________________________________
Cantic. 4.16. Awake, O North Wind, and come thou South, blow upon my Garden, that the Spices may flow out: let by Beloved come into his Garden, and eat his pleasant Fruits.
Chap.6.2. My Beloved is gone down into his Garden to the Beds of Spices, to feed in the Gardens, and to gather Lillies.
__________________
A Bundle of Revelations Untied
Journal Entries from 1670 through 1676
Divine Openings and Revelations since the Year MDCLXX. The First Vision that appeared to me was in the Month of April, 1670.
Which was on this wise;BEING my lot at that time to visit a Friend in a solitary Country-place where I had great advantage of Retirement, often frequenting lonely Walks in a Grove or Wood, contemplating the happy State of the Angelical World and how desirous I was to have my Conversation there, my thoughts were much exercised upon Solomon’s Choice which was to find out the Noble Stone of Divine Wisdom for by acquainting my self with her, all desirable good in Spiritual things would meet upon me. The Report and Fame that Solomon gave of Wisdom did much excite me to seek her Favour and Friendship, demurring in my self from whence she was descended and still questioning whether she was a distinct Being from the Deity or no. While in this debate within my Mind, there came upon me an overshadowing bright Cloud and in the midst of it the Figure of a Woman, most richly adorned with transparent Gold, her hair hanging down and her Face as the terrible Crystal for brightness, but her Countenance was sweet and mild.
At this sight, I was somewhat amazed but immediately this Voice came, saying, "Behold, I am God’s Eternal Virgin-Wisdom whom thou hast been enquiring after; I am to unseal the Treasures of God’s deep Wisdom unto thee and will be as Rebecca was unto Jacob, a true Natural Mother; for out of my Womb thou shalt be brought forth after the manner of a Spirit, Conceived and Born again: this thou shalt know by a New Motion of Life stirring and giving a restlessness till Wisdom be born within the inward parts of thy Soul. Now consider of my Saying till I return to thee again."
This Vision took great Impression on me, yet I kept it for the present hid. But it operated so much upon me that indeed I was incapable to converse with any Mortals, which was taken notice of that some extraordinary thing had happened; for the which I begged my Friends excuse and desired that she would give me the liberty to be much alone and to walk in the silent Woods where I might contemplate what had so lately happened. Now after three days sitting under a Tree, the same Figure in greater Glory did appear with a Crown upon her Head, full of Majesty saying, "Behold me as thy Mother, and know thou art to enter into Covenant to obey the New Creation-Laws that shall be revealed unto thee."
Then did she hold out a Golden Book with three Seals upon it, saying, "Herein lieth hidden the deep Wonders of Jehovah’s Wisdom which hath been sealed up that none could or ever shall break up but such as of her Virgin-Offspring shall appear to be; who will her Laws receive and keep as they shall spring daily in the New Heart and Mind." This Appearance and Words was wonderfully sweet and refreshing in my Soul; at which I bowed and prostrated at her Feet, promising to be obedient to all her Laws. So the Vision shut up for that time.
Pondering this in my Heart with great comfort that this Day-star had visited me from on high, I returned to London to my own Habitation, retiring myself from all my Acquaintance, saving one Person that was highly Illuminated who encouraged me still to wait upon this Vision for he was acquainted with somewhat of this kind. So after six days the Vision appear’d again, with a Train of Virgin-Spirits and with an Angelical Host; and called to me to come and see the Virgin Queen with her first-born Children; asking me Whether I was willing to be joined amongst this Virgin Company? At which I replied, All willing to offer up myself most free:
Then immediately I was encompasss’d about with this Heavenly Host, and made a Spirit of Light. These Words from the Virgin then proceeded, saying, "I shall now cease to appear in a Visible Figure unto thee, but I will not fail to transfigure myself in thy mind; and there open the Spring of Wisdom and Understanding that so thou mayest come to know the only True God in and by the formation of Christ, the anointed Prophet in thee; that shall reveal great and wonderful things unto thee that are to be made known and publick, in its time and day:
"Therefore, be watchful, and to thy Mother Wisdom’s Counsel give good heed and thou shalt greatly prosper and succeed the Prophets and Apostles to perfect what was left behind for completing as to Christ the Fulness of God’s great Mystery: So go on, and nothing fear or doubt; for I thy Glass for Divine Seeing shall evermore stand before thee." Then my Spirit replied, According to thy Word let all this be fulfilled. And so this Glory withdrew; but an inward Glory did my Heart fill, for a burning Love to all of those Heavenly Beings did kindle within my Heart vehemently.
