Lord's command to conceal thee. She must tell them, they must convince her, from strong arguments and just reasons, how this is all brought round by the Devil, before she will disobey the command of the Lord." Here, my dear Miss Townley, you see what a strict charge is given to you, not to discover my abode; neither must you let my friends in London know what place you have taken for me, or where my abode is. I am very comfortable, and hope to have the happiness of seeing you soon. I am sure of the pleasure of seeing Underwood every day, to bring me all the news, and to receive the directions. I have another communication to write you to-morrow; but you know I must have my secretary. The Lord bless you, and strengthen you to stand the fiery trial with men. The people in this house are very quiet and civil. Accept my kind love; and am yours sincerely in heart and mind. (Signed,) JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. Another communication added, May 24th, morning, in answer to the wind and rain that came on soon after the letters were gone out of town by the mail; and conveyed in the same letter. As the wind and rain arose when the coach was carrying the warning to mankind, and the cup is now held out to man, they may drink it which way they will for Townley hath wisely discerned, to weigh the past with the present. Therefore I told thee at Leeds, that were she called forward to give account, of her faith, she could give a clearer judgment than man; because she hath discerned what is fulfilled, and what is not. Therefore I have chosen her to warn the shepherds; and if they take not the warn No5 ing, they shall find the floods of sorrow to come upon them. But how could I strike before I warn? I warned the Parliament; and they refused the warning, and the sword of war followed; but now is come the second warning, from the woman's hand to the shepherds. Therefore I compared her to my mother, as she is daily seeking to support my honour and great Name: for they that honour thy writings, honour ME that gave them; for all shall know they are from ME the LIVING LORD. So they that honour ME, I will honour; and they that despise ME, shall be lightly esteemed; for they that despise thy writings must despise the Spirit, and do despite to the Spirit of God. Then they shall find I will do despite unto them: but how can I strike before I warn? I tell thee, no! The warning must first go out in the world before I strike; and the sooner the warning is given, the sooner will my hand appear; for my hand shall follow the warning, as the rain and wind followed the letters in their journey. So there is no time for trifling now-The King's business requireth haste; and as they wish to have it come in haste, in haste let them proceed with the warning, and my hand shall be close after. Therefore I said the man and woman should join together and now let my brethren join as in one family in the Lord, with my mother and sister, to warn my shepherds : they that are not my shepherds will not regard the warning, For now my shepherds I shall try, ( 19 ) Because I said I'd make all clear Before that I had ended here, And foil'd the wisdom of mankind. further particellay about -Book of Beeimans Now I shall tell you the meaning of Mr. Woolland: in 1796, the year the Bishop died, Mr. Woolland had bought a flock of sheep; but not knowing whether they were with lamb or not, he killed one for a trial; and said if there was no milk gathered in the others, as there was no lamb in the one he killed, all his flock should go to the butchers. It was then said. to me, the Lord would do as Woolland had done : he would cut off one to try what was in the rest. But if I find my shepherds dry, And no true milk in them doth lie: This was in 1796, when the Bishop's death was put as a shadow; but now it is coming to the sub stance. PRAYERS ON THE FAST DAY, MAY 25, 1804, DEAR MISS TOWNLEY, I Shall give you the communication that is given to me this day, the 24th of May, after you sent me the Form of Prayer for the Fast Day. I was ordered to call all things to my remembrance in 1796, in answer to the Prayers for the Fast" [ then ordered thee to write to Pomeroy, and in that year to put in his hand of the Bishop's death*. But * This took place at the end of the year. C now I have ordered thee to warn the Bishops and the Clergy in May; and now in May the Fast is; and out of their own mouths will I condemn them all, if they are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm; for the Letters were written to warn the Clergy before the Fast came; therefore I ordered one to be hastily sent to the Bishop, and to have the Letters hastily printed. So if they are now lukewarm, they are condemned from the very Scriptures they have placed. If they say they have wisdom and want nothing, then I tell them they are blind and naked. I have counselled them to buy of me true gold; that they may be clothed, that the shame of their nakedness may not appear; and to anoint their eyes with eye-salve that they may see; for as many as I love I rebuke; and this Nation I have rebuked, as there are many in it whom I love; but let them not think the French ́are sinners above all men, because they have done these things. I tell them nay, but unless they repent they shall all likewise perish. Now let them ark the lesson in Isaiah, the 38th chapter,-In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death, and a Sign was given him from the Lord. Now let the learned answer what the Sign was for? Could I not have restored him without giving him a Sign, and do the thing I had promised him? Could he not take my word without a bond? Yet I gave a Sign to Hezekiah.. And now I have given Signs unto the Nation: If they turn unto ME, as Hezekiah did, my threatenings shall go backwards; and I will save this Nation, that is condemned to die by judgments; but if they will not lay it to heart, as Hezekiah did, they shall fall by the Signs of the convulsions placed in the Child. So here is the Sign set before them; and the Signs of the Gospel are now come, from the many false Christs that have appeared. Two false Christs have written to thee; therefore I ordered thee to keep their letters, to prove that false Christs were come; and two others have told thee they were the Christs, and wanted thee to trust to them for Redemption.. Yet they confess they never were visited by the Spirit of Prophecy, or had any power given them of working of Miracles. So the Signof false Christs hath appeared unto thee, as well as the Signs of Tumults and War. But I should act like men, to come to one part of the chapter and not go through the whole. For I tell thee, that chapter is like thy writings.-The shadow fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalém, and what followed after to my disciples; but the end was not then; for men have stopped where I shall begin-When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, know the desolation is nigh; and that desolation followed Jerusalem. But can man say the end followed then-to see ME come in a cloud with great PoWER and GLORY? I tell thee no-But now the time is at hand, that all these things shall be fulfilled-and man's Redemption draws nigh: For the Kingdom of GoD is nigh at hand. But the fulfillment of the chapter is as much neglected by man, as they have proposed not reading it through; for I tell thee, men stop where they ought to begin. Now I shall come to the 20th verse of the other Lesson-Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper. See the xxxviitn Psalm the 9th verse to the 16th-Those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth; and the xlixth Psalm at the 4th verse-I will incline mine ear to Parables. Now I tell thee, the very Chapters and Psalms, which they have chosen, allude to the last days. The Sign given to Hezekiah of the Sun's going backward, is a Sign how all shall go backward, when those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth. For those Signs were given for the end. And now I shall speak from Parables: The xxxviiith of Isaiah. † 2 Chron. xxth chapter, |