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world for the sake of our dear Redeemer, who suffered so much ridicule from man for our sakes, and laid down his life to redeem us from the Fall, as you know is so clearly explained to me in my writings. But here I must conclude with my earnest prayers for you, that the Lord will strengthen you in the great work He hath commanded you to do. May the Lord pour down every blessing on your head, is the earnest prayer of your sincere friend and fellow labourer in the Lord's vineyard. I conclude with my kindest Christian love to you, and please to remember the same to your servant.

I am, with the greatest Respect,

Your sincere Friend and humble Servant,

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

N°4

Tuesday, May 22, 1804.

A little after eleven o'clock, Miss Townley and her servant went to the funeral of the child, and a vislent trembling came over her when she arrived at the church yard. They were disappointed in sending these letters, for the post goes out at four, and they thought not till five. The letters being returned, gave them much pain and confusion, and they were blaming themselves that they were not soon enough for the post, when the following communication was given to Joanna :

DEAR MISS TOWNLEY,

Here I send you the Communication about the burial of the child, and the returning of the letters.

"Now from this shadow I shall answer here:
To see these letters all turn'd back again,
It is a shadow I shall here explain.
I know confusion in you all was plac'd;
And well I know the pondering in thy breast,
How from the shadow that did here appear

Thou judg'st the substance must the same come here;
And so thy letters would come back the same
This is the pondering in thy heart that came;
But now I tell thee, this is not the Sign,
This is a shadow deep unto mankind-
How that thy letters they turn'd back at first,
And now to them they're all turn'd back at last.
With more confusion they thy lines will hear,
Than ever in your hearts there could appear;
Because their letters now turn'd back they'll see,
And eager wish they'd act'd a different way;
As they did wish they had more hasty been.

They'll blame themselves, as these this day have done :
For on themselves will many cast the blame-
As now these writers have this day begun;
And so they'll say they'll hasten now their speed.
A different way I say they'll now proceed;
Therefore to shew the type, I order'd thee
To send the letters to the post this day;
But well I knew, that they would all come back;
And so confusion in you all did break:
And so confusion in mankind will be,
Their words and letters all turn'd hack to see,
How all in public print do now appear-
And some like Townley will begin to fear
That something wrong by them is surely done,
As now they'll see they cannot stop thy hand.
But from this shadow now let Sharp take carc,
And hasty to the printer now repair,

To have the letter printed as 'tis sent,

And let them boldly, stand the Woman's friend;
For, by these letters now torn'd back this day,
It is too late for any man to say,

This is a calling never come from Heaven;
They'll find the Lord hath all these warnings given.
Then now to come against thee 'tis too late-
I plainly tell them that the door is shut,
Because thou know'st the book before is gone;
Then sure their letters must turn back again,
If now against thee they would but appear-
They'll come too late to find admittance here
Before the whole is open to their view.
The Type's to man, and they will find it true;
So of the shadow thou hast nought to fear,
But on the morrow send the letters there;
For that's the day appointed for the child,
And that's the day the learned shall be foil'd;
Because that I, in my appointed time,
Po all my work, and am not like mankind,
To change decrees that I did make at first:
In my appointed time all things shall burst.
So on the day appointed for the child †

That is, the clergy would send the letters back.

}

† The child was buried the day before, instead of the day fixed upon

N:4

Send every letter, and they'll see they're foil'd;
For all the letters they turn'd back too soon;
Because I tell thee they judg'd me like man,
To alter the decrees that I did make,
And so their letters they did all turn back."

(Signed,)

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

May 23, 1804.

Now, to tell the sense of this, the child was appointed to be buried this day, Wednesday, the 23rd, but the nurse thought it would not keep, and the letters were ordered to be sent at the child's burial; so, as the father had altered his plan, the letters were sent the same day and turned back, being too late for the post. Now I shall give you part of the meaning of the letters being sent, from the child's death.

DEAR MISS TOWNLEY,

I now send you the words given to me by the Spirit, about the burial:

"I shall tell thee the shadow of the childThey had it buried sooner than they proposed, fearing a putrefaction in the child that it would not keep. Now I tell thee, here is the shadow for thee: sooner than thou mayest expect, thy trial will come on, as men will fear the putrefaction in thee.-If it be from a disorder in thy head, they will say it is time to put a stop to it; but if it be of God they will say, it is time to fear what judgments are com ing on man. Now I shall come to another type and shadow remember when thy writings were proved, I ordered them first to be buried in the cave, or the dark regions like a grave, as a type of the shadow of death: soon after that, the wind rose high.Now after the child was put in the grave, see how hard the rain came, and the heavens were covered

with blackness: and now they are writing to warn the bishops and clergy.

"Here is a type stands deep for all :-
This funeral will bring on the call
To make the shepherds to appear—
Therefore the shadow I plac'd there
To have the likeness at the first.
But now the substance it is plac'd:
A PERFECT FUNERAL now is come;
And so the substance will go on
To have thy Trial to appear-

They'll find these shadows first were there:
But now the substance it is come,

And every substance will be known,

In perfect likeness to appear:

They'll find the substance now is near;

For all as shadows I plac'd first,
But now the substance I place last,
To bring thy awful trial on-

And Townley's trembling will be known,
That strong in thee it will appear,

As in thy stead I've now plac'd her,

And in thy stead she bold may stand

The heavens with blackness now command,

And now my blackness will appear,

If men don't hasty waken here,

As she so early did awake,

I say, my clouds on them shall break;
Because, from shadows all shall see,

Such things were ne'er brought round by thee,

To place the shadows at the first,

That like a funeral this should burst⚫

And now the funeral doth appear,
From innocence no sin was here

Ever committed by the child

And here the learned men are foil'd;

As I compared with my own:

Then here the child must sure be known

In innocence, I say, to die

And mark the words were said to thee,
When that the shadow did appear,
'Thou know'st, the child I told thee there:
To shew my Birth, the child must come;
And so my Death a shadow then.
But now the shadow's in the child,
To shew my death, to reconcile
The world to God-like him I died
In strong convulsions then for man.

N°4

That is, the writings put in a vault at Paddington, a shadow then of the burial now.

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