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For thou to be shut up from man,
And in thy stead doth Townley stand,
To send all letters in her name,

Though from thy hand they surely came;
But in thy hand there none are sent,
Nor yet thy name unto a friend;

But now through her the whole is given:
And so they'll find the God of heaven
Hath given the whole the same through thee,
Though thy hand-writing none do see ;
Nor doth my Name to men appear.
The copies first thou send'st to her,
And then she sends them in her name;
And perfect so I say 'tis done,
In every likeness come from ME,
As thou thy letters send'st to she.
For so thou 'st done all heretofore,
Perfect as Townley doth appear
Placed in thy stead to act for thee,
And perfect so thou 'st done for ME,
The same as Townley doth appear
To act for thee, I say once more,
In perfect likeness all hath been,
Thou didst act for ME, as she is seen
Now in thy stead to act for thee,
Which in the end they all shall see.
It is the likeness to compare
That I have plac'd these shadows here,
To shew you plain the it
way came,
"fis but to her thou sign'st thy name ;
And so thy letters thou dost send
Unto my handmaid and my friend;
Then who shall pluck my friend from ME?
Her murderers men must surely be,
If they would pluck her from my hand;
Worse than the serpent men must stand
To rob her soul from every blifs;
And where's the man can answer this,
To say that in her stead they'll stand,
If she'll give up thy written hand,
And in thy stead not to appear?
Will man presumptuous answer here,
That he'll protect her from all harm,
If it be the Lord that here doth warn?
Who call'd her for th my friend to be?
Will men a Judas make of she,
Her faithful trust for to betray?
I ask mankind what they can say,
If she like Judas should appear,
To say her guilt she could not bear?
Then answer ME, presumptuous man,
Who e'er doth wish to stop her hand,
That she her office may'nt go through,
I'll prove the serpent strong in you;

N: 6

That wish to have her now draw back;
A murderer's heart in man must break,
Because her life you'd murder here,
In agonies she could not bear.

So here's an answer deep for man
That doth this woman here condemn.

Here, my dear Miss Townley, you see how strict the command is given you to stand faithful, and how severe the threatenings against any that persuade you to act faithless. So I trust you will stand, as I have stood, in the strength of the Lord, and the power of his might, in opposition to men and devils, putting on the whole armour of God to withstand, the fiery darts of the devil: for cursed is he that putteth his hand to the plough and draweth back. But this caution I need not give you, as I know the strength of your faith, and the goodness of your heart. The former part of this letter was in answer to two letters sent me, that you received for me; one an anonymous letter that was so ignorant and impudent, to think they could jest with God as they could jest with man; the other from my friends who are longing for the coming of Christ. Here you see the different answers. The stroke endeth with one, where the other, answer beginneth. I must conclude, with my earnest prayers for you, spiritual and temporal, that the Lord will restore your health, and strengthen your faith to stand the trial you are called to go through. I remain, with the greatest respect,

(Signed,)

DEAR MISS TOWNLEY,

Your sincere friend,

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

I shall now give you a communication that was given me, to assign the reasons why I was ordered to be concealed from the world; that if men seek me, they are not to find me, till they have assembled together; all those that are chosen to be labourers

with me in the Lord's vineyard; because I sought man in the bitterness of my soul, and they refused to see or hear me. This you will see explained in the following communication:

For so I say I'll now foil man,
For now my mind I will reveal,
And tell thee why I do conceal
Thy place and person to mankind;
And thou the former call to mind,
I said like Putt I should appear *;
And perfect so I'm acting here.
When I invited, men said nay:
Thy face they all-refus'd to see;
Thy letters they refus'd to hear;
Thou sought'st their face in tears and prayer,
And yet thy face they would not see,
Nor take one single thought of thee;
When grief and sorrow thee oppress'd,
They'd never calm thy grief to rest;
If Satan led thee by the hand,
Then in his fetters thou must stand,
And sink thy soul in deepest woe:
In vain to man thou'st often gone,
Or else in vain thou there didst send;
For thou no answer could'st obtain.
And now I'll turn it back on man,
And say my answer is the same;
You would not see her in distress,
Nor give her suffering heart redress,
When she in jealousy did fear:
And your advice she'd wish to hear;
But then your answer it was none.
Unto the ROCK she did complain;
And I'm her ROCK who then did hear,
And gave an answer to her prayers.
And now I'll answer unto man,
Perfect like you I've laid my plan:
That you shall never see her here
Before her friends do all appear,
That I have chosen with her to stand,
And then you all may see her hand;
And for herself she'll answer here:
To meet her foes she shall not fear;
Because their wisdom I'll confound,
And prove MYSELF in every sound:

