they with us might partake of the living Bread which comes down from Heaven I am that living Bread saith Christ that came down from Heaven My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed whoever eats of the Bread and drinks of the Water that I give shall never hunger nor thirst any more Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you This was an hard Saying to the professing Jews whose Eye was outward and carnal as it is with many this day who make a great talk of his Flesh and Blood But except you have Faith in his Name and by virtue of that Faith come to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you for sayes he who sais I am the Light Except ye believe that I am he ye shall dye in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come so that it is Unbelief in his Light or Grace in people which disappoints them of the benefit of his Blood which cleanseth washes and sanctifies all those that believe in his Name and Power by which as they keep unto and abide in it they come to witness their Redeemer to live even Christ the Anointed of God the Everlasting Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not Man he is become our High Priest and the Bishop of our Souls he is teaching his People himself and our Invitation unto all is that they may come and sit down under the Teachings of his Spirit and Grace in themselves For whatsoever may be known of God is manifest within and he hath shewn unto Man what is good that he should obey it and do it and the Apostle said Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Now thou who hast had thine Eye outward hast bin running abroad and spent thy Portion with the Prodigal and hast not obtained an Establishment in that which is durable and satisfying the Soul Return return to thy Father's House and turn thy Mind inward to that which thou hast run from and hast been seeking without thee and thou wilt find virtue in it and the Efficacy of it to satisfie thy breathing Soul for remember the Parable of the Woman who sought her piece of Silver without her House but turning within lighting a Candle and sweeping her House she found it and for the Joy that she had found this Treasure invited her Neighbours to come and rejoyce with her Now the Candle of the Lord which is the Spirit of a Man is lighted and the Houses of many are swept and that which they have been seeking without they have found within them to the exceeding great Joy Gladness of their Hearts so that they could not but invite and perswade others through the constraining Virtue and Soul-satisfaction they had receiv'd from it to turn in to that inward Word of Power which is nigh in the Heart and is a sure Word of Prophecy unto which sayes the Apostle Peter ye do well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day Star arise in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Now we having taken heed unto this divine and heavenly Word in our Hearts we are come to see the arising of the Star of Jacob and to the bright and morning Star by which the blessed Day of God's great Salvation is known and experimentally witnessed by a Remnant Oh! how glorious is the appearance breaking forth of this heavenly Day in which the rising of the Son of Righteousness who is risen with Healing under his Wings many are come to behold how excellent is the Power Wisdom and Majesty of him who is greater than Solomon whose marvellous Order Magnificency and Splendor the Queen of Sheba from the uttermost parts of the Earth came to see who when she had heard and seen all that she desired yea to her Astonishment made this acknowledgment I believed not this Report until I had seen it with mine Eyes but lo the one half was not told me for thou hast more Wisdom and Prosperity than I have heard by Report 1 Kings 10.7 And many can now say that a Greater than Solomon is now come whose infinite Wisdom and Power whose excellent Glory and Majesty the Tongues of Men and Angels are incapable and insufficient to set forth who is filling his latter House with the Splendor of his own Glory for transcending and surpassing the Glory of the Outward Temple which was typical figurative of that which is not built with Hands and many Sons are coming from far and Daughters from the ends of the Earth to behold the Beauty and Comliness and Holy Order of the House of the God of Jacob which he is establishing atop of all the exalted Mountains and Professions without Possession and above all swelling Notions and Hills and Nations are flowing unto it according as the Lord spake by the Mouth of the Prophet Isa 2.2 Beautiful foâ—â—â—tuation is Mount Sion the Hill of God and it is now fulfilled in these latter days that many are come to say Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his Wayes and we will walk in his Pathes These are the true Jews in Spirit the Circumcised in Heart Ear whose Praise is of God and not of men such are the true Worshippers who worship the Father in the Spirit and in the Truth which is that living true and standing Worship set up and established above sixteen hundred years ago by our Lord and Saviour in that blessed Conference held with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's Well who hearing of the Disputes various Opinions about the Place where men ought to worship said Woman believe me The Hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem worship the Father for the Hour cometh and now is that the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him John 4.21 23. This Woman by this Converse with Christ being converted to the Faith in him went her way into the City and gave this Testimony of him Come see a Man says she that has told me all that ever I have done is not this the Christ And many of the Samaritans believ'd on him not only because of the saying of the Woman who told them That he had told her all that ever she had done but because of his own Word And we know say they that this is indeed the Christ Now these men were directed unto Christ by the Declaration or Preaching of a Woman who was not despised by them because of her Sex but they received her Invitation came to be made Believers in him who had told the Woman all that she had done and well were it for the People of this
