And Josephs to be found;

And Moses see the Type of me,

How that in every sound

I visit there, let Man see clear,

And so I'll visit on,

Till all my Foes destroyed are,

My Kingdom then shall come.

The Shadows first to them did burst-

But Satan was not bound,

And so their pleasures did not last;

They sinned in every sound,

But now I'm come to make an end,

For to destroy their Foe,

And I'll bring in a happy reign,

My chosen friends shall know

That from the first the whole must burst,

As it did then appear;

It was to bring it to the last,

My Bible stands so there.

So every land see how they stand,

And every shadow see;

Satan is bound by my command,

My Sealed people be,

Like Israel there do some appear

To murmur at my Word;

They judged deliverance it was near,

And then fell from their God;

Because too soon, I say, ere noon

They judged the day must end,

That all these wonders I must do,

No longer they'd depend,

To trust in me, I plain do see,

So Israel's seed is here;

Joshuas see, and Calebs be,

In faith do some appear.

So every sign call thou to mind

As thou hast ponder'd through."

the gospel of st. john.

John iii. 14, 15, 16-"And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

the answer of the lord.

"Now I shall answer thee from these words. They stand perfectly to the Gentiles as the Law did to the Jews, to all them that believed in me, and relied on me for Salvation; but now is coming the fulfilment of my Death, to bring in Man's Redemption. Now come to verse 17-"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Then now answer me, ye worldly wise men, how the world can be saved through me, if I do not destroy all the works of the Devil, as is prophesied of me; and as I said I should come again, and take out of my Kingdom all that offend? Those that are now believing in me for Salvation, without believing in me for Redemption, are like the sons of Eli, who pretended to offer the sacrifice, but not according as the Lord had commanded them; for though they were the sons of Eli, yet they were sons of Belial, that knew not the Lord. Now perfectly so is it with the Gospel; for though men profess to be children of those that believe the Gospel, and the Apostles that brought in the Gospel, yet, they are as far departed from the Gospel, as Eli's sons were departed from their father, and from all the ordinances of the Lord; and so they are departed from the Gospel. Now what honour do men bring to me to say, I died a shameful Death on the Cross, to cast out all the Jews, and bring in a few people to believe in me, and save a few that are righteous? Were not the righteous saved before? Where is the merit you make of my Death and Sufferings, that the world through me might be saved? Then know, if the world be saved through me, I must destroy him that hath the power of Death, which is the Devil. Then are you not like Eli's sons, that know not the Lord, nor the power of his might, neither will you give me the honour due unto my Name:

For now to Man I here shall answer:

From the Law and Gospel see,

I that am thy every master

Now will fully answer thee.

As 'twas before doth now appear,

And Eli's sons are come;

My honour they will never clear,

The way Men now go on.

My Gospel true before their view

They never will allow:

That what I said I'd surely do-

Vain mortals tell me how

You can believe one that deceives,

You say, in every word?

For if my Gospel do stop here

You cannot prove the Bread

Came down from Heaven, for Man was given

To be the Bread of Life,

That is for all, when I do call,

To end your every strife.

So answer here, let men appear,

My Gospel let them see;

Then tell me how they'll baffle here,

My Spirit cannot be

So strong with Man, when I do come

To make the final End?

For in my Gospel must be shewn

My Spirit I should send."

John xiv. 16, to the end-"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.-He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.-Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.-These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.-But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.-And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass ye might believe."

the answer of the lord.

"Now let the world answer me, whether they think these sayings of mine alluded only to my disciples? or whether they think they were spoken for believers at the End? Know, I said I am with you to the End; but was I with my disciples to the end of their days in the body? Thou answerest, No; then it is in the Spirit that I must be with you in the End; and how can men allude my sayings to my disciples only? For know, I answered, if a man love me, he will keep my words. Now if I spoke thus only to my disciples, then I must not mean for other believers to keep my words; but these words were spoken to every man that was a believer, for ages to come; and for all that would be believers, it was left on record. Then mark what followeth: my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him; but how is this visitation to be? Is it not said before, by the Spirit, even the Spirit of truth that the world cannot see? Then how do you wrest the Scriptures, professing Godliness and denying the power thereof? While I was yet with them, I plainly told them what should happen in the End. But did the other Comforter come then to abide with men for ever? I tell you, No; the other Comforter is the fulfilment of my word, at my second Coming in Power to destroy all the works of the Devil; but that Comforter must first come in the Spirit, whom the Father sendeth in my Name; therefore, I left it on record, that men might know in what manner my visitation would be, when I came to warn in the Spirit; not as any visible sight, that appeared unto Moses, when I appeared unto him in the bush, and after followed him through the desert of the wilderness they were in. Then was my appearance visible; but know I told you, at the last, that my visitation would be in the Spirit; and now I am come in the Spirit and in Truth, to bring in my Kingdom and abide with you for ever. But this the world cannot receive, because they see me not. The Jews saw and did not believe; and when the angels visited them, how many were rebellious at the same time? Yet others did believe, and by their belief prevented the judgments: but was my visitation to be the same now, as it was in the days of Moses, where could the fulfilment of my Gospel be? or how could I prove that I came into the world to place my Spirit in man, if I do not visit in the Spirit without visiting as I did of old? Then my Coming could have made no change; but as my Coming has made a change to come invisible, instead of visible, it is to destroy all the invisible evil, that ye know and feel to your sorrow, without seeing. So when I appeared visible to Moses, I ordered the Beast that was visible to be slain, but now I am come invisible to Man, they neither see me, neither believe me; but as many as do believe, my Father and I will come unto them, and take up our abode with them, and the things that are invisible shall be seen visibly, when I destroy all the works of the Devil. Now see what changes have taken place in the Bible; then what a happy change must take place in the End, when I come to change the whole and bring the Tree of Life to Man, that was preserved for him in the Fall."

Now come to the Gospel of St. John i. 9-"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Ver. 10-"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." Ver. 12-"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; even to them that believe on his Name." Ver. 17-"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Ver. 29-"John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Ver. 51-"And Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Chap. iii. 6-"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." Ver. 15-"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish." Ver. 21-"He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God; but every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved." Chap. iv. 14-"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

the answer of the lord.

"Now, Joanna, stop with these words; as these are words no man understood, what that water meant; for all who have believed in me have been thirsting for water or something to drink. But now I shall go back to the beginning. I came to be a light to lighten every man that cometh into the world; but can you say, every man that has come into the world already is enlightened by me? or walketh in the light? I tell thee, No; I was in the world, and the world knew me not; but as many as received me, to them I gave power to become sons of God, even to them who believed in my name. But how do men believe in my name? Do they believe I am the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world? And were the sins of the world ever taken away? Then know, O man, if I come to take them away, I must fulfil my coming and take them away. Therefore I said, ye must be born again; and what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit. Now when I come to destroy the works of the flesh, that the Devil hath worked in the hearts of men to set them to do evil, and place my Spirit within them, then they will be born of the Spirit, which is of God, and not after the flesh, which is the Fall of Man. But he that doeth evil hateth the light, and loves to abide in the Darkness of the Fall; but he that loveth the light, and wishes to come to the truth of my Gospel, he will come to the light of the truth, that the truth may be made manifest that the work is wrought in God for your redemption. And this is the fountain of living water, that if a man drink thereof he will thirst no more; for when the wells of salvation are come to men, then will rivers of joy be flowing within them; and they will not be thirsting like the children of Israel, that thirsted to go back to the fleshpots of Egypt; neither will they be thirsting after gods to their hurt; but when they have drunk deep into my Spirit, in my Spirit they will long to abide, and thirst no more to depart from it; for then they will find that God is a spirit, and they will worship him in spirit and in truth; and know that Christ is the Saviour of the world: for I come to seek and to save that which is lost; and Man was lost by the Fall; but know that I come to redeem them from the Fall; therefore, I said I should give them living waters, to thirst no more. Now I tell thee, these things were not understood; therefore the Jews persecuted me, and sought to slay me, because I did many miracles on the Sabbath, not considering that the Son of God was Lord of the Sabbath. But when I come to fulfil the Sabbath, to make it a day of rest for man, and make that day a thousand years; then they will know I am Lord of that thousand years; therefore I worked many miracles on the Sabbath day, to shew how I should deliver my people, and how I should heal them, for that day that is at hand, the Sabbath, a rest for man! and that Sabbath shall be a thousand years, wherein every day shall be a day of rest; as I worked my miracles without making any distinction of days, so shall perfect happiness flow to Man without distinction of days; for every day shall be a day of rest: that meaneth, they shall rest from sorrow, they shall rest from sin, they shall rest from pain, and from sickness, they shall rest from strife and from contentions, they shall rest from wars and tumults. Then they may see the truth of my Gospel-that now I have given them the fountain of living waters; it is a well of joy, a well of salvation, that they may thirst no more, when they are called with an everlasting call, and saved with an everlasting salvation." John v. 44-"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

"Now I shall answer, before thou goest further: if ye seek the honour of men, the honour of men must perish; but if ye seek the honour of God, then you will believe in all his words, and be looking for the honour that cometh down from above; that is the honour of his Word, the honour of his Truth, the power of his Spirit, that God might be all in all. And when God is all in all, then know the works of the Devil must be destroyed; for how can a man be all in all while he hath a rival standing between? And the rival stands in Satan, between God and man."

