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Further Testimony to TRUTH,

Revived out of the

RUINS of the APOSTASY:

O R,

Several Things opened from the SPIRIT of TRUTH, touching the Way of Life and Salvation;

WHICH WILL

Reach to the Witness in the Hearts of those whofe Spirits are quickened, and whofe Ears and Understandings are opened by the Spirit and Power of the LORD.

Written in a deep Senfe, and tender Love,

By ISAAC PENINGTON.

Arife, bine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee. For behold, the darkness fhall cover the earth, and grofs darkness the people; but the Lord fhall arife upon thee, and his glory fhall be feen upon thee. And the Gentiles fhall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rifing. ISAI.,lx. 1, 2, 3.

O boufe of Jacob! come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. ISAI. ii. 5.

THE

PREFACE.

H! how excellent and precious is the name of the Lord, in this our day, among his people, whom he hath gathered out of the worldly. fpirit unto himself, and whom he mightily defendeth in that wherein he hath gathered them! Infomuch as it may now be faid inwardly, as it was of old outwardly, PSAL. lxxvi. "In Judah is God known; his name is

great in Ifrael. In Salem alfo is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place "in Sion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the fhield, and the "fword, and the battle, Selah." Oh! what mighty things hath the Lord God done in and for the fpirits of his people! How hath he scattered the darkness from about them, broke the chains which held them in captivity! How hath he risen up against all the enemies of their fouls, discovered their fnares, fnapped in funder the weapons of war, which the fpirit of darkness hath formed and lifted up against them! And how hath he preferved them in life, in peace, in purity, in holiness, in his power and dominion (over that fpirit and the devices thereof) to this very day! He lives and reigns in power over all; and because he lives, we live allo; and because he reigns, thofe that are in his life and Spirit partake of his holy reign and dominion (over fin, hell, death, and the powers of darkness) with him. Lo! this is our God; this is he whom we have fought after, and waited for; and now his power is made manifeft, now his righteoufnefs and falvation is revealed, how can our fouls but be glad and rejoice therein! Yea, how can we conceal the good tidings of the day of our God, and of the gofpel of his falvation, which hath arifen and broke in upon us! How can we but defire to awaken the minds of men out of their fleep, and call upon them to shake off the drowfinefs and blackness of the night, and to lift up their eyes towards the hill and mountain of God's holiness, that they alfo may behold the beauty of his day in others, and wait for the fpringing of his life and glory in themselves!

Now there is fomewhat revealed of God, of his own nature, power, and Spirit, wherein we have met with him. To this we invite, of this we fpeak, concerning this we teftify, as being that which the Father will honour, and wherein he hath and will appear. It is a poor, weak, low thing to confider of, or behold with the eye and understanding of man; but there

is the riches, the glory, the life, the righteousness, the peace, the joy, the everlasting power of the kingdom in it; and to them that receive it in the demonftration of God's Spirit, and in the love of it, it is the wisdom of God and his power to the redemption and falvation of their fouls. Indeed of all the wife builders (out of the true fenfe and power) it is rejected at this day, as it always was of old; but to us who are called of God, taught by him, who have received an understanding from him, &c. we know the value of that which comes from him, being inftructed by him not to judge according to the appearance, but to judge the righteous judgment; and in the righteous judgment, in the balance of the fanctuary, we find this little defpifed light to be elect and precious, even the foundation-stone, the corner-stone, and the top-stone of the building of God. And this we testify to men in true love, and from certain knowledge and experience which we have received from him that is true, and hold in him that is

true.

Now this precious pearl (of which we teftify) lies hid deep within; and thither must men come to know it, to purchase it, to poffefs it; and thither it is the defire of our hearts to bring men. Nor do we open the things of God before men to this end, that they might get a knowledge thereof into their brains, and feed on it there; but through tender love we bring these things a little into the very view of men (as the Lord enables us); not that they might stick there, but that having a tafte of the excellency and beauty of truth, they might be inflamed (with defires after it) to travel thither, where it is to be had. Therefore dwell not in the notion, delight not in the outward knowledge of the thing itself (though the knowledge be ever fo sweet, pleafing, fatisfactory, and demonftrative to the mind); but come to the everlasting fpring. Feel the measure of life in thy particular, and that will lead thee to the fpring of life, from whence the measure comes as a gift from the Father to thee, to bring thee to the Father. And fingly for this end have I been drawn to write what follows, in fervice to the Lord, in faithfulness to him, in dear love to the fouls of men, efpecially of those who have formerly been travellers, and have felt fomewhat of the Lord, and yet retain defires and breathings in their hearts after him. Oh! that the Lord would touch their fpirits, difcover to them the way everlasting, and lead them therein to do that which their fouls darkly defire and feek after; to which there is no other way than that which hath been from the beginning, only there have been various difcoveries and manifeftations of the one way! But what greater discovery can there be than of the thing or feed itself, which the Lord hath been pleased to make manifeft in this day of his glorious mercy, love, and power, whereof he hath raised up many witneffes, whom he hath enabled (by his Spirit and power) to give a living, clear, certain teftimony to? Happy is the ear that hears! for that also must be of God, as the meffage and meffengers are known to be.