word in season in the needful time But now has the Lord appear'd to comfort the Mourners in Sion and to give Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praises for the spirit of Heaviness Isa 61.3 Therefore lift up your Heads ye mournful Travailers who have been weeping as Rachel for her Children and refused to be comforted because they were not Jer. 31.15 For the Comforter is now come even the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth all those that are willing to follow him who saith I am come that you might have Life and that you might have it more abundantly John 10.10 and he will lead you by a Way you know not where you shall not Err. Life from God the Fountain of Life and Glory is now come and is entered into the Witnesses the Graves are opened the Dead is raised and they that hear his heavenly Voice their Souls live unto him This is the new Birth which the Apostle speaks of on this wise My little Children of whom I travail in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Galat 4.19 Here the Apostle travailed for the bringing forth of that holy Birth which is conceived by the holy Ghost and is born of the Water and of the Spirit and is made a new Creature in Christ for sayes he If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature But Nichodemus a Ruler of the Jews who came unto Jesus by Night reasoned carnally on this manner How can a Man be born which is Old can he enter again into his Mother's Womb and be born How ignorant was this Teacher of Israel concerning the Work of Regeneration it was a sealed Book and a Mystery unto him as it is to many Wise Professors and Night walking Nichodemus's of this Age who though they pretend to high things yet stumble at that which should open their Understandings and give them a true Discerning betwixt that which is born of the Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit but are yet in the dark and their Understandings vailed by reason of Sin and Transgression which stands as a Partition Wall unremoved and the old man with his Deeds not put off nor the new man the second Adam put on which bears the heavenly Image and being gone astray and alienated from the Life of God in themselves they become not acquainted with that which should work a Change in their Hearts not withstanding all their Profession of God and Christ in Words whilst in their Works they deny him Now the birth of the flesh is known by its fruits which is Envy Wrath Murder and Persecution of that Birth that is born after the Spirit hath been so even from Righteous Abel to this very day for Cain who was the first that was born of a Woman envyed his Brother Abel and slew him because his Brother's Sacrifice was accepted and his rejected whose innocent Blood from the Ground on which it was spilt cryed in the Ears of the Lord for Vengence as doth the Blood of the Innocent People of God this day cry unto him who will render Judgment and Vegeance upon the Enemies of his Righteous Seed and People who have sacrificed unto and worshipped the Lord their God according to his Commands and the Requirings of his holy Spirit in their Hearts And Ishmael the Son of the Bond Woman who was born after the Flesh and is in Bondage with her Children he was a Mocker and Mocked Isaac who was the true Seed and Heir of the Promise so all those now who are of Abraham's Faith are of the true Seed and inherit the Blessing and Kingdom prepared for them before the Foundation of the World And again you may read how Esau the first birth who was a prophane man and sold his Birth-right for one Morsel of Meat he set himself against Jacob the second Birth who was of the true Seed and righteous Line unto which the Promise and Blessings did descend and appertain So here people may see how that after man had transgressed and forsaken the Lord he fell short of the Blessings of God and in that state the first birth which was of the Earth earthly and sensual was rejected with its Offerings and Sacrifice so it is the second birth which is after the Spirit that obtains the Blessing And Haman an Informer against Mordecai was of this corrupt seed birth of the flesh whose Off-spring as well as himself has been persecuting the Members of the true Church Seed of God for these many hundred years unto this very time and all about Religion Sacrifice and Worship so that our Persecutors who have been rending and tearing like Dogs and Bears and persecuting people for their Non-conformity and different Perswasions about Religion may see their Off spring and who was their Captain and General in this wicked Work whose Spirit is alive though his Body be dead and it will deceive them in the end And Wo and Misery will be the Portion of all such if not prevented by timely Repentance at unawares when 't will be too late to call unto the Hills and to the Mountains to fall upon them and cover them from the Presence of the Lord and to hide them from his dreadful Majesty and fierce Indignation which is kindled against all the Enemies of his chosen People who are unto him as the Apple of his Eye and no Way will be found to escape his terrible Judgments For such as every one sows such must they reap and they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption but they that sow to the spirit shall of the spirit reap Life Everlasting Gal. 6.8 And if they who are and persist in Cain's nature and Esau's spirit seek a place of Repentance with Tears as they did they shall not find it but shall be like Cain who was a Fugative and a Vagabond in the Earth being driven out from the