THE SPOVSE Rejoycing over ANTICHRIST, And triumphing over the DEVILL, In the Day of the Lord, when God alone ſhal bee EXALTED.
Written in the day and yeer, when the world is running beſides it ſelf, crying out againſt truth, in the hearing of truth; this mad world is beſide it ſelf, perſecuting thoſe which deſire not to meddle with the world: I have found it, that the world cannot indure light, my experience makes it manifeſt.
Written by JAMES MICHEL,
Who have been lately accuſed for blaſphemy in the words which is Scripture; they ſay that this is blaſphemy which the Scripture ſaith, My God, my God is a conſuming fire, and everlasting burning: to this I ſhal reſt to the proceeding further in the BOOK.
London, Printed, and are to be ſold in Cannons ſtreet, neer London-ſtone. 1654.
A Meſſage to the world, which the world loves not, but rather is reviling againſt, the meſſinger which to me brings glad tydings, and therefore they are crying out againſt me, and accuſing me for putting times to the ſongs in my Book, entituled, the ſinging of Praiſes but now the cauſe of their malice againſt me, or perſecuting of me, therefore I ſhal ceaſe from that work of vanity, as they cal it, but rather pleaſe a fool in his folly; ſo at this time J am taken up in earneſt occaſion, that time wil not permit any longer to give babes meat, but rather ſhould feed them with milk, and give meat to ſtronger men, who is able to bear meat. But at this time J am called upon, or elſe I ſhould ſpeak a word or two to the Babes and ſucklings of the world, that cry blaſphemy, and know it not; they accuſe me for not ſetting my name to my book of Songs, which is entituled, the ſinging of Praiſes, and many ſuch falſe accuſations they have raiſed upon me for blaſphemy touching my life, but for my part. J do not wrong none of them all, neither did I ever blaſpheme, never in my life, but as they do accuſe me for not ſetting my name to my Book of Songs, I have proved them lyars, and I am not aſhamed of my name, I ſet my name to that book three times, and I would have them underſtand themſelves, nor miſtake me, and ſo I ſhal conclude this, which is Written by James Michel.
THat he that rejoyceth in the Lord, doth truly ſerve the Lord, for the Spouſe when they rejoyce it is in the knowledge that they received of the Lord glorifying the eternal God; for thoſe that glorifie the eternal God, doe truly ſerve God; but the property of meaning, which the Scripture holds forth, that the true ſervice in the ſerving of God is the Spouſe with•eſus Chriſt, rejoycing in the Lord to the excellency of the moſt high God: in that true ſorvice when they ſerve God royally and truly in the ſincerity of the heart, they may ſafely rejoice over Antichriſt, and may truly and freely triumph over the Devil, over Death, over Hel, and over Damnation. And this the Spouſe and thoſe that do truly ſerve the Lord, may rejoyce over theſe things, and ſay, O death where is thy ſting! O grave where is thy victory! for thoſe that know the moſt high God, will, glorifie that true God the Lord of beaven and earth, that mighty King of Iſrael whoſe name is glorious; Then you need not ſtand in fear of this Devil, Hell, death or damnation, but may ſing all honour glory and praiſe be given to the eternal God, the Lord of beſt that is his name, this Lord knows what my will is, that I may freely ſay as the ſpouſe ſaith, that I will ſerve the Lord before the face of his enemies, and by the love of the everlaſting God and his glorious power, if wee truly ſerve him we may truly rejoyce in him, and ſing with him, triumph with him over his enemies in ſpight of the Devils face; and in this ſervice of the Lord, as wee finde his love manifeſted to us, ſo he will ſpeak in us freely above tribulation, ſinging peace with him, and living in reſt, ſo we ſhal according at hee makes himſelf manifeſt to us, we ſhall ſay, then Devil do thy worſt, for we know our God is an everlaſting God, who will bear us on with love, and carry us from all our enemies that do oppoſe the Lord Ieſus, ſo we ſhall freely be carried forth of trouble, and live in ſilence for ever, and ſo I conclude,
Some certain miſtakes are paſt in theſe verſes, concluded as an error for haſt, but it may be excuſed.
