THE TESTIMONY OF ABRAHAM FULLER, CONCERNING The Death of his Son JOSEPH.

SHEWING His Blessed Condition in the time of his Sickness, and when he was near his De­parture: How wonderfully the Lord did appear by his Spirit and Power, Revealing Himself in him (after Death had seised upon him) in a greater measure then Ever before.

Blessed are the Dead which Die in the Lord, Rev: 14:13

Printed in the Year, 1687

The Testimony of Abraham Fuller, &c.

THis Testimony i [...] to relate the dealings of the Lord. [...]f his Love and ten­der Mercy towards my youngest Son Jo­seph in the time of his Weakness; and some of the remarkable Words he uttered a pretty time before, and near, his Death, whereby it doth appear that the Lord had lighted his Candle And now it is before me, That it may be of service, to make known what the Lord hath done for this young Mans Soul, that so all who hear thereof both Young and Old, may wait, longing and breathing to feel the Lords ap­pearance in them; for which end I desire that what is here set forth may be Read in the Meetings of Friends, called Quakers, throughout all Ireland; and as Friends see meet they may spread it where it may do service.

DUring the time of about eleven Weeks, while my said Son Joseph was taking things to Cure him of his Distemper, the pre­ [...]ence of the Lord did often refresh him.

About eighteen days before his Death, I be­ing moved to supplicate the Lord by his Bed­side, [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2]the stream of Life did so flow in him, that just after he spoke several Words tending to praise the Lord for his Merciful Appearance in his Love unto his Soul.

About three days before his Death, upon a first day at night, I desired Relations which were in the House to sit down in Joseph's Room to wait upon the Lord; at which time of waiting (through the Lord's movings) some words were spoken; after which time, I ask'd him how he did, and whether it was not trouble­some, or hard to him to have sate so long? His Answer was, I bless the Lord for this opportunity.

One day before his Death in the Morning. his Brother Isaac's Wife, asked him, How he did? He said, Sister Jane, I had a wearisome Night; but I have had Joy in the presence of the Lord.

The next night following, between the se­cond and third hour, his Sister Jane watching with him, and finding him very weak; Sent one into the next room to call me up, and while I was putting on my Clothes, he was in great extremity of pain, Death seising upon him: And then all of a sudden, the Power o [...] the Lord wrought so in him that the Bed did shake under him, and he said, (as if he Sung) living Praises to the God of Heaven, and Hea­venly Halelujahs to the Lord, for thus breaking in upon me beyond Expectation; then he said to his Sister Jane, never since I was born such words came [Page 3]from me, this is of the Lord; He uttered more words, but she cannot plainly remember them.

When my Clothes were on, I came to his Bed-side, not knowing any thing of what was past just before, and after a while sitting near him, and speaking of the Lords dealings to­wards Me in my great Distemper, at that in­stant, when I thought I should have dyed, then he told Me, a little while a go, the Power of the Lord did run thorow me, from the sole of my Foot to the Crown of my Head: And further said, as followeth, It was as Marrow to my Bones, praised be the Lord for his Love and Mer­cy, which endureth for ever and evermore. These were his very Expressions, as near as can be re­membred.

Afterwards he said, Father, tell all my dear Brothers and Sisters to take their Minds from the things of the World, and have their Minds fixed upon the Lord.

His Brother Isaac being come near his Bed­side, he turned his Head towards him, and said, Dear Brother, that hears me there, set not thy Heart upon the things of this World, but mind the Lord; Isaac's Heart, being tendered, was weeping and mournign somewhat loud; he said to him, Do not take on too much, but mind the Lord.

The foregoing Exhortations, Relating to his Brothers and Sisters, he spoke in a fervent Zeal, [Page 4]as being constrained thereunto by the Power and Love of God in his Heart.

About the fourth hour, his eldest Sister, and his C [...]usen Sarah Fuller, coming to his Bed side, he kissed them a d bid them Farewell.

A li [...]tle w [...]ile after he t [...]k me by the hand very s [...]nsibly, and said Farewell, Farewell.

And a pretty while after, he said to his Sister Jane Dear Sister I love thee dearly well, I thought to have gone, when I bid you farewell (meaning her and me) but I shall not go yet: But that little strength the Lord hath given me, I know not how soon he may take it away, and he signified by words that he was ready.

Some time after he said, Sister Jane, long a dy­ing, because I die upwards: And at sundry times he signified by looking up and lifting up his hand, that he felt the presence of the Lord: And once he said, Do not bury me soon: And desired that Jane and I, should stay by him.

About a quarter of an hour before he drew his last breath, he said, Sister, see what hour it is, she said it was seven, then he asked her, lies my head right for dying, if it doth not lie right do thee lay it right; She told him, that it did lye right; And so he laid until he drew his last Breath, about a quarter p [...]st seven by the Watch in the morning, the seventeenth of the twelfth month (called) Fe­bruary, Anno 1686/7 being about 25 years of age.