Parson Putt offered Joanna's Father a house, which he refused; and, some time after, Joanna went to him and said, she was come to beg a favour of him for her father; this he supposed was for the house: so he immediately said to her,

"To those that will not when they may,

"When they will they shall have nay.'

Noy

That I the LORD of HEAVEN and EARTH
Have spoken by her, as she saith,
'Therefore the shadows I've turn'd back,
To act with man as man did act,
In former Years, I say, to she,
And perfect so the end shall be;
For now the shadows are begun :
I have order'd her to deal with man,
As they before did deal with she.
The type goeth deep if man can sce :
Here is a shadow of the end;
For I said, this Year should bend,
Because I plac'd it with the last;
When I MYSELF in GLORY burst,
I then shall hide MYSELF like thee,
That now refuse to come to ME..
For then I say they'll come too late:
I know them not, the door is shut;'
Then they may seek and wish to find.
But I shall further tell my mind:
If men seck thee, thou wilt appear,
With all thy friends the truth to clear;
And so I say I'll come with mine:
But then my foes my looks will find.
If they affront Townley in thy stead,
I know 'twill make thy heart to bleed,
To think she suffers here for thee;
And then thy blacken'd looks they'll see,
In nought but anger to appear;
For no man's person thou wilt fear,
But with contempt treat every man,
If they thy friend do now condemn.
Because thou'lt say it is for thee,
That she is moek'd as well as for ME;
And this with anger thou it resent:
The shadow's deep: let man repent;
For every way I've shewn the end:
By placing Townley as a friend,
To stand the trial first with men,
Before thy friends together come.
Then thou in person wilt appear,
And all thy friends thou'lt welcome there;
And perfect so the end will be:
For in thy Trial men will see.
How every shadow's carried on,
To shew MY SPIRIT here is come,
In WORDS and POWER unto thee..
And 'tis by friends my work must be,
I tell you, carried on by men,

If that my kingdom they will win.
But first the Woman mustappear,

To crown MY HEAD, man's guilt to clear;
Because my blood was shed by man;
Then now discern her written hand,

as Chust blood was shed by Mar, it is by Mare the
of darkhoress shall be destroyed by the Power of Aust

lovers

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And how my Bible doth appear,
That it is Woman you compare,
Unto MY CHURCH that stands for all.
Then all these shadows now command;
As to a Woman all is plac'd,
Then the creation so must burst,
As I at first did it design!!!
And now to man I've told my mind,
Why all my Bible so doth stand:
That in the end you may command,
As I design'd it at the first.

All through my Bible so 'tis plac'd,
To prove мY CHURCH from her must be,
When men are made joint heirs with ME;
For that's the way мY CHURCH shall stand,
The SPIRIT and the BRIDE Command.
So let the learned answer here,
Why all my Bible doth appear
So highly in the Woman's name;
And then I'll answer thee again?
And this to Foley she must send,
And put in print the lines thou'st penn'd.
For in the end mankind will see
The mysteries of this year to be
The likeness of the setting sun
When I do bring the night on man,
That like their sleep will pass away;
But then I'll bring a GLORIOUS DAY
Unto my faithful followers here,
That for my coming do appear-
And like thy Psalm I'll answer here:
"The dawn of each returning day,
Fresh beams of knowledge brings,
And from the dark returns of night
Divine instruction springs.”

And so I tell thee all will be divine,

And in my GLORIOUS KINGDOм they shall shine,
When I have claim'd the kingdoms for my own,
And all the powers of darkness to unthrone.

The verse above quoted is the words of David, that come daily in my mind, as every day bringeth fresh wisdom from divine directions to me, so that I may end with the words of David.

How wondrous are thy works O Lord,

How deep are thy decrees!

Thy secret tracks in wisdom lie,

No striped sinner sees.

Adieu, adieu, my dear Miss Townley,

(Signed,)

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.