An

Introduction and Apology

To the following

DISCOURSE

    My Friends, who do dwell in the universal Love of the God of Love, to you I do not doubt that the matter of this Discourse shall find acceptance, as it is a message from above⁽¹⁾ of good and glad tidings to the whole creation, from the beginning of time to the final end and extension thereof, for God's bounteous grace will reach thereto. But this Love doth express itself, not only by saving and delivering from an endless punishment, as the just merit of transgression and disobedience, which is proclaimed to the whole Adamical fallen race by Him who was made an offering for sin.

    But be it known, God's Love would not be so clearly seen or illustrated if it should stop here in this visible way of redemption by Christ. It must go much deeper in bringing forth a new created God-like similitude in the soul so that what was diminished and faded, may be repaired by the birth of the Holy Ghost, conceived and therefore springing up inborn for a thorough renovation in every part of the soul.

    This you will find to be the whole scope and trend of what is written here. God having taught me by His Spirit in this great mystery of inward redemption, I found myself under impulse and a constraint to make it public before my decease (being aged 70 years). This I do so that this treasure might not die with me, for I know not but that it may be my last farewell to this world.⁽²⁾

    Therefore, I have hastened to do my Lord and Master's work whilst the Dayspring from on high doth shine upon me. If the outward day of my life is lengthened out to me, it shall be as my most delightful employ, being called to it from on high.

    Now to come to the matter in hand as to the title which this subject bears, it is not an outward flourishing sound, but from a most essential and experimental ground from which this goeth forth. If my circumstances had been otherwise I should not have rendered myself public. "For every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head" --1 Corinthians 11:5. But Christ being my head-covering,⁽³⁾ I have both commission and munition-strength upon which I shall proceed and say something as to the first part which is the spring-flower of the mind, essenced in a never-dying root which renders the face of the mind perfect in beauty, for Love and delight, to Him who is the express brightness of the Father's Light.

    In this you will see (as in a glass) the Royal degrees and spiritual assents, with festival entertainments in the Spirit. These are so prepared that they may be for an invitation to the Heaven-born Spirits, and also to them that are yet unborn, so that all may labor in such a heavenly habit of mind to be so found.

    The next part which I have to commend to the reader is according to the inscription of the book (The Enochian Life), that way which hath been so hidden and unknown, yet found by the spiritual pilgrim and traveler, and may still be found by such as shall cease from walking after the flesh and worldly ways and resolve to take up to walk with God in the Spirit. For if once you can get away from these low, clogging and heavy, sandy ways, then you may enter into these high and pleasant walks with God.

    And when you are once come into these walks, you will meet with those various sweets and delights that will engage you to keep to them, because you will meet here with good company. For, even though this way attracts but few among mortals, yet numerous of the heavenly society will walk and talk with you from those upper regions whereunto your travels tend. Of which travels I have given an account herein for encouragement and motive to draw up holy and separated spirits hereunto who have liberty and opportunity to know beforehand the riches and pleasant things of this heavenly country to contemplate.

    For this end I have adjoined and added to this first part what was opened and revealed to me last year (1693), where you will see a particular knowledge and experience of what the saints may enjoy of communion with holy and separated spirits of the higher world while yet abiding in this lower world, which may be of great advantage.⁽⁴⁾

    Also, a little tract⁽⁵⁾ lately revealed in what way and manner we may expect the Lord Jesus in His appearance, about which so many prophecies and sounds in this present age have gone forth. I have, according to my gift, laid the sure foundation for both His present and future appearance in the world. I am sure He doth and will send His messengers before His face, which is the Spirit of refining fire, to prepare for His more visible and splendorous coming in His Kingdom to make Kings, Priests and Prophets to reign in and with Him on the earth. And when we shall see more of this multiplying oil of the Holy Ghost poured forth upon those who are watching for this blessed hope and most glorious reign of Christ, then we may expect that He may be drawing near.

    Therefore, in order hereunto, all public and private pastors and teachers should know what to go forth with to declare and preach by the ministry of the Spirit, to make ready all nations, peoples and languages to call them in by the power of the Everlasting Gospel. This powerful sound shall reach (in Christ's Spirit) to the free and the bound, whether in the body or out, for this gospel will extend far beyond the limits of time, to creatures in ages yet confined.⁽⁶⁾ Of such a latitude of redeeming love you will find in this volume declared as being also a revealed truth which I was not to conceal from the world.

