Jane Lead

Jane Lead (March 1624 – August 19, 1704) was an Christian mystic whose calling from God inspired a visionary ministry that shaped the Philadelphian Society, proclaiming divine wisdom and spiritual renewal across the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Born Jane Ward in Letheringsett, Norfolk, England, to Hamond Ward, a prosperous gentleman, and Mary Calthorpe, she was the youngest of twelve children in a well-off family, baptized on March 9, 1624. Her education was informal, shaped by a comfortable upbringing and personal spiritual experiences rather than formal theological training, culminating in a transformative moment at age 15 during a 1639 Christmas dance when a heavenly voice declared, “Cease from this, I have another dance to lead thee in.” Lead’s calling from God unfolded after marrying William Lead, a merchant, in 1644, living happily with him and their four daughters in King’s Lynn until his death in 1671 left her penniless in London. That year, a vision of the Virgin Sophia—divine wisdom personified—called her a “Bride of Christ,” igniting her ministry of recording divine revelations. Ordained informally by her mystical experiences, she preached through writings and leadership, joining John Pordage’s Behmenist group in 1668 and assuming its helm after his 1681 death, renaming it the Philadelphian Society in 1694. Her sermons, preserved in works like A Fountain of Gardens (1696–1701) and The Revelation of Revelations (1683), called for a universal restoration through the Inner Light, influencing Quakers and Pietists despite opposition from Anglican authorities. Widowed, with no further marriages, she passed away at age 80 in London, leaving a legacy of mystical preaching that echoed beyond her time.
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Jane Lead preaches about the profound spiritual journey of embracing the new creaturely form and renouncing the old creaturely life to attain angelical liberty through the Gospel of Salvation. She emphasizes the importance of turning inward to the original ground, where the Gospel-Sound calls for transformation from the natural to the spiritual, guided by the Anointed Prophet within. The vision of a modeled body, all-spirit in matter, acting out God's wonders in the Seraphick Circle, symbolizes the pursuit of immortality and liberation from the earthly limitations of mortality.
December 3. 1678. the Proclamation of the New Creation.
THE Word of Life thus opened in me, and said: O hail thou New-Born Spirit; and consider well to what a point thou art come. Thou art come indeed to a Work of great consequence. Which is to Preach the Gospel of Salvation throughout the ends of thy own Earth: for the gathering in thy dispersed and scattered Properties, which have not known who their Redeemer is. Proclaim I say, Proclaim liberty upon the acceptation of the new Covenant-Terms, that were specified in the Roll that came down, which shall be renewed again by the Spirit of Revelation. Then entered my Mind into a very deep stillness, to hear what would be further disclosed concerning this matter. Then was brought to my remembrance a Figure, that some few Days past I did see in Vision. Which was a swift moving Body, distinct without me, that went up and down, but did not touch the Ground, but circled round in an ascending motion towards the invisible Heights. This was said to be the Figure of the new Creaturely Form, that the outward Man was to be turned into, which would free him from the accursed Evil, and bring him into the Angelical liberty. What greater Motive can be presented to enforce a Renunciation of the old Creaturely Life, that lieth open to the disquieting Elements, which will still make War, where Corporeal matter is found? Therefore turn thou in, O Man of the Earth, to thy original Ground, where the Gospel-Sound loud doth cry again, and calls the whole outward Man to pursue this. For help is laid upon the Anointed Prophet within for this very end, who hath the Horn of Oil to anoint withal: That what is Natural may become Spiritual; according to that Coelestial Figure, that was again renewed to my view. Which I had lightly passed over, had not the Holy Ghost set it before me again: and shewed me, that in like manner, such a modeled Body, all-Spirit in matter, should act the high Magia of God's Wonders in the Seraphick Circle; into which nothing of Humane Birth can move. There did follow this Visional Word, saying, A great overturn! Who can it understand? He who seeks to be uncloathed from the creeping Beast of Mortality, and to be cloathed upon with the Life-Immortality. Who walks and moves, and yet doth not touch this Ground, from whence those Death-vapours do spring, that have infected the Inhabitants, that dwell thereupon. Come up thence, O Spirit, and draw in with thy Magical breath, thy own Co-essential matter, for a cloathing of Life: and so Harmonize thou in moving Power with pure Seraphicks.
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Jane Lead (March 1624 – August 19, 1704) was an Christian mystic whose calling from God inspired a visionary ministry that shaped the Philadelphian Society, proclaiming divine wisdom and spiritual renewal across the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Born Jane Ward in Letheringsett, Norfolk, England, to Hamond Ward, a prosperous gentleman, and Mary Calthorpe, she was the youngest of twelve children in a well-off family, baptized on March 9, 1624. Her education was informal, shaped by a comfortable upbringing and personal spiritual experiences rather than formal theological training, culminating in a transformative moment at age 15 during a 1639 Christmas dance when a heavenly voice declared, “Cease from this, I have another dance to lead thee in.” Lead’s calling from God unfolded after marrying William Lead, a merchant, in 1644, living happily with him and their four daughters in King’s Lynn until his death in 1671 left her penniless in London. That year, a vision of the Virgin Sophia—divine wisdom personified—called her a “Bride of Christ,” igniting her ministry of recording divine revelations. Ordained informally by her mystical experiences, she preached through writings and leadership, joining John Pordage’s Behmenist group in 1668 and assuming its helm after his 1681 death, renaming it the Philadelphian Society in 1694. Her sermons, preserved in works like A Fountain of Gardens (1696–1701) and The Revelation of Revelations (1683), called for a universal restoration through the Inner Light, influencing Quakers and Pietists despite opposition from Anglican authorities. Widowed, with no further marriages, she passed away at age 80 in London, leaving a legacy of mystical preaching that echoed beyond her time.