Weak as thy Father all are come; For here my words go deep→→ The Valley of Jehoshaphat, a communication given in 1796. "For to the valley all must come That will be sons of light; A valley's low, you all shall know, And resche every man; For when the battles I have fought, And every victory won, I'll bring them in the valley low, And what I suffer'd to this day, As I for man do feel; The marks can ne'er be done away My side is open still A doubting Thomas to receive, The trembling jailors I will free, And men shall know ME all, As doves begin to fly. The valley must be in the heart- If ye are imperfect men. The perfect ones are gone; I see, is I said thy Father's house, like mine, Therefore I see 'tis time for ME To come and make an end.— "Tis deeper than philosophy The lines that thou hast penn'd. 73. Now let the learned men appear And tell ME how they think 'twill be Or how do they expect 'twill be, If they will say they can explain, I say that they are more than men A Peter must be here; For flesh and blood can never know, The way I shall proceed. "Tis words must try the hearts of men, For signs or wonders will not do, 'Tis words do try the heart: And words shall bring all to their view So now if man will humbly come And own thou art a simple worn, "Know what I told thee of thy father's house, which I compared to the Shepherds, and the likeness of your nation; and this I ordered thee to bring forward to join together, that they may see how many years are past and gone, since I told thee all went wrong in their labour; that they cut my Bible high; that they cut off the branches, and let the stumps remain; that men were come as weak as thy father; because their labour is gone, that they have neither power to cut off the stumps; neither have they wisdom to discern my Bible how it stands, or how my Gospel stands; neither do they understand the Revelatious, that when they break, the end is at hand: therefore I said unto thee "The Woman clothed with the Sun shall make all nations shake; And wonders will come on; And let him bring his FIFTY MEN "Then they will find I shall fulfil the words that I have said in thy writings. "On my holy hill I'll come to cut the stumps away: But know I have told thee "A Canan's wonder must begin, "And now let men see what I said of thy father's house; and compare it with your land." Here I am ordered to bring forward my own pleading and petitions to the Lord, in 1794. I was deeply wounded with the conduct of the Methodists, who said that my writings were not from the Lord. I was ordered to pen my feelings, and was answered that the preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue, were both from the Lord. I was to pen my feelings in verse, and it should be answered to me. I wished to forgive all injuries; but said, to my shame, I could not forget them, though I wished them to be buried in oblivion, never to be remembered any more. But, Oh, the follies of my heart! And every injury done to me Lie spread before my eyes; 75 All past offences now appear As though they were this moment done, In Christ our Saviour dear; Our hearts unite, dear Lord, in thee, The Answer of the Spirit. Is this the language of thy heart? The heavenly music shall appear To chain the powers of darkness down In Christ shall all united be, And every jarring cease. Then now be strong and stand like men, With salt be season'd well, And pray for power to stand against JOANNA'S ANSWER. That power, dear Lord, is all in thee; THE SPIRIT. I know your weakness, and your power Ask but believing to receive, JOANNA. But, Oh! that faith, dear Lord of life, Múst surely come from thee; Thou art the Author of our faith, Our finisher must be. THE SPIRIT. Thou'st spoken right: I know it well, JOANNA. All this, dear Lord, I know is true; And all our hopes deceive; I've heard the reasoning of thy heart, But am not I the Strong Man arm'd, And him I'll bind with cords so strong, And I will give you more: That trusteth in my power. JOANNA. Dear Lord, thy goodness and thy love My soul cannot deny ; But humbly I may say Amen To what my Lord doth say. And dost thou humbly say Amen ? And so't shall be to thee, And every true believing soul That doth rely on ME. |