Presence of the Lord and said My Punishment is greater than I can bear Oh! that people would but consider what they are a doing and to whom they yield their Members Servants to obey and follow that Exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 6.13 Yield not your Members as Instruments of Unright cousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God for the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life Now this Gift of God is freely extended unto all Mankind in and by which he calls and excites to Purity and Holiness and to turn to him and forsake Sin which makes the Separation and to come out of Ungodliness and all Uncleanness The Call of the Lord has reached unto all but the Apostle saith Have they not all heard yes verily their sound went into all the Earth and their words to the end of the World Rom. 10.18 but all have not obeyed the Voice of the Lord. Oh! why will ye stand idle in the Market-place pleading for and contending about outward
Heart and said It is NOT in Heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall ascend to bring it from thence NEITHER is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say Who shall go over to fetch it us but the Word is very nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth for to do it Behold this day I have set before thee Life and Good Death and Evil Deuteronomy Chap. 30. Verse 12 13 14 15. From whence I conclude and am fully satisfied that Life and Good consists in and is obtained by hearkening unto and obeying that Word that is nigh in the Heart And on the contrary by sleighting and rejecting of it Death and Evil cometh upon the Souls of all those who running after Empty Words and after the Tree of Knowledge and come not to the Guidance of that Inward WORD in the Heart which is able to give them Acceptance with the Lord. For Without Faith viz. in this Word which purifies the Heart it is impossible to please God and by it we have Access unto him But a Dead Historical or Notional Faith will profit none But that which purifieth the Heart and worketh by Love and purgeth the Conscience from Dead Works of which Christ is the Author and Finisher too that only will profit And this True and Living Faith is known by the Blessed Effects and Works of it for as the Body without the Spirit is Dead so Faith without Works is Dead also James 2.26 And all those that are true Believers in Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World they come to find the Powerful Operation of this Faith in his Blood to cleanse and purifie them from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and hereby are made Vessels of Honour and fit Temples for the Lord to dwell in being sanctified through the Blood of Cleansing and Washed with pure Water and made clean thereby so that an Acceptable Sacrifice and a Pure Offering is offered up unto God from a clean Vessel which is a Sweet Savour unto him and well pleasing in his Sight and hereby we know that we are of God because we have Admittance into his Presence and free Access to the Throne of his Grace so that whatsoever we ask by Faith and in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ it is granted unto us And this Faith is the Gift of God and is received and witnessed in receiving Christ the true Light But they that deny the Light are Strangers to this Faith and so are ignorant of the Blood of Cleansing and of that which should reconcile them to God and discover unto them the Mysteries of his Kingdom But my true desire are that all who in any measure are stirred up and feel an inquiry and search begun in their Hearts after the Lord and the knowledge of his Way that such may receive the word of Truth into their Hearts and that it may be as Seed sown upon good Ground which takes Root downward and brings forth Fruit upward and an Heavenly increase to God and Satisfaction and Comfort to their Souls may be witnessed that all old things may be done away the old Heavens and the old Earth with the beggarly Elements and Rudiments of the World that the new Heavens and the new Earth may be known wherein dwells Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Oh! Prise the Day of your Visitation and let it not slip over your Heads unregarded lest it be said unto you as it was to Jerusalem of Old How often would I have gathered you as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings But ye would not Behold your Habitation shall be left unto you desolate Matth. 23.37 38. Now mark 't was not because they COULD not come unto Christ but because they WOULD not that they were left ungathered there was a Sensual and Corrupt Will in them that would not be subject to him that called them nor bow down their Necks to Christ's Yoke but Stiff-necked and Rebellious were they wherefore Christ withdrew himself and said unto them Henceforth ye shall not see me untill ye say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord vers 39. Now consider your Latter End and labour to make your Calling and Election sure that when you come to render a final Account of the Deeds done in the Body to the Great and Mighty Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose Tribunal Seat of Judgment All must appear you may receive the Sentence of PEACE and the Reward of WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD Oh! this will be a joyful Sentence and more Estimable than all the Glory of Egypt-or the Treasure of Ten Thousand Worlds where the Soul comes to possess an Everlasting Inheritance and a Crown of Life and Immortality among them that are sanctified where the Song of High Praises and Everlasting Halelujahs is sung to the God of their Salvation who hath wiped away all Tears from their Eyes and Sighing and Sorrow is fled away Which are the true Breathings of her who desires the Everlasting Well-being of the Souls of all People Isabel Yeamans Swarthmore the 2d Moneth 1679. THE END