So if 'tis sin what thou hast done,
It on their beads must fall.

If all be right, before their sight,

I'll surely screen them all,
If they will say this very way,

Like thee," We all did fear
"The Calling was from Heaven high,
" Then how could we appear
"To stop thy hand-when in the Land
"We see the Truth abound?

"And could we come to thee unknown,
"And e'er condemn the sound?"

So now appear my Bible here,
For it I'll all go through;

And so I say, thou'st nought to fear,
For I shall prove all true,

All taken from Joanna Southcott's mouth.

JANE TOWNLEY.

TRUE EXPLANATIONS

OF THE

BIBLE.

Sunday Afternoon, September 23, 1804. JOANNA began this morning, as soon as she had breakfasted, to read through Samuel, and could not avoid pondering in her heart, how David, that was such a chosen man of the Lord, and to whóm such great blessings were promised, should have such wicked Sons; and yet she was clearly convinced in her own mind, that it was no cunningly devised fable of David's to say it; because our Saviour himself speaks so highly of him. She likewise thought upon Jacob's Sons; how great the Promise was made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and yet what vices. were in Jacob's Sons! All these things appeared marvellous in her eyes: but here comes

THE ANSWER OF THE LORD.

"JOANNA, I shall answer the ponderings of thy heart. All these are TYPES OF THE CREATION, TYPES OF THE FALL, and TYPES OF THE REDEMPTION. Here are mysteries thou canst not understand; but I shall explain them unto thee; and begin with the Creation. What a Promise did I make to Man at first; and what blessings did I set before him! In whose likeness did I say I created him? and in what Paradise did I place him, if he had continued to obey my command? But where did Adam fall? and what followed the Fall? Was not Adam the original progenitor of all men that I created, to be fruitful, to multiply, and to replenish

the earth and said, I had formed him in my own likeness? But after his Fall, what did Cain do? Then why dost thou marvel so much about David's sons? Was not Adam as greatly formed as David? Was not I his Maker? And do I not call myself the Father of all men? Yet what followed on in the posterity of the children, here I shall explain to thee, in the children of David. As David was the father of his children, that rose up in rebellion against him, just so am I the common PARENT of all men; and thou mayest as well marvel how men rise up in rebellion against their God, as marvel how David's sons rose up in rebellion against him: and thou mayest as well marvel how mankind can be so wicked, when every BLESSING they receive is from ME; and yet see what rebellion there is in the world against ME. Do not men rise up in open violence against ME, and want to take the power out of my hand, if they could; as much as Absalom, rose up against David, and wanted to take the throne from him? Now I shall answer thee from thy pondering heart. Thou thoughtest so great a Promise, as was made to David, his sons must have been the best of men, he being anointed a chosen servant of mine; but I tell thee, No. These chosen servants shew the Type of Man in the Creation; what they were created for; and what their children' departed from, like David's sons. How could I compare David with MYSELF if it were otherwise? Is it not written, I have, nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against ME? And so did David's children rebel against him: for the children of David are throughout the land, and have been in every age of the world, as rebellious against ME, that am the common PARENT of all men, as David's sons were against him; and their vices and cruelty one against the other, as David's sons were one against the other. So maryel not, if the children, where the promises. were made great to the parents, whom thou judgest

CONCERNING DAVID.

9

should be the best of men, and in thy heart thou sayest they are the worst of men. And

Now thy folly I shall answer,

From the judgment drawn by thee,
If thou'st look'd to thy CREATOR,
And the Land in sin to be.

If from ME first the whole did burst,
And I did Man create,
And yet in sin they did begin
For to bring on their fate;
Then how can Man so upright stand,
Where Promises are made,
While Satan's roving through the land?
Thy wisdom weak was laid:
Had Abraham's seed in virtue stood,
And David stood the same,
Then surely I who DWELL ON HIGH
Must be more weak than Man.

If Man had power to subdue
The folly of his child,
Then how can I be just and TRUE
To let mankind be foil'd?
If Abraham's seed in virtue stood

I ask thee, why not MINE?
If David's sons in virtue came,
And bright in wisdom shin'd,
I ask thee then why mine began
To fall away from ME?
I tell you all, the things are plain:
These things compar'd must be
Now with the Fall, I tell you all-
Was David without sin?
Thou answerest, no: the truth is so;
Then how could he bring in
His children here for to appear
In virtue bright to shine,
When Men by ME created were?
But Satan had his time
To baffle all, and Men did fall,
Like David, at the first.

For there his crimes you now must call,
How David's sins did burst;
Upon his head they first were laid-
Thou knowest Urizh's death:
And then his children did proceed
In deeper crimes come forth.
So first began the Fall of Man,
I say of Adam's Fall;
The sin first there did sure appear;
But now I tell you all,

The Promise see at first to be,

The Curse was cast on Man;

And so the offsprings you do see
In every age com on;

B

Sin did abound in every sound,
Where I did Promise make,
Because the Curse was on the Ground,
And so that Curse did break;
I say on Man at first did come

So here stands DAVID'S REIGN:
The Promise great you may command,
That I shall bere explain:
The Curse at first on him did burst,
As 'twas pronounc'd on Man;
The Blessings great they all did miss,
But ne'er discern'd my plan,
How it was plac'd, ye fallen race,
Where Promise I did make;
I tell you all, back to the Fall
The truth of all must break;
For while on Man the Curse do stand,
No Promise I can free;
But now I tell you every one
My Promise all shall see.-
A DAVID'S REIGN I'll now explain,
As I have said before;
His children they were just like MINE,
And let the Jews appear :
In every land see how they stand,
And how they sought my Life;
But in the end, 'tis my intend
This way to clear the strife.
A DAVID'S REIGN I tell you plain,
Hath follow'd from the Fall;
And all my children you may see,
Have been like DAVIDS all;
Because that some in wisdom stand,
Like Solomon appear;
And other men in vice did come,
As Absalom did there.

So here my REIGN has been, like him.
Children to disobey:
And DAVID, he did act in sin;
The Fall of Man doth lay
Upon their head, as I have said;
Then how can man be free
Before the promise, they will plead?

And then the Curse must be
Upon the first, as it was cast-
'The Woman cast it there,
You know, upon the serpent's head.-
And now I'll answer here,
When this is done, I answer man,
And ADAM's truth shall burst:
IN MY OWN LIKENESS Man shall stand
As I made him at first!

But was it so? you well do know,
He did not stand like ME;