Chap. vii. 4-"If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world; for neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. The officers answered, never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who know not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" Chap. viii. 17-"It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then the Jews said unto him, Say we not well, thou hast a Devil? Jesus answered, I have not a Devil; but I honour my Father; and ye do dishonour me." Chap. x. 4-"When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him." Chap. xii. 31-"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Chap. xiii. 19-"Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me and receiveth him that sent me." Chap. xvi. 7. "If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you; and when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not in me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all Truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he shall shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." Ver. 24-"Hitherto, ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joys may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs; but the time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in Proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day, ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me." Chap. xvii. 26-"I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Chap. xviii. 22-"When he had thus spoken, one of the officers struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, answerest thou the High Priest so? Jesus answered him, if I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a King then? Then Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a King; to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth; every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Chap. xx. 14-"She turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman why weepest thou? She saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him thence, tell me where thou hast laid him. Jesus saith unto her, Mary! She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni! which is to say, Master."

the acts of the apostles.

Acts i. 7-"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven." Chap. ii. 38-"Be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the Promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call." Chap. iii. 19-"Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, since the world began." Chap. v. 16-"There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one by the disciples. Then the High Priest rose up, and all that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the Apostles, and put them in the common prison." Ver. 28, 29-"Did we not strictly command you, that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. Then Peter and the Apostles answered, we ought to obey God rather than Man; and we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." Chap. xi. 15-"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning; for as much as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ." Chap. xiii. 45-"But when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things, which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul grew bold, and said, the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles; for so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the end of the earth." Chap. xiv. 2-"But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the Apostles." Chap. xv. 16-"After this I will return and will build again the Tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; I will build again the ruins thereof, and set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord; and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." Ver. 8-"And God, which knoweth the hearts bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even so he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Chap. xix. 39-"But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it should be determined in a lawful assembly." Chap. xxii. 7-"And I fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they gave him audience unto his words, and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live." Chap. xxiii. 9-"And there arose a great cry and strife amongst them; and the Pharisees part arose and strove, saying, we find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Chap. xxviii. 22-"But we desire to hear of thee, what thou thinkest; for as concerning this sect: we know that every where it is spoken against."