    And as for those Scriptures that may be alleged against it, they were to me interpreted to reconcile this point. For, the Lord Christ did go and preach to the spirits in prison that were disobedient in the days of Noah (or before and since), who remained in bonds in the lower regions, at whose appearance they did then find deliverance, or else to what end did He preach to them? As you may see in Peter, and again at His second and last appearance when He shall come to judge the quick and the dead (where He will pass just and righteous sentence according to every one's work) yet will this Judge reserve in Himself the liberty to release and give remission to all who have passed through fiery purgations and are humbled thereby.

    Take notice of what the Apostle Paul speaks concerning this matter, to be saved so as by fire. Also, that great objection that is made from Christ's own words, "Go ye cursed into everlasting punishment."⁽⁷⁾ (which statement is opposed only to the short limits of this world and admits only of the number of ages in which suffering and punishments there may yet be), yet it is not to be beyond the time of Christ when the Lord completes and delivers up the Kingdom to His Father.

    For God was, is and so hath, designed in Christ to reconcile all to Himself who were at odds with Him. It is not to be the least doubted but that the efficacy of Christ (the second Adam), by the merit of His shed blood and His Spirit given, will make all good again which the first Adam had made evil.⁽⁸⁾

    Much more I might enlarge, but I hope this may suffice. Consider that scripture of the Romans 6: 14-16, which is enough to prove that the Plaster provided is much broader than the wound sin hath made.

    Thus (O Reader), whoever thou art, know that I have been driven hereto from a heavenly Power to clear up and vindicate the royal and generous goodness and love of the Holy Trinity. These three in heaven, do agree all in unity for the reconciling and bringing back again into themselves whatever of a spiritual quality was scattered and divided from them. In the dispensation of the fullness of time, this will be made manifest to the wonderful amazement for all of God's creation, to love and praise, and exalt, and pay their adoration to their merciful Creator who hath completed such a universal redemption.

    Only suffer this word of caution and counsel; that none presume to turn this grace of God into a vicious and careless way of living, for anguish and terror of soul and suffering shall be upon them here and hereafter. Such terrible suffering may be prevented in the time of this life by an inward circumcision in Spirit and mortifying the evil nature, bringing it into a subjection to the law of the Spirit of holiness.

    For, I must solemnly profess to all such as do live loosely and vainly, that they will have no part in the first Resurrection,⁽⁹⁾ but be cut off from all those pleasant and inconceivable joys and glorious and filling springs of refreshing from the presence of God and the Lamb, which in this present life may be tasted as the first fruits of the full harvest.

    I do thus charge (as from what I have known in my own particular), that if there were no reward of a future blissful happy state when this life shall end, I should think it a very great delight to have a present participation of the Spirit of Christ and thereby be clothed with His divine nature and live in the present enjoyment of all those indescribable privileges of which I have here given a true account according to experience.

    I do hope and pray with all power of prayer that what has been by the Holy Spirit of Immanuel unfolded here, may be received and entertained as the golden oil from the dropping Olive-Tree. The anointed ones of the Lord shall multiply for a priestly kingdom here upon the earth (the which subject hath been treated of and published by the author in 1683, entitled, The Seven Seals broken open by Divine Revelation, some of which are yet to be had in my personal possession), and the Day of the Spirit shall more get up and shine forth in this present generation in heart and mind (which only can be expected from such upon whom the anointing is poured forth plentifully).

    Oh, how were it to be wished, and how much would it be my joy, to know such powerful sowers in this our day which may bring forth a pure white lily crop of spirits with whom Christ our kingly Shepherd may walk and feed. Then He will be no longer a stranger to His fold here upon earth but be well known to be our feeding Pasture continually.

    But I shall here now stop and with this word conclude (as if it were my last dying speech), which I do direct to all ranks, sorts and degrees and more especially to them who are called and have liberty to exercise a true spiritual ministry, that they may know what this season and time may call for, being now past the first and second number of time and are come to the half-time.

    Therefore, go forth with your anointed shield and with your horn filled with oil of the Spirit. Spare not to sound your trumpets of the Spirit that may gather in from the utmost parts of the earth, that they may both see, know and partake of this dawning and Daystar rising first in our hearts and from thence lead most rightly where we may see our Princely Redeemer eye to eye in kingly majesty.

    For the which end it is incumbent and chargeable upon you to propagate this fore-runner of our Lord Christ, which is the Spirit's ministry as the one and all that I have to leave and commend to you, who lovers and walkers are in this spiritual way which hath been here described by the                ? .⁽¹⁰⁾

1. Here, once again, Jane Leade attributes authorship of her writing unmistakably to the Spirit with her phrase, "from above." She is here undoubtedly referring to the teaching of the salvation of all.

10. Missing word or words.