in men; and this is the fiery trial ye must bear for a while. For there is no strange thing hath happened in this. Come to all ages of the world, and then ye will see, that those who were born after the flesh persecuted those who were born after the Spirit. For, after the flesh is unbelief, where Satan finds power to work; but, after the SPIRIT is the power of God through faith; and therefore ye ought to rejoice in this persecution, knowing the glory. that is already revealed, that ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. But when was the time and when was the age, that such revelation was ever made known to man before, that this grace and glory are to be brought to man to be fulfilled, that men should rejoice in the persecution, knowing the glory drew near? But, as to mockery, it began in the fall, by Satan's arts, when he betrayed the woman, and mocked her for believing that the command was given from the Lord; and so it hath gone on to this day. All the warnings that I gave to the prophets caused mockery in every age of the world; my Gospel caused mockery; my Disciples caused mockery; and so it stands to this day. The Jews mock the Gospel; and those who believe the Gospel mock the Jews: all sects and parties mock the religion one of another; and all the ways of the Lord have been mocked in every age of the world: so marvel not in thy heart, that this should cause mockery in like manner. But now I shall mock the whole; for, in this visitation, I shall shew my power in the CREATION, my power in the GOSPEL, and my power to bring in the REDEMPTION of man: because I shall shew my power so clearly in the creation of the CHILD in thy womb, that those who mock the SCRIPTURES now must

allow that power, which could create a Sox in thy womb, at this age, could create the MAN and WOMAN in the beginning, and could create the WOMAN from the MAN, by the same power and out-stretched arm that I create the MAN from the WOMAN; because a MAN-CHILD is creating the MAN from the WOMAN; and it is from this that my power shall be made known to men, how I had power to take MAN'S NATURE upon ME, in the VIRGIN'S WOMB, to be born as a CHILD, for the sons of men, and how I have power, in the end, to create that likeness again, to fulfil my Gospel, and why I likened the kingdom of hea ven to a little CHILD. So, from my power in this, it must prove my power in all, to men of wisdom, understanding, and reason; and with them mockery will cease; but the mock of fools will continue till they bring on their own destruction, and bring their mockery upon theirselves. So here ye have nothing to marvel, that this visitation should cause mockery in mankind, what they judge impossible to be; and such as believe the Scriptures the cunning devises of men to be mocked and despised, and that do not believe in the CREATOR at first, let no man marvel, that such men should make a mock of his being a CREATOR at last; because it is a new revelation to them, who say all things came by chance: but what new chance has now appeared? or what new invention thou hast contrived, to make men believe the Bible is true, to make men believe the Gospel is true, that there is a God who ruleth the universe, whose wisdom and power are out of the reach of men, and yet to reveal himself to the sons of men? This by Atheists must be mocked as some cunningly devised scheme of thine; because they have mocked the Scriptures

throughout as the invention of men; and they know that all their mockery must be turned back upon their own heads, and all their Babels fall to the ground, if they allow thy tower to stand. And therefore let no one marvel how great the mockery is amongst mankind; for thou knowest not the hearts nor thoughts of men, how few believe the Scriptures to be the word of God, when compared with the multitudes of mankind in the world

For they

Judge the Scriptures invention at the first;
Then how shall they allow the last,
For ME to make the Scriptures true,
And bring all mysteries to their view,
To shew my power at the last?

And from it they must judge the first;
And then their Babels down must fall.
For now I tell them, one and all,
I'll shrew my power so in thee,
A GOD in power, men shall see,
Is a CREATOR at the last, 1:
As you may see it nam'd at first
all my Bible I'll fulfil-

They'll see my power, they'll see my skill,
To bring the Atheists to the ground,
And own a Gon must now be found;
Or yet in power HE must appear,
Though they have mock'd to baffle here.,
But now their mockery cannot last;
They'll see the day-light soon to burst,
Their every mockery to confound,
The way that I shall work all round:
For, in the ending, all will see,
I'll work a way to set thee free,
That no impostor can appear;
Because the end I'll make so clear.
So they may draw their swords at first:
They don't discern how mine is plac'd
To turn it back on every head
That mocks the Scriptures, as I've said.

So here I've answer'd of the first.
Now let their mockery be plac'd,
The way the words of men appear,
And then again I'll answer here.”

It is the mockery that I have been informed of, from different places, that I am ordered to bring forward in this book.

In a letter received from a friend he says, great is the mockery in Yorkshire. At Horbury they carried the effigy of Joanna through the village; then they shot at it seventeen shots; then placed it with the head downwards, and burnt it in a large fire, saying, she ought to be burnt; and the next day they carried another effigy, with two children, and repeated it the third day.

The same kind of mockery, I am informed, hath been carried on in different places in Somersetshire.

The ANSWER of the SPIRIT.

"This kind of mockery sheweth what I said before, of Deists and Atheists; whether they acknowledge their unbelief in the Gospel, or not, it is in mockery to the Gospel this was done, to mock my first and second coming. And this displays the hearts of mankind, to shew how the rage and malice of the devil is still worked on in them against the Scriptures, as well as my visitation to thee. For here men have a plea to plead for themselves: in coming forth against the Gospel, they make a pretence it is against my visitation to thee; then now I ask the professors of religion, to what purpose was my coming into the world, to make myself known amongst mankind, if I do not come again in power to fulfil my Gospel, according to my

words? For all men may see, from the manner of this mockery, where the shots are levelled at. Thou sayest in thy heart, that the shots have not reached thee; because I have made thee strong in faith, before their mockery was made known to thee; so that their shots will only turn back on their own heads; and their case calls for pity, is the language of thy heart. To thy thoughts I shall answer. Their case calls for pity, before I have made my Gospel clear; because I know of Satan's working every way; and therefore I have borne with the sons of men to this day, with all their blasphemy in every age; but now they shall know the end is at hand, that all the shots which they have levelled at thee were in like manner levelled at ME, which I shall turn back upon their own heads. And now I shall answer thee from thy own words, and thy own ponderings throughout, that I shall now call out to man: for I know how often chou hast meditated in thy heart, that if there be a possibility of thy being deceived, it is from thy belief in the Gospel that hath deceived thee; for there thy heart and faith were fixed, from thy early age; and it was the Gospel that drew thy heart from the world; because from it thy faith was fixed that an inward direction might be given unto those who trusted wholly in the Lord: and, according to thy faith, directions were given to thee, to bring thee to a true knowledge of the Scriptures, whether they are right or wrong. But now I ask thee, how the Scriptures can be fulfilled, how the Gospel can be fulfilled, without the mockery and persecution of such men, as thou hast heard of, to cast out floods of lies against thee?

"Now come to my Apostles. 2 Peter, iii.

B