An Invitation of Love to All Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness, Title page – To the reader
AN INVITATION OF LOVE To all who Hunger and Thirſt after Righteouſneſs, to come and take of the Water of Life freely without Money and without Price.
With a Word of Advice to ſuch as are Asking the WAY to SION (and are Weeping) with their Faces thither-ward.
Together with A faithful Warning to the Inhabitants of BABYLON, to come out of her, leſt (partaking of her Sins) ye alſo come to partake of her Plagues.
By Iſabel Yeamens.
And I heard a Voice from Heaven, ſaying, Come out of her my People, that ye be not Partakers of her Sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues,
Rom. 18.4.
Printed in the Year 1679.
TO THE READER
Friendly Reader;
WHen in the weighty and deep Meditations of my Heart I beheld the States and Conditions of ſuch as are inquiring the Way to Sion, and have ſome tender deſires begotten in them after the Lord, and the Knowledge of his Way; my Life was abundantly drawn forth in the Love of God, with living breathings unto him (in whom all Fulneſs dwells) that of the Manifeſtation and free Diſpenſations of his Love & Life all ſuch may come to feel and receive, and to take heed of ſleighting the Day of their tender Viſitation, whilſt the Lord ſecretly calls unto them by his good Spirit in their Boſoms, leſt the Night overtake them, wherein no man can work.
And in the Senſe of the Univerſal Love of God extended unto All Mankind, I was conſtrained in my Spirit to commit theſe following lines to publick view, as finding my Burden unremoved until I was made willing to communicate the ſame, which I have done with as much brevity as I could with clearneſs, hoping the ponderous Reader, and ſuch whom it chiefly concerns, may not be diſtaſted at the ſimplicity of the Srile, or my want of Eloquence in expreſſing my ſelf in things of this nature, having herein hinted at divers things which I have experienced through the free Love of God to my Soul, which ſeeming but little and low things, yet may not miſs of ſome ſervice for the ſtirring up of the ſimple-minded, to make a diligent ſearch how the Caſe ſtands betwixt God and their Immortal Souls, who thereby coming to ſee their Conditions, and their Neglect and Diſobedience, in not anſwering the Lord's Requirings, according to the Manifeſtations and divine Diſcoveries of his Light and Grace in their Hearts, may come to redeem their Miſſpent Time (which is irrevocable) and take up a Holy Reſolution, by the Aſſiſtance of the Grace of God to redeem their Time to come, by a Godly, Righteous and Sober Converſation, in the Fear of the Lord, and by taking heed to this pure Principle of Light, and Life, may come to be enabled thereby to perform that Duty and acceptable Service which the Lord requires of them, and receive the Reward of the Profitable and Obedient Servant, is the Deſire of my Soul.
And that none may ſleight the Day of ſmall things, but be faithful to what little meaſure the Lord commits to them, and thereby to become worthy of more.
So not deſirous to be tedious, or to undertake great things, I recommend the Reader to the following Lines, whoſe Mind I deſire may be poſſeſſed with ſeriouſneſs, and with the Fear of the Lord, when exerciſed in reading of things relating to Eternity; ſo ſhall ſuch reap Benefit hereby, and anſwer the End of my Labours and Travails, which is the Well-being of their IMMORTAL SOULS.
This is chiefly intended for the Northern Parts of this Nation, where many are thirſting afreſh after the Truth, although ignorant of it; and that ſuch may be informed of the Way thereto, and reap Everlaſting Life by it, is my Soul's Deſire.
Iſabell Yeamans.