children, before the time, all have been; but now the living children shall appear.Here thy heart beginneth to ponder: Will the living children die, like the child? To this I answer: the living chil dren, that are to die before my Kingdom is established on this Earth, shall die as innocent as the child did; for I will not impute any more sin to them than I imputed to the child, that had committed no sin. But as the child's name shall stand for ever in remembrance, and dying in convulsions is left on record, so shall their names, for ever stand, in honour to them; and their virtues be recorded, like the child's convulsions, for the pains they have taken to bring in a guilty land. So here I have compared my living children to the dying child, if they die before my Kingdom is established. But, as the other was living, all will not die before the time; 'but the child, that standeth as a type I compared of my Death, must die before the time, to shew the shadow of thy Writings, which I ordered as a sign to put as in the grave; and so by the child's death, I ordered my Shepherds to be warned, to bring them forth by the death of the child. Now let the learned answer, how Satan should place the writings first as a shadow of death, and how death should come to thy Brother's Son in the tenth year of the Vision, and in the month of May to die in convulsions; a month that I threatened a fatal month for man? Let these things be answered by the learned, before I permit thee to appear for well I know thy weakness; and as Satan cannot overcome thee in any form he can come himself, I know he will try, as an angel of light, to come in man. Therefore I will not leave thee to Man, as Adam left Eve to the Serpent. Thou hast trusted to my protection, and my protection thou shalt have: for I myself have made thee a prisoner; • A vault under the High House at Paddington. † See page 17 of the first six Books of Prophecies, 1794 and it would be fatal for any man to seek to find thee out, to break my prison doors, before they have brought thee to a fair Trial, then thou shalt appear; and as my guardian angels have guarded and kept thee from all the arts and power of hell, now let my friends, brothers, mother, and sister, keep thee from all the arts and power of men; for there will Satan try to work, to prevent the truth from being tried and proved; as he knoweth, if the truth is tried and proved, they will prove the calling from the Lord and then My KINGDOM must come in As men's desire will daily come "Now let Townley answer all that enquire for thee, the Lord has commanded her not to tell; for she will not tell them; and it is fruitless for the Serpent to come in man to her, and tell her that it is the 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 ing, they shall find the floods of sorrow to come upon For now my shepherds I shall try, go Because I said I'd make all clear And foil'd the wisdom of mankind. 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. Bashop Butler Saturday But if I find my shepherds dry, was buried on before Xmas dayy 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:-" I 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. |