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A FURTHER

TESTIMONY to TRUTH.

Some QUERIES concerning CHRIST's Righteousness, how it justifieth. Whether as inwardly revealed and dwelling in the Heart, or only as imputed, or both.

Query 1.

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S not Chrift the righteousness and juftification of the soul with God? Is not he made of God unto us righteousness, and are not we made the righteoufnefs of God in him? How is this done? Is it not by being ingrafted into him, covered with him? Is this a meer imputation? or is it not rather a bringing the foul into the thing itself, and a drawing his nature, life, and Spirit over the foul, which was and is always righteous in itself, and fo accounted with God? And he that is found in him, cloathed with him, emptied of himself, and filled with him, is he not really righteous in the fight of God?

Query 2. Is not the principle of life, which is from Chrift, of the fame nature with Chrift? is not it alfo holy and righteous? yea, is not Chrift the fullness in it? And he that receiveth this principle, doth he not receive life, receive Chrift, receive righteoufnefs? Can the righteoufnefs of Chrift be feparated from the feed of his life, nature, and Spirit? Can a man deny himself, go out of himself, give up to that, and be found in that, and not found in the righteoufnefs? or can a man come to righteoufnefs by imputation without that?

Query 3. This principle or feed of life being from Chrift, of Chrift, and one with Chrift in nature, though not of the fame ftature and fullness, yet hath it not the property and virtue of all that is of Chrift in it? Do not all the promises belong to this feed, and go along with this feed? Doth not all that is good in man fpring up from this feed? He that receives this, doth he not receive that which is righteous, and which makes him righteous, fo far as he is of it, and in it? yea, the facrifice of Chrift in the flesh, the virtue thereof, the forgiveness of the Father for the fake of his Son; doth it not go along with this? and is it not accepted for that man who

is found here, and his iniquities (which he committed formerly) freely forgiven him for his name's fake? Yea, are not his fins afterwards alfo blotted out upon the fame terms, he returning to this, abiding in this, and being found in this, and wherein the remiffion of fin, and the power against fin, is alone to be felt and received for ever? So here is the imputation in its right place, and the right ufe and pleading of the facrifice of the Son, which here (in this its proper place, and in this ftate) prevails with God, and not otherwife. For the kingdom, the righteoufnefs, the peace, the joy, the power thereof, &c. is placed by God in this feed, which is as a grain of mustard feed: and he that ever finds it, must fo find it; and he that ever joins to it, must so join to it; and he that ever receiveth it aright, must so receive it.

Query 4. Is not he that is born of God, new created in Chrift Jefus? and is not the new creature and new creation righteous in the fight of God? When Adam was created at first, he was created in God's image; and was not that image righteous, and he righteous in that image? And when man is regenerated, renewed, brought again into the image, is not the image again holy and righteous, and he in the image?

Query 5. Is not faith the gift of God? And is it not holy, spiritual, and righteous in its own nature, and in the creature to whom it is given? And being given to the creature, is it not owned by God as fuch, and fo juftified in the creature? Is not the faith which is of God, as righteous as the unbelief from the root of bitterness is unrighteous? And doth not God own and juftify that as righteous, as well as condemn and reject the other as unrighteous?

Query 6. Is not the obedience of the foul in Chrift, and from the principle of his life in the foul, and through his Spirit, righteous? nay, as righteous and juftifiable in the fight of God, as the difobedience of the first nature is unrighteous ?

Query 7. Are not all the works which are wrought in God, righteous ? and doth not he that doth truth, bring them to the light, that it may. be made manifest that they are wrought in God (John iii. 21.) Now there is no condemnation, but justification, to the deeds that are wrought in God; as there is no juftification, but condemnation, to the works that are wrought out of him.

So that here now he that is indeed of God, he that is new created in Chrift Jefus, he knows the Father and fountain of righteousness, the Son of righteousness, the righteous feed, the righteous faith and obedience of the feed, and the works which are wrought by the power and in the Spirit, which being brought to the true light, are always juftified by it.

Concerning