Now I am ordered to pen the ponderings of my own heart, in reading through St. John and the Acts of the Apostles; and I now say, as I have said before, the Bible is a Looking-glass for all men to see their own hearts, their own ways, and their own conduct, by every different class of people: but I bless God for the Law that is made under the Gospel, that liberty of conscience is given unto every man, that the malicious and wicked cannot vent out their malice by public rebellion, as they did in our Saviour's days. But yet, in reading my Bible through, I see a malicious spirit of rebellion, and unbelief, in every age of the world; and just the same it is now, and ever will be, as long as the powers of darkness have power to work in man against God. Now I should think the Jews, many of them, and the Sadducees, to be possessed with Devils, if I did not see the same spirits in men now; but I see the world is just like the Jews, where doctrine is spoken against; some despise it because it hath not the general applause of the world; and thus appeared the manner of the moderate Jews, in the last chapter of the Acts; and this appears like the modern Christians, in this age; it is a religion that is not fashionable, nor applauded by the world; therefore they will despise it. But when we come to weigh the Gospel, how it is spoken through of the Holy Ghost being given to them that truly believed in Christ, and how our Saviour promised to send it in his name to be the Comforter and bring all things to your remembrance; yet this was not fulfilled in the Apostles' days; neither was it promised till the restoration of all things. Now if unbelief abounded in the days of our Saviour, that neither of his Brethren believed in him, what have I to marvel now, in such an age as this, when I hear of thousands mocking their Bible, turning it into every ridicule, while others think they have nothing to do only to trust in the merits of Christ without striving to bring any honour or glory to his name, by supporting that Gospel that others are mocking? But how can men support that Gospel, when they do not believe it true? And I am sorry to say, the people in this age are perfectly like those in the days of our Saviour, when the officers said, never man spake like this man; and they answered, have any of the rulers, or the Pharisees believed in him? Just so is the world now; have any of the Bishops believed? have any of the rulers and the great men believed? If they have not, those must be fools who believe the visitation of the Lord to a simple Woman, as the Jews thought they were fools to think the Lord would let himself down so low, that he who was born of a mean virgin and laid in a manger, should be called the Son of God, and should humbly bear all the insults and ridicule of mankind, to be called the babbler, possessed with a Devil, and who hid himself when they went to stone him! This, by their worldly wisdom, could not appear to be the wisdom and power of a God; but how can man believe he would condescend to go through all the shameful treatment that he went through in this world, if he would not condescend to visit again in the Spirit, according as he promised in the Gospel? For when he speaketh of coming as the true Shepherd, to be the Shepherd of all men, as St. John x. appeareth to me-He putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and his sheep know his voice. Now these sheep, it appeareth to me, are the true Believers, that believe in his Coming in the Spirit to fulfil the Gospel. He goeth before in Spirit, and they hear his voice; for that is the manner he hath spoken of the Spirit, to be born of the Spirit, and hear the Spirit, as ye hear the wind. And he saith, I know my sheep and am known of mine; other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring in, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd? I laid down my life to take it again. Now when can men say, there hath been one Fold and one Shepherd? Do not men mock the voice of Christ coming to teach in the Spirit? Then you cannot say there is one Shepherd and one Fold to know his voice. You may say there are ten thousand shepherds and ten thousand folds, who preach different doctrines, one from another: and thousands of Arians, that preach against the Gospel. Then where is the one Shepherd and the one Fold, which our Saviour affirmed should be? And to fulfil the Bible it must be, that all might be taught of the Lord, from the greatest to the least; and the fulfilment of the Gospel affirmeth it. But need I marvel of men's saying I have a Devil, when they said our Saviour had a Devil and was mad? Why hear ye him? Others say, can a Devil open the eyes of the blind? these are not the words of him that hath a Devil. And perfectly so is the world at this day. Now let me appeal to the Christian world, whether they think every one should abuse our Saviour, because the malice and unbelief of some were great? Should those that did believe desert him, because of his persecution? If they did their sins must have been of the deepest dye; or should Paul have given up the visitation of the Lord to him, because he was mocked and despised by the Jews, and suffered such persecution? or, because Festus told him he was beside himself and was mad? But did Paul give up to his words? Did he not answer, I am not mad most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness? Now what would men think of Paul, if he had disregarded the visitation of the Lord, to please the mad unbelieving world? What profit is the world to him now? It is not all the praise and applause of man could have saved him in the hour of Death, or in the day of Judgment, from a fatal end, if he had drawn back. Then may I not say with Peter, whom ought we to obey, God or man; judge ye? See the fatal end of Judas, who began to be a man pleaser; but what comfort did he feel from man, when he complained of his conscious guilt, and said he had sinned, in that he had betrayed innocent blood? What was their unfeeling answer? What is that to us? see thou to it! Now, here is the world in its true colours; if they can tempt men to sin against light and knowledge, and afterwards find they have caused their ruin, by so doing, they only mock them for fools. This is the pondering of my heart from Judas; and this would be my case was I to deny the visitation of the Lord, to please the unbelieving world, and conscious guilt began to awaken me, that I could not bear the reflection of myself. Then the answer of the world would be just the same, and I should have no more comfort from the world now than Judas had; therefore I look upon every one as a Judas to me, that wishes to persuade me to give up the visitation of the Lord, because they do not believe it. Paul might as well have given up his visitation, because the Jews did not believe him; the prophets might have given up their visitation, because the world did not believe them; and I might as well give up the Gospel, because I heard it mocked by the Jews, and they did not believe it. For being formerly in company with six Jews, they brought forward their Bibles to prove our Saviour was not the Messiah; as they pointed out the manner of his coming to be according to the second coming, to be the Prince of Peace, and have the government on his shoulders. It is fruitless here to pen the Scriptures they brought forward, to prove that the coming of Christ must be in honour and glory to God, and to the redemption of man, which I granted to be true; but they would never allow, that he must first come to die for man; and the Prophecies that prophesied of his death they would not allow that they alluded to Christ; and on being asked what they meant, they answered, they were chapters they never understood; and what they never understood they were not to look into. And now I see the Gentiles are just the same. If I ask them what is meant by the comforter being sent, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in his Name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. Their answer would be like the Jews; if it did not allude to the Holy Ghost being sent to the Disciples, at that time, they did not know what it meant; and as they did not know what it meant, they would not allow that any other should know. So here stand Jews and Gentiles together; and I would as soon rely on the one as on the other; for he that will believe one prophecy and not another, is no believer at all. Now the meaning of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, being sent in his name, cannot appear to me to allude to the Disciples; because our Saviour was then present, and taught them in his Father's Name, that he was the Son of God, which they believed, and received the Power of the Holy Ghost, as he promised them; then what new doctrine was then sent in his name, to teach them all things that concerned him? Do not these things allude to the End? Did he mean his Gospel was only to his Disciples? or did he allude it equally the same to the generations that should arise after them, that were true believers in the merits of his death and sufferings, till he had brought in all his Sheep as one Fold? Then if it alludes unto all, he saith I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me, ye can do nothing: but he saith, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not. Here our Saviour plainly affirms, that his visitation shall be in the Spirit, which no man knoweth, nor no man seeth; but he says, it shall be with you, and shall dwell in you. Now whom can the Spirit of Truth visit to be with, and to be in, but those that believe God is true, the Gospel is true, and that Christ will visit in the Spirit, according as he spoke in his Gospel? Now this have I believed, and this have I received; for in this manner hath all my visitation been, perfectly as our Saviour spoke in the Gospel; but this the world cannot receive, because they do not believe what they cannot see; for being visited within by the Spirit of God, and the Power of the Holy Ghost, though our Saviour affirmed it should be; yet it appeareth as erroneous to thousands, that profess they believe the Gospel, as it appeareth to the Jews erroneous to believe the Gospel at all. But I have not so learnt Christ, but believe his words to be true, that he is with his followers to the end, that believe in him. But how can a man profess he believes in the Gospel, and not believe one quarter what he said? Did not our Saviour say, I come a light into the world that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness? But if the judgment of the world be true, we must abide in darkness without the knowledge of God, without the knowledge of Christ; or what he meant by his Gospel, or what he meant by his second coming, or what he meant by so often speaking of sending the Comforter, sending the Holy Ghost, sending the Spirit of Truth. For all these appear dark sayings to the world; so that through unbelief they abide in darkness and will not come to the light, because from the Gospel they must be reproved: but shall we follow a multitude to do evil? Shall I blind my eyes and stop my ears because the unbelieving world are determined to blind their eyes, that in seeing they will not see, nor in hearing they will not understand? Now in pondering through the Bible, I see the resolute spirits of men, that where they give Satan power to work in them, they are determined to be resolute against the Truth; for how did the chief priests consult that they might put Lazarus to death, because many of the Jews believed on Jesus, when he had raised Lazarus from the grave? Now if this be the perverse hearts of men, it might well be said, cursed is man who trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his stay! Now how perverse were the Jews! when our Saviour cured a man who was born blind how did they try to confound the man, who was born blind, that he should not acknowledge that it was done by the power and goodness of God! But remember the man's answer; if this man was not of God he could do nothing. But they answered, thou wert altogether born in sin; and dost thou teach us? and they cast him out. Now what a perverse spirit must have been in men to cast a man out from among them, who believed in the Lord that had wrought so great a miracle upon him, and bestowed so great a blessing unto him; that he that was born blind should have the blessing to see the sun, which they themselves, though having eyes, could not see by what sun he received his sight! a blessing they could not give to him, yet it was a blessing they wished to take from him, by trying to fill his heart with ingratitude to deny the Lord that had opened his eyes! Thus, I see the perverse heart of man throughout the Gospel; and thus I see they are working with me, casting my name out as evil, because I will not act ungratefully unto the Lord, who has opened my blind eyes; for in a spiritual sense I was born as blind as the man, and I grew up blind as the man, before the visitation of the Lord came to me, to open the eyes of my understanding, and shew me the true light of his Gospel, the true light of the Bible and the true light of the Promise that was made in the Fall. So I may say, like one that was dead, I am brought to life; for as the transgression of the Woman brought Death into the world, so the fulfilment of the Promise bringeth Life and Immortality to light. So because this truth shall not be believed, they would put me to death as they wanted to put Lazarus to death! But these are my own ponderings, how much the world appeareth now like the days of old, and how they are persecuting now Christ coming in the Spirit, the same as they persecuted at his being in the body; and as they persecuted his Disciples for believing in his Gospel; so they persecute those who believe in his second coming to bring in his Kingdom of Peace. Now as I see the perfect likeness, and all has happened as the Scripture foretelleth, I would sooner give up my life than my writings; for I cannot give up my writings without giving up my Bible, as the truth stands so close together. Before our Saviour came into the world in the body, his Death, Sufferings, and Persecution, were all foretold; and the same in the Scripture, it is foretold, the like persecution and unbelief would abound now that all these truths stand together. Then how can they fall without falling together? I shall say with Esther, I will go through to my Trial; then if I perish I perish: but how can I perish, trusting in the God of Truth, who has not told me anything but what the Scriptures will bear him witness; though not understood by the wisdom of man, but known and understood by the wisdom of God, in what manner all these things should be fulfilled. Now what could St. Paul mean when he said, the heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things? Then must not a time come, that the Lord will restore all things to Man, in that likeness and happiness he created him for at first? This appears to me to be the refreshing times, that St. Paul says shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. This was spoken by St. Paul after our Saviour's ascension to glory; so he could not speak of the age then present, that Christ should come, and restore all things to Man; but he tells them to repent and be converted, that their sins might be blotted out when the time of refreshing did come. The more I read my Bible, the more I am astonished, how ministers can read their Bibles and not discern that the visitation of the Lord must come in the Spirit; and that Christ must come the second time in the Spirit to establish his kingdom in righteousness and in peace, as he taught us to pray for his Kingdom to come, and his will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, which is spoken of throughout the Bible. But can he warn of his coming by the Spirit, to such as do not believe the visitation of the Lord in the Spirit? It would be like the sending of Moses to Pharaoh, for their condemnation, and not for their salvation. Now as I find in the Bible I must go through evil report, and good report, have friends and foes, be persecuted and despised, and yet be believed and supported by those that go through the fire of men's anger and indignation; all this must be to fulfil the Scriptures, therefore I rejoice, that I am counted worthy to suffer persecutions for the sake of Christ. I see, in pondering through the Bible, how he suffered persecution, ridicule, mockery, scorn, and contempt, to be counted a madman, a babbler, and having a Devil, doing his miracles by Beelzebub the chief of Devils; all this, and more, he suffered for me, and for an ungrateful world, that is just the same now as it was then. And shall I forsake him also? No; sooner let me die by his cross than ever forsake him, or lose him from my sight; for persecution strengthens my faith; and if men would not believe in Christ himself, when he was in the body upon earth amongst them, what have I to marvel, if they reject him now in the Spirit? For I see perfectly the same different spirits in men now, as there were in our Saviour's days. Now persecution was not in our Saviour nor in his disciples; for they went about doing good, and persuading men for their own happiness, to repent and believe in him who had power to save unto the uttermost; for which reason they were persecuted; and just so is the world now, that the Lord is come to warn men every where to repent, that his Kingdom is at hand, that they may be able to stand, as good and faithful servants, to enter into the joy of their Lord at his coming; and be like the wise virgins, ready to enter in when their Lord cometh. Now for this merciful visitation, he is mocked and despised by a persecuting and ungrateful world; and his servants are treated by the world now as they were in the days of old. Persecution has been throughout the Bible; for they that are born after the flesh persecute them that are born after the Spirit. So I am clearly convinced, the carnal mind, that is at enmity against God, will ever be at enmity against God, as long as the Powers of Darkness reign. These are my thoughts on reading the Bible, which men cannot explain to me themselves, neither will they suffer the Lord to do it. But shall I quench the Spirit, because man would persuade me? God forbid! who can answer for me at the hour of death and in the day of judgment? He that can answer for me, and he that can save me from the powers of death and hell, let him direct me; he that can save me, let him instruct me; by my own Master I must stand or fall.

the answer of the lord.