And now Dear Friends; All you who are Pa­rents of Children, let us Reason a little; is there not sufficient Cause that we should be freely wil­ling to let the Lord take (if it be his heavenly will) that Child which he gave us? Can we beget life, or keep Life by our own Power? Which we know we cannot, ought we not then to submit, without murmuring, to the Will of that great and mighty Creator of Heaven and Earth, and all that is there­in, who gave us Life, and can take it away accor­ding to his Will? Can we procure spiritual Food to feed the Soul, or temporal food to feed the body by our own power? We know we cannot, ought we not then to commit our Children, & our selves also into the hand of the Lord, who can and doth in his tender Love, both feed the Soul and Body?

It is plain to be understood by the words of this dying young man, that the Lord from Heaven did feed his Soul with heavenly food, the bread of Life; so that there is no need to send for a mortal Priest to come to those, to whom, the immortal everlast­ing heavenly high Priest comes freely to nourish, strengthen, comfort, and consolate the Soul with his Living Presence, which far exceeds outward Bread and Wine, which the Earth produceth, pre­pared by Man, what-ever Man may call it, whe­ther the Real Presence, or the Communion; how­ever it is given and taken outwardly, and is visible to the outward Eye: But the Presence of the Lord which this young man felt was inward & invisible, [Page 6]and we need not doubt but what he felt was Real, & that for him the Heavenly Table was spread, the Bread broken and reacht forth to him, and that he did eat thereof & that the Cup of Blessing (which we bless) was given him, and that he d [...] Drink thereof, and that it was for this wonderful, invisi­ble hand [...]ngs forth that he praised the Lord.

The Psalmist saith in Psal. 104.15 that Wine maketh glad the heart of Man, and that bread strengthneth Man's heart: (Mark) when Death had seised upon this young Man, outward Bread and outward Wine could neither strengthen nor make glad his Heart; but the Bread which the Lord from Heaven gave him, strengthened his in­ward Man; and the Wine of the Kingdom made his Soul to rejoice, and caused [...]im [...]o sing Prai­ses unto the Lord; And when he related unto me, how wonderful the Lord had filled him with his Power, he said that it was as Marrow to his Bones.

By this it doth appear that the Lord doth re­veal himself now a days, as he did in the days of old, though some through unbelief say, that Re­velation is ceased. But blessed be the Lord, it is otherwise; for Christ said, No Man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Luk 10.22. And the Apostle Paul saith. When it pleased God, who separated me from my Mothers Womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son [Page 7]in me, &c. Gal 1.15.16. By these sayings, It is plain to be understood that the Son reveals the Father, and that the Father reveals the Son; so then if Revelation be ceased, none can know the Father nor the Son; but we know better things, and so did this young Man, to whom the Lord did appear, and made himself known, or revealed him­self in a greater measure (after Death had seised upon him) than he did before, beyond expectati­on breaking in upon him (so that the Bed did shake under him) by his mighty power which he felt within him, from the Sole of the Foot to the Crown of the Head, for which he praised the Lord.

When the Glory of the Lord, filled the House of the Lord, at the Dedication of the Temple, King Solomon praised the Lord, 1 King, 8.11.23.

When the Apostles waited at Jerusalem, for the promise of the Father; of a sudden there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty Wind, which filled all the House where they were sitting, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues of the wonderful works of God, which was to the praise of the Lord.

(Mark) it is even so now, as it was then, the appearance of the Lord in us worketh the same ef­fect in measure. When this young Man was so fil­led with the Power of God, there came such words from him (in praising the Lord openly) as never [Page 8]came from him since he was born, as he told his Sister Jane, and said, that it was of the Lord: It is to me, as if he would signifie that he knew not how to speak such words, but as the Lord put them into his Mouth.

Let none who reads this, think it strange that the Lord should fill our Bodies with his Glory! for the Apostle Paul saith, that our Bodies are the Temples of God, 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. & 6.19. 2 Cor. 6.16. which Temple ought not to be de­filed, that so we may not be unfit but sit Vessels for the Lords use, that the Lord may delight to fill us with his glorious power, when he sees meet to assure us that his Mercy, Love and Kindness, endures for ever to those that love him, and waits in the Faith for his appearance in them.

Let it be considered by every one, if it be not for want of truly waiting to receive from the hand of the Lord, that they do not receive, and for want of waiting for his appearance in them, that he doth not appear, and for want of waiting for the revelation of God, that he doth not reveal himself to them, the door of their Hearts, (thrô unbelief) being shut, when he knocks they do not open, but let him stand without. (Mark) when the Lord Jesus Christ did the outward Miracles in healing of those who had infirmities, and did believe that he could heal them, according to their Faith and Be­lief they were healed; and sometimes he said, Thy Faith hath made thee whole, and the infirmity was [Page 9]taken away; Is not this enough to perswade all who profess Christianity to wait in the Faith, to receive from the hand and by the power of God, all that they stand in need of both Spiritual and Temporal, inward & outward in the time of need, which is not hi [...] from him, who sees all, hears all, and knows all, though never so secret with man.

