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JUNE 10th, 1804. Six days before Joanna droped her pen

HAT new wonders are daily presented before my view! I dare not suffer myself to indulge a thought of them; if I did, I could not write, or keep my senses: but if we go one step from the directions the Lord hath given to me, we are lost in time, and to all Eternity;-fallen from the height of happiness, to the depth of misery and woe. We must stand by Eve's first words; but we are lost, if we comply, as she did, to go one step further afterwards. I would sooner go to the flames as a martyr, than go one step from the directions the Lord hath given me concerning my Trial-and you must charge my friends, for their lives, NEVER to consent to ANY PROPOSALS made by any man; but say,

3 Gen: 3.

as the Lord hath commanded it, we MUST OBEY; for, if they consent any other way, they' shall never see me: for I am determined to abide by Eve's first words, and no arts of the serpent can work in man, shall ever make me go to the second: for had she abided by the first, "The Lord hath forbidden it," and stood to her word, she could not have fallen-and now the devil will come in men, instead of the serpent, to try me. Therefore, we must stand to Eve's first words, and then we shall not fall I hope, by the next post, you will be able to send them all the joys that are set before them, and then let them judge for themselves; if they would run so fatal a hazard, as to go one step of their own, to do either good or evil. I am forbid from ever speaking to man any more, before I meet them in my Trial-so I cannot see friend or foe, and no man must come in my presence before I go to begin my journey, and then I must not speak to any man upon the road-and when I arive to take my Trial, there is not one of my men friends must come to see me, before they meet me in the room and then those that are against me must enter first, having such strict charges given me; and knowing that how the serpent would try in man to betray me, to make me disobey. I began, this morning, to ponder in my heart what Arts he could use in man to accomplish it; but thought to myself, he might use his arts in this way to tempt men, they ought to have me first to be tried by medical men, to see if I was in my senses; but that I thought the devil would be easily foiled there, as they were to contend with the Twenty-four chosen men first-and if they would not consent to that-then, they would give that all is right: as you, as well as so many * No Enemies were present on the first day at Neckunger house

it

up

*

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witnesses can prove my senses as good as ever, and my understanding much clearer. Another thought came into my head, they might make a search after me, to resolve to find me, and then I was determined in my mind, not to see them, for I would shut my eyes, and keep fast my mouth-that it was not all the arts of men and devils should make me open either: for I would not look on them, as Eve did on the serpent; nor dispute with them, as she did with the serpent. I am writing you my simple thoughts, because the answer to them is deep and weighty; for I was ordered to pen the ponderings of my heart.

Adieu.

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

The answer of the Spirit to the above ponderings of Joanna's heart.

"NOW this has been the pondering heart of thee
How thou wouldst act sooner than disobey?
And from thy heart I'll now appear,

And prove that men are devils here;

If they would have thee disobey,

And let the serpent now to say,

It is a fever of thy brain,

That thou with men do thus contend
Thy Maker's will for to obey;
They all shall find the woman's free
From the temptations of the Fall,
And from that guilt, I tell you all—
And so by her the serpent's cast:-
But now in man he strong does burst:
So 'tis with man she must contend;

Because the devil's now in men-

And like the serpent do appear,

And now from Paul I'll answer here,
That My simplicity is come
To shew you in the woman's form
I'M come the world for to redeem,
From Adam's fall, I now tell men-
And now Fll tell you of the Law,
Under the fall you all must know,
You all stand tainted by the fall;
But now's the time, I tell you all,
I will redeem you from that curse,
For here the serpent now is cast-
In true simplicity she's come,
That is, in CHRIST to guide her hand
In true obedience to appear-
And now, Oh men, you must take care
You are not in the serpent's form;
Then here's a sin you don't discern,
So strong against the HOLY GHOST,
If any man so bold should burst ;
As in her heart she'th ponder'd here,
From hell that man I cannot clear;
For there he ever must remain,
Worse than the devil you see plain,
That mau in boldness must become;
For now I'll answer unto man-
Had satan in the serpent's form,
Gone to the woman then unknown,
And said he'd sting her then to death,
If she refus'd the fruit to taste!-
And shew'd her then his pois'nous spear,
Then soon in hell he should appear:
Because no blame could be in her-
She eat the Fruit her life to sparé ;
Or, else, I say, her life to save,—
When I had said, she should not live;
If in My Power he had come,
I say, My honour 't must be gone
To let him reign another day,
No, 'twas by arts he did betray.
And they by arts may try the same,
But know, vain man, if ere you come
In any Violence to appear:

As I've pronounc'd by satan's spear,
Your sins against the HOLY GHOST,

But I fear 2 Cor. 11 chap. 3 verse,
est, by any means, as the serpent
(meated ive through his subletly.
minds should be

arrupted from the simplicity

that is in Christ

---

But tha Galatians, 4 chap. 4 verse, the fulness of the time was com God sent forth his son, made & a Woman, macie under

the

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And you in hell are ever lost.
Because much bolder you must come,
Than ever satan did assume;
And 'twas by arts he did condemn,
That he MY people could betray;
And so by arts he came to thee,
With every fatal threatening there;
But never did to thee appear:
Because that power i forbad,-
And ne'er would let him to proceed.→
And now the same, I say to man,
I'll give them leave to act like him,
In every threatening to appear;
But ne'er approach thy person here.
If they can make thee to comply
With all the arts that they can try:
Then I'll not cast the blame on man,
If they can pluck thee from MY HAND,
By any arts, or threatenings, here:
But if in Power they do appear,
Thinking by Power thus to do;
Thy silence every soul shall know.
Because as thou hast ponder'd here,
And there's no answer men should hear

In any word then spoke by thee,

Nor, yet their face thou should'st not see-
I'd sooner make thee dead and blind,
Than e'er let man that Power find.
And soon in hell they should appear,
And they no more from ME should hear-
And no more mercy they should see,
Than they would hear, and see in thee.-
For now I've brought the cause to man,
To prove the end how all will stand:
For as that chapter doth appear,
Man is the serpent; I say here;
For My simplicity is come,

To bring the cause, and now try man,
What they would be in satan's room:
For strongly in them now he's come-
The simple woman to betray,
And make her now'to disobey;
With every art that they can do,
I now allow them to pursue,
Without a violence to appear;
Or, ere approach thy person here;