"Now I shall answer from the ponderings of thy heart; and begin from thy last words. By thy own Master thou must stand or fall. And thou sayest, he that can save thee let him direct thee.-

"Then surely I, who dwell on high,

Will now direct thy hand;

Thy Foes I shall make silent lie,

The Trial none can stand;

When I've gone through what's in my view

The Trial must appear;

And men shall see they've mocked me-

'Tis time for Men to fear!

My Bible through I well do know,

Men mock'd me at the first;

And so my Gospel I went through,

Men's mockery so did burst;

Then shall I spare the mockers here?

No; them I shall confound;

And men shall tremble for to hear,

They've mock'd in every sound.

My Bible's true, they all shall know,

As thou didst ponder on;

Because thy eyes I open'd so,

To see how all must come:

Blind from thy birth thou didst express,

And blind I say were all;

The Scriptures no one could express,

Nor yet explain the Fall

For to explain is what I mean

By saying to express:

But now 'tis drawing to the end,

I'll boldly answer this;

That all are blind, they all will find,

And made so in the Fall:

So from their birth they may express

That they were blinded all,

Never to see the mystery,

The Promise how it stood;

But those that say they've eyes to see,

Did never once allude

Back to the Fall the whole must call.

Now I'll come to the blind,

Who do appear to answer here-

"The mysteries none can find;

"Our Bibles here to see it clear

"We never could discern

"The way that Promise must appear,

"Nor how the Lord did warn;

"We could not see the mind of he,

"How he would all fulfil;

"And of our Bibles blind we be-"

So let the blind stand still,

And they shall see the light from me,

Their eyes I'll open whole;

But those that boast they've eyes to see,

I tell them, down they'll fall.

Thy pondering here from me appear'd,

'Twas I that ponder'd on,

To let thee see my Bible clear,

My Gospel how 't must come.

So it is the blind the light must find,

That own they cannot see:

For I shall open every mind

That now looks up to me.

But those that boast, their light is plac'd

In their own wisdom here,

I tell them, blind themselves they'll find,

When to the light they come.

To see the blind the truth did find

That ne'er did boast before,

The light of men could make it plain,

And all my Bible clear.

For as thou dost say, this very day,

My words to thee were true;

Those that believed came all from me,

Confess they did not know

My Bible here to make it clear,

Nor by their wisdom see

Which way the mysteries I should clear,

That in my Bible be:

So thus have been, I say, blind men

Confess'd it from the Fall;

Not with their maker to contend,

But when they heard my call,

They wish'd to see their light from me,

And so the light is come!

But those that boast they've eyes to see,

Are much more blind than them;

Because they boast where wisdom's lost,

Just like the Jews before:

And by their eye-sight they were cast,

As they said they saw clear

A Devil strong in me was come,

But knew not they were blind:

The prophets they ne'er thought upon,

Where they my death must find;

'Twas all foretold, if they'd behold,

My Prophets they were clear;

But now the blind men you behold,

Their eyes I opened there,

That said to me they could not see,

So I their light became;

And so the fishermen did flee,

And left their ships, 'tis known;

From them they fled to follow me,

That were in knowledge blind,

That did not boast just like the rest;

The Pharisees you find,

And rulers there, that did appear,

Boasted in their own sight;

And so, I say they blinded were,

They could not see the light

That came from me, they could not see,

By wisdom they did fall:

Men judged themselves as wise as me,

But now I tell you all,

My Bible here no man can clear;

Nor did I place it so,

That men such wisdom e'er should share,

Till I'd destroyed their Foe.

If man could come in wisdom strong,

To have it like a God,

The words before me let them come-

Could I pronounce him dead?

Dead to the knowledge of his God?

And dead must man appear:

And so from Lazarus, as thou said,

That death I now shall clear:

As dead as him all men have been

To knowledge of their God,

As in the grave when he was seen,

And perfect dead 'tis know'd,

Till I appear'd to raise him there

And did his life restore:

A Type for man they'll find it strong,

For so I'll raise them here;

And I've begun to raise up men

Out of their native dust,

That they may see my Gospel plain,

And for my kingdom thirst.

But men appear, as they did there,

Wishing these men to kill;

Because that no man may see clear

I shall avenge my heel

On Satan's head, as it was laid-

Thy pondering heart I see:

What manner doth my Gospel break

'Tis all new life to thee!

Now thou seest plain, what I do mean,

How I shall raise up Man

From the first death, that was pronounced,

And they shall know my name;

Like Lazarus here they shall appear,

That men do say are dead;

For to believe thy calling here,

I'll raise them as I've said

From death to life, I'll end the strife,

For so their life shall come;

Though men do say, in death they lie,

For to believe my name,

Or Spirit here, that doth appear

In words spoken to thee;

They'll find such wonders drawing near,

Like Lazarus they will see,

They were not dead, as then I said,

Though dead they seemed to men,

That do appear to mock them here;

But when their life doth come

To rise again and shew men plain,

Like Lazarus all must be

Raised from the dust they fell at first,

And rise and live in me.

So I'll end here and say no more-

Those that have eyes are blind,

That boast my Bible they can clear,

That every soul shall find."

Here ends Saturday night, October 13, 1804.

Sunday morning, October 14, 1804.

"Now I shall answer, from the words that are before you, Acts iii. Now I ask them that boast they have eyes to see, what they make of this chapter? what they make of the time of refreshing to come? and what they make of the restitution of all things? Let this be answered by the learned; but I shall answer thee; and let them answer what is meant by these words-"When the Comforter cometh he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged; howbeit, when the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall guide you into all Truth?" Let these questions be answered by the learned; and the following be answered by the learned-Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me? These are questions men must put to the learned to answer: but I shall answer them to thee; but not to the world till thy Trial is over. So put down the chapters: John xii. 29 to 32-Chap xvi. 7 to 15-Chap. xviii. 37-"Pilate said, art thou a king? Jesus answered, thou sayest I am a king; to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." Acts iii. 18 to 22. These are the chapters that must be answered by the learned. Now I shall begin with thee, from John x.-My Sheep know my voice; and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd.

"Now from thy thoughts thou ponderest here,

I tell thee plainly I was near,

Worked in thy heart to ponder on,

That the good shepherd now is come;

And 'tis his voice that thou dost hear;

A stranger's voice thou canst not bear,

Whether of Devils, or of Men,

That do against thy Lord contend;

Because against me they are come,

That do condemn thy written hand.

Now from the chapter all see clear,

How all the hirelings do appear;

The wolf is come, and they do flee,

And so my sheep, I plain do see,

The shepherds for them do not care,

They all may flee and perish here;

Then I'm the Shepherd now alone,

Whose voice at first to thee was known,

And so my sheep I'm drawing here,

Into one Fold they must appear;

Because these words were for the End,

When I in Spirit did descend,

To have my voice be known to Man,

Then all my Fold I knew would come.

And so to thee I answer here,

'Tis the good Shepherd doth appear,

Whose voice to all men shall be known,

That to the End 'tis surely come.

They'll find the Spirit true is here,

Which they can't see, nor will they hear,

Nor are they ready to receive

The Bounty here that I shall give;

For if that I was judg'd by Man,

My judgment in the End must come,

To have the prince for to be cast

That in the world so strong did burst,

To work upon the hearts of men.

The prince of darkness had his time,

And in this world he did appear,

As though a prince he then was here,

For in the people he did speak,

And in his malice they did break;

And so I say they lifted me up,

And on the Cross my Life did drop;

But know, with it, I rose again,

Then Death and Hell must sure be slain;

For all men now I'll draw to me:

These that won't come must surely flee,

If with their master they will join,

And with the earthly prince combine;

Then with him they will surely fall,

The worldly prince, I tell you all,

As I was lifted on the tree

And crucified, he now shall see

That I will cut him off the same,

And all the world shall know my name.

For all men I shall draw to me

That own they are blind, and wish to see

The meaning of my Gospel here,

Their eyes I'll open to see clear:

As I at first was lifted up,

The powers of darkness so shall drop.

For my Disciples at that time

Ne'er understood the words were mine;

Like thy believers they appeared,

And wrong their judgment they drew here;

So my Disciples did at first,

When that my words, before them placed,

They said that they did signify

The death that I designed to die:

But ne'er discerned the words before,

What from my death should follow here;

That all the world I'd draw to me,

The worldly prince cut off should be.

But this was not discerned by Man;

As my Disciples' wisdom came

For to compare it to my death;

No man discerned the words I said:

And when my Bible I go through,

They'll find thy pondering heart is true,

And more in judgment to appear

Than my Disciples ever were.

For when the Apostles thou'st gone through,

I'll lay the whole before their view;

My honour they've not spoke like thee

The world to blame, thy God to free.