A Vindication or the verſes following, whereby no man may be trubled at theſe verſes, for he that is troubled wich theſe verſes knows not what he is troubled at for men knowing not the things of the Lord Ieſus, therefore they are troubled to hear them, but indeed they need not be troubled at the things o•God, for mine own part I am not aſhamed of them, but am free to declare them as they are declared in me, for indeed it is thus, men knowing not that the Lord Ie•us is within them, they uſe a forme of praying for him, which the Scripture makes manifeſt and reſtiſies that all men are wicked; and as the Scrio ure ſaith, that the prayers of the wicked are abomination before the face of the Lord, for no man can pray righteouſly, but the prayers of the righteous prevail much, there is no man righteous, no not one,18 neither can one do good, but that good which is done, is done by the righteous man the Lord Jeſus, and therefore I do hold it plainly, that mans prayers cannot prevail any thing of good, for if a mans prayers were good, then he might prevail much by prayer, but they vaniſh away like a ſhadow, not acting the things which are Royal and truth, therefore according to theſe verſes following, it is plainly to be ſeen what mens prayers are, they are but earth, therefore they need not pray as they do, for they pray for the Lord Ieſus, but they have him already, but in this they crucifie the Lord of life, becauſe they ſee him not; and this earth exalting himſelf ſomthing to be, and all mens prayers are not in force not yet in power, for if they were faithful men, when they pray for rain they ſhould have it, or if they did pray for water to be turned into wine it ſhould be ſo, but indeed their prayers as the Sripture ſaith are abomination before the face of the Lord, whereby reaſon proves it is nothing but earth and from whence they came thither they ſhall return; from the earth they came, and to the earth they ſhall return again: Therefore I declare this unto you, not to read theſe lines in wrath, but read them in love. And ſo I reſt in love at this time.
Dear friends this is to let you underſtand, the paſſages I have ſeen in ſome travels, the cruelty of men one towards another, for as J paſſ•d along the Highway, J ſee ſome gallants habited inclothing l•ke unto Gentlemen, which were uſing violence againſt the poor, taking their eſtates from them, and this cruelly abuſing of them, and robbing them of that which was free for their uſe, and this J ſee as J travel until I come to my iourneys end, for J have a long Journey to go, as it is20 declared by men, for they ſay it is a great way to Herven, but ſtil I am travelling on the road till come thither, but when I com thither, there I ſhal find•eare and reſt but none I do••nde here amongſt men, for they are apt to backbite one another, even as they have done me•lredy, indeed if a man peaks what he knows at that they wil be troubled, but touch a gauld horſe on the back and indeed he will ſoon kick, as alſo theſe verſes that follow, do touch the thieves and robbers, but many others may ſeem to take exception, but they need not do it for any thing I know (but if any man be troubled any thing which is written in this Book) be my be guilty of the ſame action of robbing, but if he be guilty he needs no accuſer but his own conſcience, for if he is guilty his conſcience will fly in his face, and bare witneſs againſt him, and therfore he may ſeem to cry out againſt theſe veaſes; who ever are troubled at them, will make themſelves guilty of that fact of robbing but I ſhould very gladly ſee men turn from their darkn•ſs unto light, and live in true love, ſo turn from their wickedneſs and live.
Who is not aſhamed to declare the truth of the paſſages which he hath ſeen and do lee, ſo that men may forſake theit cruelty one towards another, and love one another in truth and reallity and ſincerely by the bottom of his heart, and to the heighth and depth of his ſoul to the utmoſt thereof.
Dear hearts, I ſhal let you underſtand in few words, that the fifth ſong in the book, entituled, the ſinging of praiſes, was a miſtake in the printing, and therefore I thought good to put it in print again, with ſome addition to it; and in the 22 ſong, in that book of the ſinging of praiſes, it was not all printed, for the printer had le•t out•alf of it, whereby many at it are troubled, but let them know what they are troubled at, and ſo let them ſit down in peace,
Indeed I am cauſed to write again concerning theſe verſes in this Book which many already have been troubled at, for I know they are a ſtumbling block to the ſtumbler, which is the world, for indeed they do not go as the world would have them to go, but as their cuſtoms is to have verſe to every ones minde, which theſe are contrary to moſt mens mindes, but they are choſen out from their hearts to ly in their way to ſtumble at, who are ready to cath a fall at them, becauſe they are not one with them to their apprehenſion; indeed I do verily beleeve, as to them, they are no verſe, for thoſe that do not enioy them nor live in the ſame light that they are in, cannot make verſe of them but rather would be troubled at them, and cry out againſt the Author of them, and ſo I ſhal leave them to ſerious conſideration for a cherritable Judgment of them and ſo conclude.
To me this is a true return, out of Aegypt into Canaan, out of trouble into peace, out of darkneſs into light, and out of hel into heaven, and out of ſorrow into joy, and out of torments into reſt, for peace is my ſalvation,
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A89119)
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