friends; so far from stopping the mockery, by thy having a Child, by the power of the Most High, before thou hast a Father to adopt it, would but increase it ten times the more; as they would say that thou hadst a base-born child in thy old age. And therefore thou must have a Husband to do away this reproach, to stand as a Father to adopt the Child, who firmly believes that thy visitation is from on high, having the eyes of his understanding opened clearly to discern the Scriptures, from the manner I have pointed them out to thee, and from the manner I have revealed it to thee in what manner a SoN must be born to fulfil them. These things must be weighed together, and clearly proved, from every witness, the length of time thou hast been concealed from any man's coming into thy presence, to prove that it is a visitation from on high, as I have told thee by whose power the Son will be born. Hỗ "And as I have told thee of heirship-land being regained, that hath been lost; so I have told thee of this CHILD; it is to regain the promised land, which was lost to the Jews, and to establish that throne of David, which I said I should raise up in the end. But how can н be an established heir, after the manner of men upon earth, without having a reputed father to adopt him in my stead? But know I said, that no man should have thy hand in wedlock who did not receive it as a blessing from the Lord: and as a blessing from the Lord it is to him, and to all that receive it in true faith, to be made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, "This is the beginning of the fulfilment, if ye discern the sense and meaning of the CHILD being allowed to be an heir, both from God and man; and therefore I said that this union was a blessing to him whom thou givest thy hand in marriage to. But no man without faith can enter into a marriage union with thee: but where faith is, he will see the blessing great, from what is to follow. And now I ask thee and all mankind, what blessing could a man say he enjoyed in marrying a woman of thy age, because she had been a prophetess: What blessing was it to him more than to others, if nothing else was to follow? If that was all the blessing from the Lord, to marry a woman at thy age; then all the world might mock. But now discern what hath followed since, to prove the truth of my words, that it is a blessing to be the reputed father of the PRINCE of PEACE; for I have told thee the CHILD will be born to be that character, to fulfil the Scriptures throughout, which have been hid from the understanding of men, in the perfect manner that my visitation in thy prophecies have been hid from the understanding of the believers, in what manner I meant to fulfil them and make them true. And so in like manner was thy Second Book of Wonders all concealed from the knowledge and understanding of thee and the believers, why I said thy hand was a blessing, which no man should receive, without believing it a blessing from the Lord; and ye may see plainly the truth of my words. Now come to page 14.-. "And then the mysteries will be known,.. Because it is in Spirit strong. I ask what man could lead thee on, The way that I am leading here? "But where is the man who could explain the meaning of my words? Have not thousands of women at thy age been led to the altar? And have not many, that seemed to have an aversion to matrimony all the days of their lives, till old age came upon them, and then have entered into a marriage union? So in this I could not make the inquiry, what man could lead like ME? But here is the inquiry, what man, by the power of his spirit, could visit thee invisibly, to create a Son, to be born in old age? This was my meaning in the words, which I concealed from thee and from all; but now every man may see them plainly, and allow that it is more than man can do. And this will be allowed by men of wisdom: many things that were mocked, for want of understanding the sense and meaning thereof, they will now see plainly. There are many things hid in thy writings, which men cannot understand, till I come to fulfil them; and perfectly so stand the Scriptures throughout; and in that likeness stands my Gospel, that I came to prepare the way for the end, but did not make it plain to mankind: because impostors would have arisen, if they had known in what likeness to deceive mankind. Therefore 1 concealed it from the knowledge of men; as I concealed from thee, why I said a marriage union must take place, or all thy writings would be of no use: for I said, to make men's jarring cease, it was my controul that it should be done. And now ye have heard already what would be the jarring discord amongst mankind, if the SoN should be born before a marriage union hath taken place with man, to have a reputed Father for him. But know, the CHILD must be born before any man can claim any further than to be a reputed Husband, to adopt the CHILD, when it is born. "And in the next place observe these words in page 13" There was no way that thy innocence and injured honour could be cleared but by a marriage union." But now I ask thee, how thy injured honour could be cleared from the false inventions of men, who have risen up against thee, and all the malicious lies they have invented against thee; how could this be cleared by a marriage union? But now I have told thee in what manner: not from the past, but the present; for, without marriage taken place, before the CHILD is born, to have a Father, to adopt him as his Son, thou wouldest be looked upon as an adultrous woman, having a base child; and there is no way that men could clear thy honour and innocence. "So from this ye may see the meaning of my words, and the truth is plain before you, which no man could clear or understand, when I ordered thee to put that book in print. For when words are given, ye know not the way I shall work round to fulfil them, to make them clear to the sons of men, which cannot at first be understood by men; now perfectly so the scriptures stand, which men can no more understand, to explain the meaning of them, to prove them true, any more than thou or thy friends could explain the Second Book of Wonders, why a marriage union with thee should be a blessing to mankind; or why thy friends should all rejoice, when marriage had taken from thee thy reproach among women. How could this be explained and understood by men? If they call the prophecies a reproach, a marriage union would not take it away; and if ye call a single life a reproach, then the Gospel is contradicted, to say, blessed is the barren womb that never bare, and that the single woman is to the Lord. So there is no way that men could explain the meaning of the words, before I had brought thee into this situation, that is called a reproach to a woman, not having an husband. Then now ye may see all is made as clear as the noon-day sun; and your rejoicing will be great, when every thing is made so plain before them, that there is no room for doubts left. But how could this be proved last year? If a marriage union had taken place, when I first warned thee of it, could it be then proved that it is a visitation from the Lord, to bring in an earthly marriage, different from what hath taken place before? Have not all manner of strange marriages taken place, which have been thought so wonderful amongst mankind, which men have said must be decreed by the Lord, from the manner it was brought round? Then how could this marriage be different from what hath ever taken place before, and counted a blessing from the Lord, without some extraordinary event happening, that never hath taken place before, to be a blessing to the man who is made the reputed Father of the SON, whom he believes to be created by the power of the Most High? And without faith this cannot be fulfilled; therefore I said concerning the marriage, in the 16th page, that no union of marriage should take place with thee, to join your hands, before I had joined your hearts, which must be united in a firm and steady faith, both alike believing it from the Lord that thy visitation is, and the manner I have brought it round to have the marriage completed with God and man. The spiritual visitation is granted by the Lord, to fulfil the scriptures, as I have told thee already, which men no more understand, how |