Now let us take notice what this wonderful ap­pearance of the Power of God in this dying young man brought forth, about an hour after he had o­penly sung Praises to the Lord, he left with me an Exhortation to his Brothers and Sisters, with such a fervent Zeal, that I am very sensible that he was constrained thereunto by the power of God; the Lord filling him with an overflowing stream of L [...]e and Love towards them, and in that he exhorted his Brother, (that came to his Bed-side) not to set his Heart upon the things of the World, but to mind the Lord. (Mark) During the time of his Weakness, he did not the like before, thô the Lords presence did often refresh him: But then, after the Lord had fitted him for that work, he did it, and his Brother was tendered, and both his Sister Jane, and my self were refreshed.

That which is ministred by the movings of the Spirit and Power of God, though it might come from one younger than he, it doth tender and re­fresh, and therefore it is not to be slighted or un­dervalued, nor to be spoken against, but ought to be wished for, that out of the Mouthes of Babes [Page 10]and Sucklings the Lord may have Praise: of such a Mind was that great Prophet the meek man Mo­ses, who when one brought word to him that El­dad and Medad did Prophesie in the Camp, and one would have had him to forbid them; he said, enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lords people were Prophets Numb. 11.29. This was the free Spirit in Moses; that Spirit will not limit the Ministry of the Gospel to the ordination of man. but leave that work to the Lords ordain­ing, as the Apostle Paul saith, the Gospel which was Preached of me, is not after Man, for I neither re­ceived it of Man, neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Gal. 1.11.12. And such do not Minister for any selfish by end, nor for hire or reward, but for the Glory of the Lord, to draw Men from the dark things of the World to God who is Light, which caused the Apostle Paul to say, Wo is me if I preach not the Gospel, 1 Cor. 4.16. He was a true Minister of Christ the word of God, and so are all those (according to their measures) who are constrained to Minister by the Life & Power of God, who worketh won­derfully according to his Will; and those who re­ceive this virtue from his free & liberal hand, they are stirred up by his Spirit and Power to give freely that which they have freely received.

And now what this dying young Man laid up­on me to tell his Brothers and Sisters, I am not on­ly willing to do that; but also give this forth in [Page 11]Print, and bestow the same freely to those who are willing to read it, desiring that all may lay to Heart that exhortation of this dying young man, and ac­cording to his words, to take their minds from the things of the World and have their minds fixed upon the Lord, that so when they die, they may die in the Lord, and be blessed.

Though there are but few words in that exhor­tation, yet it contains so much as the new Birth, without which (as Christ said unto Nicodemus) a man cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, John 3.5.

Therefore in true Love, my advice and Counsel is to all Friends, Children, and those who are new­ly convinced, & such as have been long convinced, & are not come so far as to feel & find their hearts, minds, and spirits changed and renewed by the spi­rit & power of God, which would cleanse, purifie, & sanctifie them throughout body, soul, & spirit.

See that not one of you take up a Rest or Sa­tisfaction in that you are the Children of the Pro­fessors of the Truth, and have been Educated in the way of Truth, and have all a-long come to Friends Meetings, or in that it is the very Truth which you do profess; but press forward to run the race of the Righteous, which is set before you, that you may obtain the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ: And in the humility of your Hearts, Minds & Spirits wait upon the Lord, earnestly desiring night and day that he may send into your Possession the Spirit of Truth, to lead [Page 12]you into all Truth out of untruth, from under the power of Satan unto the power of God; out of darkness into that marvellous Light which shines in the dark Heart, that your Candle may be lighted by the Lord, (according to David's Testimony, who said, thou wilt Light my Can­dle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness, Psal. 18.28.) that so you may become the Chil­dren of Light, Sons and Daughters begotten of God, (who is Light, and in whom is no Darkness at all, 1 John 1.5.) that you may be Holy (ac­cording to that saying of the Lord, be you Holy for I am Holy, 1 Pet. 1.15.16.) That your Heaven­ly Father may feed you day by day with Bread from Heaven to strengthen your inward Man, and give you the Wine of the Kingdom to make your Souls to rejoyce, that you may have full Assurance before you go hence; that the Lord in his Love and tender Mercy will receive your Souls, when the Soul returns to God from whom it came, and the Body returns to the Earth from whence it was taken. So desiring that the Grace of God may abound over all in you, and bring you into perfect Peace with the Prince of Peace, whose Love is universal to all the Sons and Daughters of Men, in which Love I remain a Friend to all Mankind.

The 24th Day of the first Month called March, 1686/7.
Abraham Fuller.

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