But with my Gospel I'll go on;

I've shewed my lifting up to man,

That if my life I did lift up

To bruise my heel, the head must drop,

That did the Woman first betray-

On Satan's head it now shall lay-

For now the Comforter is come:

But here's a mystery deep to man.

By wisdom they can never clear,

To say the Comforter is here,

The world of sin for to reprove;

They'll say-"What comfort, or what love,

"Can in this Comforter appear,

"When all the world's reproved here?

"But how the righteous can they come,

"To be reproved then by him?

"And how can judgment then appear

"To be reproved in comfort here?

"But can the comfort of mankind

"Come to reprove, our sins to find,

"And tell us of our unbelief?

"The Comforter must then bring grief-"

May be the reasoning thoughts of men,

Till I the mystery clear explain

To tell what righteousness is here;

How with my Father I appear,

Until the End was come to all,

And then the Comforter shall call

Men to the merits of my blood!

And from the Spirit must be know'd,

Perfect as men did judge me here,

My second coming I shall clear,

The worldly prince I'll judge him here,

As he in man did strong appear,

To have my heel bruised at the first,

But on his head it now shall burst;

For he shall now be judged by man;

And to my Bible they must come,

To claim the Promise at the first,

Then on his head the whole must burst;

For so you all must judge him here,

He did the Woman first ensnare,

And then the Promise you must claim;

So now be wise, ye sons of men!

But how these things could they then bear

To think that first they sufferers were,

And all those comforts should not see,

That would in after ages be?

But had I plainly told them there,

From Adam's Fall the thing was clear

To have the Comforter to come,

And Satan to receive his doom;

Then they too hasty would begin

To say we now will claim the thing,

And ask the Promise then of me.

But how with them could I agree,

Before the whole I had passed through,

And proved my Bible it was true,

That Jews and Gentiles both might see

The truth in all was spoke by me?

So had they asked and I denied

They'd say the truth was not apply'd,

For them to ask it in my name;

To bruise his head when first I came,

As soon as he had bruised my heel,

I say, no comfort they would feel;

If they had understood my word,

They'd grieve I did not make it good.

But now they'll find the truth is come,

In every truth to lead you on;

For so my Spirit doth appear,

The truth in every thing to clear;

And thou dost testify of me,

That nothing can be done by thee;

Nor e'er these things didst thou discern,

Till I in Spirit came to warn;

Or yet no Promise didst thou claim,

Until I bid thee in my name

To ask a favour then of me,

That now your joy fulfill'd might be;

Because thou ask'st the very thing

That now the Comforter will bring,

To be a comfort to mankind:

But unbelievers now will find

Their unbelief I shall reprove,

Their want of judgment, and their love;

And so the righteous may appear,

They'll find reproof for them is near;

For I'll reprove their want of love-

My Bible's true I now shall prove:

Unto my Father I did go

And gifts for men, they all shall know,

That I'm receiving now for man;

And so I tell you what's to come.

In Proverbs I was speaking there;

My Gospel they could never clear,

The way I meant to make it good;

My Proverbs no man understood-

Then now I'm come to make them plain

Without a Proverb unto men:

Because I tell you, from the first,

My Father's will by arts was cast,

And man no helpmate then did see-

Only to help in misery! ! !

But now the Father I'll shew clear,

He cast the curse on Satan there;

But said, that it should bruise his heel,

But now the Father I'll reveal:

He said, that it should bruise his head,

As he the Woman had betrayed.

So now, I say, the day is come-

Ask and receive, your joys be known,

And ask the Promise in my name,

My Father never will you blame,

Because at first it was his will

The Serpent's heart that way to chill.

But how can man so weak appear,

To think I came to suffer here

The mock and ridicule of men?

Despised and mad was judged by them,

A fool and babbler to appear-

Could men so foolish judge me here,

That this would kindle love to man?

Or reconcile a God to them?

Or yet their sins to take away,

Because so spiteful men did lay

In every thing against me there?

And now the same they do appear:

Then answer me, ye sons of men,

That for my Gospel do contend:

If you can judge it wisdom here,

This every mockery for to bear,

Only to save a simple few,

When they are dead to Heaven to go,

For to be saved, as I did die,

Because that they believed in me?

Then tell me, how you judge your God,

If so my Gospel you allude,

My death was only for a few,

That did believe my Gospel true?

But now the few, let them appear,

Believe it true, and then I'll clear

My dying love was then for man,

To bind the powers of darkness down;

That justice might appear in all,

I died at first to clear the Fall,

To have the Serpent's doom to come,

And so I shewed my love to man!

But you must judge it cruelty

For me to die and him be free,

Because the Promise it was there;

And now the Promise I shall clear,

The Woman's seed shall bruise his head;

And therefore in her I shall plead

Until her seed do so appear,

To join with me, and join with her;

And then my words you all shall see,

You'll dwell in God and God in ye;

For then in me you will abide-

And mark from Pilate what he said;

He ask'd me, if I was a King;

Then know the words I answered him;

His words I did repeat again-

Thou sayest that I am a King;

And for this end I did appear-

I came the every thing to clear,

And of the Woman I was born,

That at the End it should be known

That as a King I shall appear,

And so my Kingdom I'll bring here:

Because the truth shall now be known,

I come the Serpent to unthrone;

I come the truth in all to see;

And as a King I come to be.

So if the truth you now will clear,

You'll say you wish my voice to hear,

That I might come and free the Fall,

And in subjection now put all

That do object against my word:

I know of men what steps they've trod,

And all their ways I then did see,

And Satan's arts are known to me,

That your refreshing cannot come,

Till Satan is subdued for Man;

And then your peace I shall restore,

And bring you safe on Canaan's shore,

That is, I say, a happy land;

For so my kingdom it shall stand.

So now the time for all draws near;

The Fall of man I shall restore;

And my refreshing joy shall come-

Can this be answered now by man,

How the refreshing can appear?

Or all things now restored here,

If I that power do not destroy,

That did at first blast all your joy?

No; I must free from Adam's Fall,

If ever I restore you all;

Therefore the Serpent must be cast,

Before that joy to Man can burst;

I tell you there's no other way

Refreshing joys can come to ye;

Or restoration to appear-

My Bible there's no man can clear

By wisdom for to make it good,

Until the Spirit from your God,

That is in truth, do now appear.

The Comforter no man can clear

That ever it can come from Man;

No; 'tis the Holy Ghost must come,

And by the Spirit from the Lord,

I told you all, with one accord

These Revelations all must come.

My Gospel is denied by men,

Though they're professed believers here;

But their belief no man can clear,

Because my Gospel can't be true,

If that my Spirit do not go

To warn you all, when at the end;

For so my Gospel it is penn'd,

My second coming to appear,

In Spirit first to visit here,

Before from Heaven I do descend,

As in my Gospel it is penn'd.

For as the angels told them there

I in like manner should appear,

As they did see me enter Heaven,

Ascending cloud to them was given,

For they to see me to ascend,

And so again to come to Man,

You know the angels told them there-

Then why stand mortals gazing here,

Judging all wonders they do see,

When all before was spoke by me,

And my Apostles spoke the same?

Then how can you this Woman blame,

To testify my every word?

You boldly now deny your Lord,

Because my Gospel is not true,

If every knowledge is in you,

Without my Spirit to appear;

The whole your wisdom cannot clear,

Ever to make my Bible true,

I know 'tis more than man can do;

Because the Comforter must come,

To prove the truth to every Man;

And so my Spirit must appear,

The every mystery for to clear.

Now from the Acts I shall go on:

Now mark when Peter he did come

Unto the Gentiles to appear,

The Vision first I shewed him there,

How every Beast I did let down,

And bid him kill was then my sound;

But Peter answered me-not so;

Nothing unclean he'd eat, you know

But know my answer that did come-

What God has cleansed let none condemn,

Nor call it common, nor unclean.

The Vision was a Type for men:

Then to Cornelius he did go,

And found the Vision to be true;

And so the Holy Ghost did come,

When he'd baptised that very man;

Upon Cornelius it did appear,

And all his house the same did share.

But mark and see the ways of man,

How Peter they at first did blame,

That he had so baptised the man

That was not circumcised like them.

For so the Gentiles they did blame,

And therefore Peter did condemn,

For to baptise them in my word;

Because they simply judged the Lord

Must be confined with them alone,

And perfect so I say are men

Now in this very age become;

My mercies they do so confine,

The Priests judge in heart and mind

That unto them I all must give,

The Holy Ghost they may receive.-

"But will the Lord so weak appear,

"To cleanse a simple woman here,

"That she might it receive the same?"

