Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A46704
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A lively testimony to the living truth given forth by Robert Jeckell upon his death-bed in the presence of many eye and ear witnesses whose names are subscribed.
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Jeckell, Robert, d. 1676.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing J514; ESTC R26822
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3,700
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10
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A LIVELY TESTIMONY TO THE Living Truth Given forth by Robert Jeckell upon his Death-bed In the presence of many eye and ear Witnesses whose names are subscribed Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord c. London Printed in the year 1676. A Relation of Robert Jeckells Death and his Testimony for Truth before his Departure RObert Jeckell of New-Castle upon Tine having a desire to come to Swarthmoore began his Journey in company with several other Friends and began to be sick the same day that he came from home and was sick at several places by the way But still pressed forward to his Journeys end and would not be satisfied to stay short of Swarthmoore where he came the 2d of the 5th month 1676. and went to his Bed presently after he came in where he lay sick 9 days and then dyed upon the 11th of the same month and made a Comfortable end being all the time of his Sickness in perfect sense and memory as may be seen by the following words which were spoken by him a little before his Death Two days before his Death he said Well Friends it 's the belief of my heart that the Lord will raise me up to bear a faithfull Testimony for God and his Truth In the Evening before his Departure when Friends stood about him expecting him to give up according to the belief of his heart he was raised up by the power of the Lord and spake with an audible voice as followeth No separation like unto this Soul separated from the Body the Spirit returning to God that gave it and the Body to the Earth from whence it came For great has the loving kindness of the Lord been unto me not unto me only but unto you all my dear Friends who are faithfull unto Death I can speak it to his praise and unto his glory for evermore and in it can bid you everlastingly farewell I have always been faithfull to the Truth as to what was manifested for God hath loved me from a Child And he said spreading out his arms Oh the blessed precious Truth is above all the World and this is my living Testimony I have to bear for the Lord and his Truth For always I loved Truth and preferred it before all the World for Truth is precious and to be valued before all things below it Therefore oh dear Friends prize Truth this precious Truth for it lives for ever Let nothing divert your minds from that sence of Truth you have for as that is kept too Truth answers Truth in every heart As to the principle of Truth it will reign over all though strange things may happen in this Nation yet the Lord will crown his blessed Truth and his Glory over all Therefore all my dear Friends be faithfull to that manifestation in your own particulars for a Profession will stand none in stead unless they live in the life and power thereof for this is an everlasting Truth that will live for ever all that feel Gods love let them prize it for it is better then words And it was the desire of my heart to come and visit my dear Friend Geo. Fox and I am very well satisfied therein and it was the travail of my soul a long time before I came and now I am come to give up all and herein I am fully satisfied At another time he said Though I was perswaded to stay by the way before I came to this place yet this was the place where I would have been and the place where I should have been whether I live or die And dear George I can add nothing unto thee for thou want'st nothtng of the good Spirit for thou art in God and God in thee but let us give all the praise and the glory to God but I pray unto God that he may preserve thee from all evil spirits Another time G. F. spoke to him and said he might offer up his Spirit and Soul to the Lord who gives breath and life to all and takes it again and he lifted up his hands and said The Lord is worthy of it and I have done it G. F. asked him if he could say Thy will O God be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And he lifted up his hands and eyes and chearfully said he did it And he said he had been faithfull in a Profession to what he knew untill the manifestation of the Truth broke forth And his mouth was often filled with praises to the Lord and said though he had had multitude of business yet the Lord had carried him over all And dear Friends dwell in love and unity together and keep out of all jarrs strife and contention for the Enemy lies near to draw out And if you be divided one against another then you will come to a loss Profession will stand none in stead for alas any may make a Profession but it 's those that live the life of Truth and dwell in the obedience of it that obtains the Crown For alas a silly woman may say Lord Lord help me when the ditch is before her but the Lord doth not bid her fall into it but there is that near that will manifest and open the eye and preserve out of it That Living principle of Truth which will preserve all that dwell in it And Friends be sure to continue faithfull unto the end and be not weary in well-doing for that is a good testimony they that continue faithfull unto the end shall be saved At another time he said all deceit and fraud will come to nothing I am an innocent man and clear of all men upon the face of the Earth If there be any bad Spirits that under a pretence makes a Profession of Truth do take occasion to speak evil of me when I am gone you are Living Witnesses and can bear a Living Testimony speaking to Bridget Pindar and Elizabeth Hopper that I am an Innocent man and that the Lord hath cleared me and I lie down my head in peace And Bridget and Elizabeth you are my Neighbours As to my dear Wife I give her freely up to the Lord for she loved the Lord and he will love her and I desire she may be kept faithfull to the Truth in all things and that you may advise her and be assistant to her 〈◊〉 what you can And I have often told my dear Wife 〈◊〉 what we have in outward things it was the Lords first before it was ours and in that I desire that she may serve the Truth to the end of her days And I desire those Friends whom I have intrusted in my Will naming them all to see my Will truly performed and to be faithfull to their Trust that so they may discharge a good Conscience in the sight of the Lord And that they may see all things cleared and discharged for I am well able to discharge those things And now my dear Friends in the everlasting power of God I commit you all to the Lord to be preserved and kept in his everlasting power and bid you all everlastingly yea everlastingly farewell All is done And to the Lord I leave you all unto him I commit you all Farewell Let me go hence in peace for I shall go hence and be no more seen in mutability About two hours before he died G. F. took him by the hand and asked him if he was satisfied of his seeing him And he lifted up his eyes and with a gladness of heart and smilingly he praised the Lord And said that his Comfort flowed in as a floud And G. F. asked him what he said And he spoke those words over again And G. F. said unto him thy everlasting peace and rest is in Christ that bruises the head of the Serpent who is over all from Everlasting to Everlasting who is the Everlasting food of Life for thy Soul and Spirit and in him thou wilt lay down thy head in peace who is the Crown of life And many other words he spoke to G. F. and G. F. to him which would be too large to mention These words before written were spoken in the hearing of these witnesses and several others Isabell Yeamans Bridget Pinder Elizabeth Hopper Sarah Fell. Susanna Fell. Rachel Fell. Agnes Ormandy Edw. Brathwaite Edw. Haistwhittle ANd also dear Friends this lives in our hearts as a Testimony concerning our dear Friend Robert Jeckell that Gods power was with him and his presence did attend him in much patience the Lord preserved him in the time of his Sickness from day to day and he was in perfect sence and memory all the time of his weakness he often saying to us Dear Friends give me up and weep not for me but be willing to bear a part with me for I am content with the Lords doings and leave me not till you have seen all finished concerning me which he has done to the praise of the Lord and to the great comfort and refreshment of our immortal Souls And he often declared That he had no pain but that he saw how he went away by little and little always lifting up his hands while he had strength praising the Lord. And this is our Testimony that he is entred into the everlasting fulness of Joy where there is pleasures for evermore For at the time of his Departure Gods heavenly power did fill our hearts to our great peace and satisfaction Insomuch that we can say Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they shall be had in everlasting remembrance for the Lord sealed it upon our hearts at the time of his separation that he had received â—is own with increase Praises be to the Lord for ever who hath been our support and borne us up in this our great Exercise so that we can give encouragement to all that may meet with the like tryal not to be bowed down under any Exercise which the Lord may call unto nor let it into their heart to question why the Lord doth it for he is able to sanctifie every Exercise and to make all things easie to them that love and fear his name to whom be the glory of all for evermore Swarthmore in Lancashire 14 d. 5 mo 1676. Bridget Pinder Elizabeth Hopper