An explanation of the parables

to man, that as clay in the hands of the potter, thy life hath been in my hands, to guide and guard thee in every thing. And now if men discern thy life, they will see it like the parable I ordered thee to bring forward, a fixed decree that could not be altered, as it was in the Parable of the Knight a story previously mentioned illustrating predestined fate; and this all men may discern, if they weigh thy history deeply. But how could my decrees appear so firm in thee, like the parable I ordered thee to bring forward, if thy simple life did not appear, to show my decrees? And now from this, let all men judge whether the Creator of the universe, the Governor of all things, would in so singular a manner have kept thy life from the world, from the power of man, that no restraint should be laid by him, to prevent thee from going on and obey the command of the Spirit, that was invisible to every eye, had not the Spirit been from ME the living Lord? Do men vainly suppose I should have kept thee in such a powerful manner, for a wrong spirit to have power over thee? Then I ask them what they judge of ME? Therefore all men will find, simple as thy life appears, to be in print, it was my command to have it appear, that men may judge for themselves of my decrees; and to confound their arguments, to say an evil spirit had power over thee, to keep thee in this manner.

I permitted thy Trials and Temptations Joanna's personal struggles and tests of faith, and ordered them to go in print likewise, that all men might see, if thou hadst been led by an evil spirit, that had power over thee, by that evil spirit thou wouldest have fallen in the days of temptation; and this every man of sense will discern, if they deeply weigh the whole together, that the power of an evil spirit would not have kept thee from evil, when strong temptations were laid before thee. Therefore I ordered the whole to go in print, and the truth to appear, while thy enemies were living to answer for theirselves, if any thing false was brought forward by thee; therefore my wisdom was concealed from