him happy for this calls to my remembrance what is said in my writings: Strange Effects of Faith, page 90. "For though my sons they are fast bound, But Satan's doom must so come round The walls which Satan made so strong I shall throw down, and now build up, Than you have stood before; But when the mysteries are reveal'd, "Now let men look to the Communication, the year that it was given, and let them call to their remembrance at what time thou didst read it to him; and let them remember; because from the feelings of thy heart, trembling to hear the judgments pronounced, thy pleading was in verse; as Abraham contended in words to my threatenings, so were thy answers and petitions in verse, which he judged trifling, that could not be from the Lord. But now let them discern what hath been fulfilled; what hath taken place upon all nations; compare the words with the events, and see what hath followed since 1796. Then they will know that the preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue, are both from the Lord; for ye know not, when my, Spirit is strong in power and love, moving upon the heart-ye know not which way the words proceed, or how the working of the Spirit is, to plead with the Lord, in the manner he pleads with his creatures, where the heart and soul be united to the Lord. "The further meaning of this Communication I shall answer for the next book, when greater mysteries will be made known, and a greater light given, from thy works and writings, that came from ME, will be unfolded in the next; and then they will find the truth of *********'s words-The Bible is like a flower, that is opening in its bud;" and now the bud and blossom shall appear. "And now come to thy observation on *******'s words." He said the ministers were like a rope of sand, that would neither join together, nor bind together. From his observation, I thought the different opinions of men made the Scriptures the same; for it is written-"The wisdom of God is foolishness to man; and the wisdom of man is foolishness with God:" and this truth is plain and easy to be understood, as men so foolishly pretend to explain the hidden mysteries of the Bible, by their own wisdom; and they have explained it so many ways, that the Bible can have no meaning or explanation at all, by the wisdom of men for the wise men, the learned, and the good men, have drawn so many judgments different from each other, that they have made the Bible like a rope of sand, that cannot join together; and so they make their own wisdom, that will soon break in sunder; but the wisdom of God is wiser than all the wisdom of men, like a three-fold cord that cannot be broken. As soon as I had written these words, from my own observation, I was answered in the following lines: "Now from thy wisdom I will answer man, For so they'll find my three-fold cord shall stand." And here I shall conclude with the words of St. Paul, Acts xxv. "And when he tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cesarea, and the next day sitting on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come, the Jews, which came down from Jerusalem, stood round about, and laid many grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove; while he answered for himself Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the Temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all. But Festus willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Cæsar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things, whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go.' And again, I repeat the words of Paul-"I stand at Cæsar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged." JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. Some part of this book is copied from different books of Joanna Southcott's writings, which are in print; but all the other part, from herself and the answers given to her from the Spirit, at the time the book was writing, I took from her mouth. Marchant and Galabin, Printers, Ingram-Court, London. |