No; here is wisdom men do blame,

As they blamed Peter at that time:

But let them answer, like his mind-

"If God in mercy doth appear,

"To prove the Holy Ghost is here,

"Shall we withstand it from our God,

"And say from her 't shall not be know'd?

"Then sure our God we must withstand.

"And who are we, vain simple men,

"For to withstand his every word?

"We see the truth in all is said.

"So if the Lord hath cleansed her here,

"To shew the end to all is near,

"That all the Beasts he'll cleanse the same,

"The curse was fixt for to remain,

"You know, upon the Serpent's head-

"And there the axe she now hath laid:

"Now if the Lord will cleanse the whole,

"And make that poisonous Serpent fall,

"Shall we complain 'tis come to she?

"If God hath cleansed she cleansed must be;

"And so the same he'll cleanse the whole,

"If we rely upon our call;

"Because the Gospel we see plain,

"The Holy Ghost must come to men"-

For now I say to one and all,

That in the ending so must fall

On those that do believe my word,

Believe my Gospel what is said,

'Tis but a shadow come to one;

The Holy Ghost to all must come,

When I my kingdom bring below

You'll find your joys within to flow:

For as the vision did appear,

The cleansing time for all draws near,

That I will make my people clean,

The power of darkness shan't remain

To sting them by his poisonous spear-

Another day I'll answer here."

on the conduct of the rev. mr. pomeroy.

Thursday night, Oct. 18, 1804.

Joanna for many days hath been pondering over the whole of Mr. Pomeroy's conduct from first to last, which filleth her heart with two burning passions too great to bear, when she reflects on him as being a minister that she once esteemed above all preachers, and thought him the first preacher in the kingdom, before she heard of Mr. Foley. Now when she reflects how much she respected him as a minister in his pulpit, and how much he acted worthy that character out of his pulpit in all his conduct to her, from 1796 to 1801, this filleth her heart with love and respect on the one hand, and makes her tremble to come against him; but when she considers, on the other hand, the change that took place in him, and the work she is engaged in is from the Lord; and when he saw other ministers had taken it up and supported it, that he should then come against her, and publish that her works were from the Devil, which he before had denied were from the Devil; then to burn all her letters, that the Truth might not appear; turn her from the Sacrament; and now to write in the most spiteful manner against her; and she is compelled, for the Glory of God, and for the honour of her Friends that support the cause, now to come forward against him; this appears as a dagger to her heart. When she thinks of the beginning of his conduct, love and anger wounds her breast; she feels to pity him, and feels to be sorry for him; because she judges that Satan hath blinded his eyes, that in seeing he cannot see, and in hearing he cannot understand; therefore she feels pity mixed with her anger, that a minister like him, whom she once admired, she should now be compelled to come against. This is more than she can bear, unless the Lord supports her through. Nature is nature, and has its feelings: she has the honour of God on the one hand, and pursuing a man on the other, whom she once looked on as his faithful servant. Thus is her heart torn with different passions; for she cannot give up the one without the other; she cannot give up the man without pursuing him with justice, unless she gives up the command of the Lord; and she would sooner give up her life than that; for what is his honour, or her life, to disobeying the command of the Lord in love that astonishes her? Here she cannot draw back; and on the other hand she is pressed to go forward against a man whom she pities, and once reverenced and esteemed. But when she received his letter of abuse, she felt no sorrow but anger and indignation, to think he should accuse her so falsely and spitefully. This raised her anger to go through any thing; but when she began to ponder on his former conduct, it brought love and pity to her heart; and this causes the distress of her mind. If he had been all one way, she could have been all one way with him; but as he hath acted two ways, that causes two passions, which she can scarcely bear. Oh, that he had been either one thing or the other!

the answer of the lord.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee: Thy heart is like my heart, and thy feeling is like my feeling, for as thou feelest love and anger for Pomeroy, calling to mind his former preaching and former conduct; just so is my feeling for thousands: for I have thousands like Pomeroy in the Kingdom, whose love and zeal for me I once regarded, as they shewed their love to my coming in the Flesh; but now I am come in the Spirit, they persecute me, as Pomeroy persecutes thee; and they wound my heart, and grieve my Spirit, as Pomeroy wounds and grieves thine. I am loth to come against them and destroy them; yet for my own honour and great Name, I must come against them, as thou must go against Pomeroy: though I do it with reluctance, as thou dost by Pomeroy; therefore I shewed thee the Vision in thy bed. They were wounding me, as Pomeroy is wounding thee; there is not that man upon earth that hath wounded thy heart like Pomeroy; and now I tell thee, there is no man upon earth grieves my Spirit so much as these that profess a great love for my Name, as dying for them: their words and prayers were as well pleasing to me, as Pomeroy's preaching was to thee; but now they are turned as spiteful against me, coming in the Spirit, as Pomeroy is turned against thee. But let thy sorrow cease: this thing of Pomeroy I permitted, to bring it out to the whole nation at large; and therefore I shewed thee the Vision of the Perspiration thou sawest me in. Remember my cold sweats in the garden of Gethsemane, what I suffered for the unbelief of the Jews, by sweating as it were drops of blood! and now I shewed thee, from the unbelief of the Gentiles, my sweat's the same, and my hair wet with the dews of the night; because they would not open their doors to let me in; I shewed thee my leg, like thine, the wounds I daily receive from men through unbelief. This I shewed thee, before I had worked in thy heart the like feeling for Pomeroy; for thou canst have that feeling for no man but he, who began in the Spirit and now seems to end in the Flesh; but thy feeling could not be so great for him, if I had not softened thy heart to shew thee what I feel for Man.

"So now within thou dost begin

To ask how this can be,

That I can suffer so for Man,

As thou dost grieve for he?

I tell you plain, ye sons of men,

My sorrows are the same;

You make me grieve, you'll not relieve

My Burden now 'tis come;

My Burden here doth strong appear,

As Man I'm come to free;

My Bible I have made so clear

For every eye to see;

If men will come to be my friends,

As friends they must appear,

To know the Promise in the end

The Woman this must clear.

But see the Land how they do stand,

Like Pomeroy to begin;

When first he saw thy written hand,

Did he condemn the thing,

To say from hell the whole did swell?

Thou knowest it was not so;

But now the truth to all I tell,

When my friends strong did go

To prove the whole, from me the call,

And so they took it up,

Then mark how Pomeroy he did fall,

In unbelief did drop;

Because that he himself did see

Cast out from being first,

As other men with thee did join

To have the truth to burst.

So thousands here like him appear,

Their pride doth swell the same;

Because that I did visit thee,

And to them did not come.

The pride of men doth thus begin

By Satan's arts to swell,

As every thing to me is seen;

But this to thee I tell,

My Bible true before their view

Could never come that way.

No: 'tis the Spirit and the Bride,

As I before did say;

My Bible here I'll now make clear,

The truth I'll now maintain,

Though men like Pomeroy are acting here,

To give me every pain:

Because my heel no man doth feel

How it was bruis'd at first;

And 'tis the Woman's claim must come

To have the Serpent cast.

But men appear like Pomeroy here-

"These Prophecies we see;

"But yet they never shall appear,

"Our hearts inflam'd they be,

"To see the call, how men do fall

"To vindicate the word"-

And in their hearts they've burnt the whole,

The Promise of their God!

They see the first like Pomeroy burst,

Laid all before thy view;

But I am come the truth to claim,

Like Pomeroy men do do:

Destroy it all, and prove the Fall

Cannot be clear'd this way;

But when my Bible forth I call

I ask what men will say?

Will they appear like Pomeroy here,

In spite against their God,

And say the Fall they'll never clear,

The way that I allude?

"No; it shall burn, our hearts we'll turn

"Against our Saviour there;

"We'll never own the truth shall come

"To have it so appear;

"The Woman's Fall is cast on all,

"And there it now may stand;

"We'll burn the word that's on record

"And so condemn her hand."

Now I'll appear to answer here,

Like Pomeroy men must do;

Destroy my word that's on record,

And hide it from men's view,

Ere they can come for to condemn

My Bible is so plain.

Of every word that's on record,

Can ne'er be prov'd by man;

No other way, to thee I say,

Her Promise must appear.

But men like Pomeroy, now do lay,

My Bible they burn here,

As they do say another way

My Bible it is placed;

The sorrows all must fall on me,

And Satan never taste

The blame on him, that did begin

To cause her every Fall;

But I do tell you, in the end

The flames on all will fall.