In the Month of August
[Margin Note: This having been found without any Date of the Year and the Author, having forgotten when it was, cannot find any one that more
nearly succeeds the foregoing one.]THE Mind of Wisdom thus opened itself in me. As I waited in my Spirit upon her, she did shew me what Key would open the Great Mystery which lay deeply hid in m self. It was wrought and carved out of such pure Gold as had passed through many Fires; many Keys I had tried but would not turn in this secret enclosed Lock. But still it shut upon me, though I thought I had that Key which was compounded of such Metals as would have made its entrance such as Love, Faith, Patience, Humility which, with strong Supplication and Prayer, I presented as the Key of the work. All were too short to reach it. Whereupon I was put to a loss altogether to seek how this Gate should be opened, having compassed the Holy City and waited and tried every way where I might find passage.
Circling from one Path to another, from Prayer to Prayer, and from Faith to Faith, in good earnest I began to consider I had not found this wonderful Key for want of which I might run out in waste all my days and grope as in the dark, yet never find the Door which opens into my true Shepherd’s Fold. Whereupon, being cast into a deep astonishing silence and stillness, the Word of Wisdom thus opened it elf unto me: "Oh thou deep searching Spirit, marvel not thou hast been so long frustrated; for as to thy present state and dispensation, thou couldst never reach me to all Eternity for my Birth in thee lies deeper than thy present Gift of Faith and Prayer can open. Thou hast with many others been in a great mistake.
"But in as much as thou ownest and bewailest thy unskillfulness, I will make known to thee what Key will turn this great Wheel of my Wisdom so as it may move and manifest itself in thee through all thy Properties, if thou canst bid up to the Price of
it. For understand that it is compounded of all pure Gold, subsisting in a burning Furnace of many Fires: And although this wonderful Key is of Wisdom’s carving out and her free gift, yet, O thou seeking Spirit, she will cost thee very dear, if ever thou obtainest her."Yet she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her and will shew her self within the Walls of the Mind and meet them in every thought that waits for her Laws and Counsel, and brings a Kingdom which will be well worth thy selling all for. But the great thing, saith Wisdom, now is to discipline and make thy Spirit a cunning [skillful] Artist, to give it Knowledge of what Matter in Number, Weight and Measure this pure Key is made up of which is all pure Deity in the Number THREE [Fulness]; which is weighty indeed, being one exceeding weighty Glory, sitting in the Circle of the Heavens within Man’s Heart, measuring with the Line of his Power, the Temple and inward Court, with the Worshippers therein.
This is Wisdom’s Key which will make our Hands drop with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the handle of her Lock. While I was opening her Privy-Door with this Key, my Soul failed within me and I retained no strength. My Sun of Reason, and the Moon of my outward Sense were folded up and withdrew.
I knew nothing by myself as to those working Properties from Nature and Creature, and the Wheel of the Motion stood still, another moved from a Central Fire so that I felt my self Transmuted into one pure Flame. Then came that Word to me, "This is no other than the Gate of my Eternal Deep. Canst thou subsist in this Fiery Region, which is Wisdom’s Mansion, where she meets with holy abstracted Spirits and gives forth a fiery Law which, if thereunto thou canst give heed so as to come up to her Requirings, no Secret shall be withheld from thee." Thus far am I admitted to come into the entrance of her House, where I must stop till I hear further from her.
Now as I was attending to obtain a fresh Visit, being entered into this first Mansion of her House to hear and learn further, she said on this wise That I was greatly beloved and she would be my Mother, and so should I own her and call her who would now be to me as Rebecca was to Jacob, to contrive and put me in a way how I should obtain the Birthright-Blessing. For if I would apply myself to her Doctrine and draw my Life’s Food from no other Breast, I should then know the recovery of a lost Kingdom; At which Salutation I was dissolved and melted, the fervent heat of this Love strongly impulsing me to a resolve to obey her in all things.
The pure Oil from Wisdom’s Vessel stopped, it opened again not till October the 20th in the Morning-Watch; then heard I her Voice thus: "Sequester and draw out of thy Animal Sensitive Life. That is too gross. I cannot appear till that disappear. There must be Spirit with Spirit, Light with Light."
No sooner had I this caution but I felt Power which suspended the active busy mind which for a time was expired into silence. "Know then (said the same Voice) thou shalt supplant thy Brother Esau, who according to the Figure is a cunning Hunter in the out-birth and field of Nature. While he with his subtilty sought it abroad in the wild Properties of the External Region, I will now help thee to it near at Hand, even in thy own enclosed Ground. There the true Scape-Goat feeds of which I will make savoury meat, such as God thy Father loves.
Hearing this Salutation from my lately known Mother, I was deadly ravished in the Spirit in the Light of the Lord and feared to return to the dark House of my outward Senses again; this opened a spring of Intercession in me that, as one of the Friends of the Bridegroom, I might hear the Voice still, which indeed was so pleasant and sweet, I
could well have admitted of a dissolution of my Elementary Being, rather than that this Conference should not still be maintained with this renowned Pearl of Wisdom. But I have learned to observe her Time and Seasons. I witness her opening as in the twinkling of an Eye: a pure, bright, subtil, swift Spirit, a working Motion, a Circling Fire, a penetrating Oil.By JANE LEAD.