So Pomeroy here doth strong appear

A Type before your view;

And different passions do appear

In thee I well do know;

Thou lov'dst him first when he did burst

In honour to my name;

But when thou seest he all doth cast,

And put thee so to shame,

Then anger see inflam'd in thee,

Thy passions they were strong;

Because he burnt the truth of thee,

As unto me 'tis known;

Just so my word that's on record,

They burn like he, I plain do see,

And will not see it clear;

My Bible's true, before their view,

And put into their hands,

And yet like Pomeroy they do do,

And will not let it stand.

So me they grieve, themselves deceive-

The Type stands deep of he:

Throughout the Land I see them stand

To wound the heart of me.

Believers here like him appear,

That once believed my word,

A Saviour I did sure appear,

But ne'er believed my Blood

Must now be laid, as then I said,

Upon the Serpent's head:

No; this they burn, the words they turn,

For Satan close has laid,

I say, to all: because the Fall

Shall ne'er come back on he,

And so like Pomeroy I see all,

The Truth they will not see-

"No: it we'll burn, and Christ may mourn

"That he his Life laid down;

"Unto him now we will not turn"-

Like Pomeroy men are found!

But thou dost say another way-

'Tis Ignorance blinds their eyes,

Because my Bible they can't see

To make them act more wise.

And this I see as well as thee,

In unbelief they go,

Which now doth work my jealousy,

My Spirit fill with woe!

So thou'st complained the ways of men,

And I complain the same:

Bring forth my bible, I demand,

Or set it in a flame;

One of the two I bid men do-

Deny me as a God;

Or lay the truth before their view,

And let my words be shew'd,

That all is come, as spoke by man,

And all as spoke by me;

My Bible must the Trial stand,

Though burning hearts I see

Are now inflamed, as Satan's come

Strongly to work in all:

And just like Pomeroy men have done,

The Truth they will not call-

"We'll not appear to shew it clear

"The Bible proves her wrong."

No, no; the Truth they there do fear

Doth justify her hand,

Like Pomeroy's word upon record,

That I first gave to he:

He promised first the truth should burst,

If so it proved to be;

But when it came as in his hand,

He would not see it plain;

Neither the Truth would he let stand,

But hide it all from Man;

Just so your Land it now doth stand;

My Shepherds do agree

To burn my word that's on record,

The truth they will not see.

But here within thou dost begin

To say my Bible stands,

As on record is every word,

It is not burnt by men

That do appear my shepherds here-

And this I know is true;

Yet know from hell the flames do swell,

And burning hearts I know

He works in men, not to discern

The Truth before them lies;

They will not see how I do warn,

Nor yet the Truth espy.

So they do go, as he did do,

For to deny the whole,

For Satan's arts before my view

Do strongly work in all;

He in a flame doth wish my name

In every thing to cast,

But he shall see the truth in me,

For on him I shall burst.

So now from thee I'll answer he-

Of Pomeroy thou didst say,

If he'd ne'er acted well to thee,

In anger thou should'st lay

For to go on against the man,

Because thy rage would burn;

But as he acts two different ways,

Thy bowels now do yearn

Over the man, if he will turn;

And mine do yearn the same,

I say, o'er men, if they will turn

They'll know my every name!

For just like thee my heart they'll see,

My passions here are two;

But where is one I now shall come,

And hell shall find it so;

Because that there no love appears

My anger to abate;

For him, like man, I cannot clear,

He now shall feel his fate!

For just like thee, all men shall see,

My heart for all is come:

And pen the words were spoke by thee,

I'll answer thee again."

The words spoken by me this day were, that my heart was wounded with the two different conducts of Mr. Pomeroy; because he had spoken well of me, as well as ill; and he had used me with kindness, as well as ill-nature. But I said, if his conduct had been all of a-piece, like a preacher at Halifax, in Yorkshire, that would listen to no reason from his Bible, and would neither point out any thing from the books to shew wherein he condemned them, but aggravatingly and provokingly say I was a strumpet, without saying why or wherefore. Against such a man as that, I said I could come forward with the greatest pleasure; because I could justly lay to his charge what he had laid to mine; for he is an impostor, that condemns a thing he knows nothing about; and will persuade others to be as blind as himself. So as I had never received any thing from that man, but impudent ridicule, it would give me pleasure to come against him. Now though Mr. Pomeroy has ridiculed it the same at the last, yet he shews some excuse for his anger; because his name is put in print, which he thinks I have disgraced him thereby; and he is pleading his former kindness; but forgetting what unkindness unbelief has brought in him. Therefore I pity a man that judges he has room for his anger; but I cannot pity a man that has got no room at all for his spite and malice against me.

the answer of the lord.

"Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee. As thy different feelings are between these two men, so are my different feelings between men and devils; for Satan cannot appear to say I have injured him; for I tried his reign in heaven, and I have tried it here upon Earth; and his malice is against me, as the man's was against thee, without allowing any justice, or any reason.

"Therefore against him I shall come,

As thou dost say, against the man

That thou in anger could'st appear

To meet thy bold accuser there;

Because he nothing had to plead

Why he such unjust charge had laid

Unto a person he did not know,

Whether the thing was false or true;

Or yet no reason would he see,

That he'd unjustly blamed thee,

A character he did not know,

And no offence to him didst shew,

Which justly made thy anger burn,

And so against him thou could'st come

In nought but anger to appear;

And I shall fully answer here,

My anger men shall find like thee,

The truth they all shall hear and see;

And Satan he shall find the same,

Though he's despis'd my every Name,

And he no more has got to plead

Than had the man from what he said.

So now let Satan to appear,

He'll find my anger kindled here;

Because, I tell him, like that man,

Without his reasons, did condemn-

But Pomeroy hath condemned the same;

But know, he judged thou'dst spoiled his name

And made it odious to appear,

Wherefore his anger's kindled here.

So he hath some excuse to plead.

As thou hast cast it on his head

That he did support thy hand at first,

And afterwards against thee burst,

Which is no honour to the man;

So he'th reason for to come,

While he in unbelief appears;

He may be angry and may fear

His character will now be lost,

To see his judgment all is placed

So many years to lead thee on,

And then against thee for to come.

Now here's a Type stands deep for all;

I tell you, deeply from the Fall,

It was of adam at the first,

When with the woman he was placed

He never did condemn her hand

Till he the Trial could not stand,

And then he did condemn the two;

His maker strong before his view

He with the woman did condemn.

And so like thee, in Love I came

To bear the Blame that was cast at first,

That on the Serpent it might burst;

For just like thee have I went on,

To feel compassion still for Man;

Because I knew he was betrayed,

As Pomeroy's blame thou'st often laid

On other Shepherds that were near;

Thou know'st they made the man to fear.

And so the pity came in thee,

And so I tell thee it came in me;

But now 'tis drawing to the end,

In Love and anger I'll descend,

I tell you, on the sons of men.

Now if their Errors they'll see clear,

And own in judgment they did err,

They'll find my Love for to return,

As thine for Pomeroy now will come,

If he appears to clear the whole;

Thou'lt free the man, and cast his fall,

I know, upon another's head,

Because the blame will so be laid;

And so I tell thee now of men,

If they to clear the Truth will come

To claim the Promise at the first,

On Satan's head it must now be cast;

So here's a Type stands deep for Man:

And Pomeroy must the Trial stand,

Or else the Trial, all will see,

Will be brought round to judge of he;

Then how can ever he appear?

His honour he can never clear;

I tell thee, if he now stands mute,

That he must perish with the root

That did the Woman first betray;

Because on him the guilt must lay,

For know he tempted thee to fall-

This Type is deep, I now tell all,

And therefore Pomeroy must repent

That e'er his mind with man was bent

Thy Innocence for to betray;

For close to him the Serpent lay,

So he did tempt the Man to fall.

The Woman's hand, I now tell all,

Against the tempter must appear,

And man must come his guilt to clear,

That he was tempted to the thing;

I know, through ignorance all was done,

And so I tell thee of the Fall,

(It was through ignorance, I tell all,

The Man and Woman were betray'd)

That now I'll cast on Satan's head-

But now thy pondering thoughts I see:

If ignorance first in both there be,

And I that ignorance cast on all,

Then sure for pity Man must call,

That all through ignorance were betray'd,

And cast the whole on Satan's head.

But to thy thoughts I'll answer here.

That my commands men ought to fear;

And I shall come to Adam's guilt;

By every one it was not felt

For them to die in Adam's Fall,

Because in me they now live whole,

Whose Sins by death I've took away;

And for the tempter now I say,

Did he not tempt Men to the Fall,

He'd tempt them worse, I tell you all,

And then their guilt I could not clear;

But as his arts came round this way,

The simple Woman to betray,

Then I shall bring it on his head,

As in the Fall it then was laid.

So from the Shadow all must see

The Type is deep of him and thee;

Because thou tempt'dst him at the first

To take the good fruit as 'twas plac'd,

And bid him judge thy written hand,

Whether 'twas good as it did stand;

And so the fruit he did receive,

And at the first he did believe

That good fruit in it might appear,

Before the world it mocked him here.

Now this was Adam's case at first,

He took the evil as 'twas placed,

When Eve had given it to his hand;

At first he did not her condemn,

Before that I condemned the whole,

And then thou knowest the Man did fall;

And so by Pomeroy doth appear,

When men condemned thy writings here,

He did begin to fall the same,

And all thy Innocence did blame.

So now the Trial let him stand,

As he the woman so condemned,

Against her he doth strong appear,

Though he the fruit received there;

Then by the fruit I bid him stand,

And let the truth be shewn to Man.

But this thou sayest he cannot do;

(The fruit's destroyed I well do know)

Then let him answer from the word,

Whether he judge a thing of God,

That he so easy could destroy,

Or whether hell could this enjoy

To make his folly to appear,

If he in judgment did not err?

Could Satan's wisdom brighter go,

Than I by wisdom e'er could shew?

If he by me was guided here

In wisdom strong and spirit clear,

Then he in wisdom should go on,

Satan should ne'er condemn the man,

This very way to have him cast,

And prove his wisdom cannot last:

No; here I tell thee it must fall,

And Pomeroy stands a Type for all,

Because his character is gone;

And so I'll prove by every man,

Their characters are gone the same

That now thy written hand do blame;

And so like Pomeroy they will fall-

The Type is deep I tell you all;

Though I've a heart to feel like thee,

My Shepherds' folly I do see,

How much like Pomeroy they are come,

Yet I, like thee, shall all condemn;

As for thy writings thou dost cry

So for my Bible now I say,

Let all my Bible to appear,

And ask if they the whole can clear,

When all is laid before their view?

I know like Pomeroy they must do,

To say that they have burnt the whole;

Or yet deny it from the Fall:

The Woman's guilt was never cast

Upon the Serpent so to burst;

So men like Pomeroy must appear,

To say-"our Bibles we'll not clear;

"Because we wish to keep them back,

"The woman's promise may not break

"With every truth surrounded here"-

I ask which way can men appear

Their guilt in every thing to free,

As they did cast their guilt on me,

And so upon the woman there?

But now the woman's come to clear,

I say, herself of every guilt,

And on the man shall now be felt,

That he by arts deceived her here,

And see if he himself can clear.

I tell thee it can't be by man-

The Trial Pomeroy cannot stand,

To cast the blame upon thy head;

For wrong like Adam all is laid,

Because on thee he cast his fall;

But I do answer now to all,

The Fall of him ne'er came from thee,

Which in the end they all will see;

And so I say of Adam's Fall,

I suffered wrong come all from Hell;

But by the judgment Man did draw,

I did submit, you all do know,

And Satan shall submit the same;

So men no more the woman blame,

For I shall end it by these two,

The Man and Woman in your view;

And then I ask which Men will free,

If they do prove the blame's in he,

To cast it on the Woman's head,

Then on the Serpent it must be laid;

For here's the ending of the Fall-

The Type stands deep I tell you all.

If you the mystery can but see,

'Tis deep of Pomeroy and of thee.

But in the Woman now I'm come,

For to condemn the Fall of Man;

Or else I say the Fall to clear-

Let Man confess that he did err,

And then the tempter shall be bound,

And own his guilt must now be found,

He did tempt the Woman and the Man,

For so by arts he laid his plan;

And so he did tempt the Woman first,

Then on the Man he strong did burst,

To have him cast his blame on me.

But now the ending all shall see,

The Type of Pomeroy here goeth deep;

Though in thy heart for him thou'st weep.

But now I tell thee weep no more,

If thou thy Saviour dost adore;

Cast off the veil that stands between,

Let no man have the heart of thine,

That now to mockery all will turn;

But let them know thy Lord is come

In all his power to appear:

His honour thou dost wish to clear,

And by thy Master now thou'lt stand,

Though thou dost grieve for fallen man;

But if his fall he'll not deplore,

I bid thee for to grieve no more,

Till he his folly do repent,

And say his mind is fully bent

To know wherein the fault doth lie;

If that the calling's from on High,

Then 'tis himself that he must blame,

And so the tempter he will shame.

So here's the Trial at the last,

Thou knowest they judged the Woman first,

And from the Serpent did her free,

And said the fault came all from he;

And now they judge her with the Man,

Which of the two they most condemn:

So if they free her from the two,

The Fall of Man, you all must know,

Must be turned back on Satan's head,

And I, the advocate, must plead;

For Satan first did work in Man,

Me and the Woman to condemn,

That on his head it might not appear.

The Type goeth deep; no man can clear

How I these shadows all brought round,

To prove the Fall in every sound;

By Satan's arts came all at first,

Though in the Woman he did burst,

Yet in the Man he burst the same,

I say, on me to cast the blame;

And so in Pomeroy he did come,

To make him then his Lord condemn;

But when the truth that I do clear,

Then Pomeroy he may stand in fear:

And then the Abels I shall free,

That do stand out in love to me.

So here's a Type stands deep for Man;

A simple way the Fall began,

And so a simple way shall end;

To bring it round was my intend,

I tell you all, a simple way:

Like the beginning this doth lay,

'Twas for a simple thing at first,

You say, that Adam he was cast;

But yet you know he disobeyed,

And brought my words upon his head,

That I in honour could not clear;

And now the same I answer here,

How can my honour ever stand,

To say that I direct thy hand,

And unto Pomeroy bid thee go,

That he the truth might see and know?

I bid thee put it in his hand,

Then sure the Trial he must stand,

Or fataller now than Adam's Fall

If he refuse his every call;

Because, in honour as a man,

If he thy writings can condemn,

In justice, he must now appear

To prove the truth was never clear.

If he his honour now will free,

He's compassed round, I now tell thee,

To act in honour as a man;

Therefore the Trial he must stand.

But if the calling is from God,

He'd hide himself, it must be know'd,

Because he wished not to appear:

His nakedness he'll now see clear,

How he is naked now to all;

The Woman hath brought on his Fall,

And this is done by my command,

And so the Trial he must stand,

Then he shall fall to rise again,

If he come forward to contend

It is the Woman caused his Fall,

And prove his honour clear in all,

Before the Woman he betrayed;

And now she'th cast it on his head,

And so his honour here is lost;

But when the truth to him doth burst,

He'll find his honour rise more high

Than e'er before it here did lie,

And see his standing more secure

Than 'twas before for to endure;

Because his standing is by me-

The Woman's innocence shall free

The every fall that is in Man,

That now the Trial bold will stand;

So thou of Pomeroy grieve no more;

Canst thou believe thy God is here,

And will not justify the man?

If to the Trial he do come,

And there confess his every guilt,

The way at first his fears he felt,

Then I will surely free the man;

In Adam's fall he now doth stand,

By Satan's arts that then were near,

And so like Adam he did fear;

As he was weakened by his fall,

He hath no strength to stand at all,

Till by my power I raise him up;

So do not fear that he will drop,

Because that I shall raise him so,

In passions strong he'll see and know,

And jealousy I shall alarm,

And he shall fear that I do warn.

So now in peace thy soul possess,

And comfort now thy troubled breast,

But sure thy sorrows I worked so,

That men from thee might see and know

What sorrows I do feel for all

That now reject my every call.

So here of Pomeroy I shall end-

Deep are the lines that thou hast penn'd,

I tell you, deep as none can see

The Type of Pomeroy and of thee:

A thing that I did first ordain

To bring the Fall now back on men;

And when that men do see it clear

They must confess the Man did err,

To blame his Maker at the first.

As Satan's subtle arts did burst

Upon the Woman at that time,

And Man as weak they all must find,

As he was tempted so to fall-

And now let Pomeroy judge the call;

And so from Pomeroy I'll go on;

He stands a Type to every man.

Because his honour I'll not clear,

Till he confess his Lord is here:

And so I say of every man,

Their honour I shall all condemn,

As men condemned the honour here

Of those that see the calling clear,

Because their honour men judge lost,

And proud against them they do boast

And now as proudly I shall come,

For to condemn the ways of man.

That did begin to cause the Fall,

Or say the honour's gone from all

That did believe thy every word;

They'll find the honour of a God

Will now their every honour clear.

Two ways you say the Woman here

Hath took the honour all from man,

Because my friends they here do stand,

Like fools and mad-men they are placed

The way the world in wisdom burst;

And so the Woman caused their fall,

For so you know they're judg'd by all;

Judged in all folly to appear,

And so you see their fall is here,