Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/364

348 CRITICAL STUDIES heaver, from the same words in the mouth of a bilious Calvinistic preacher ; the former means simply, I am puzzled or put out, the latter means. Our blessed Lord has pre-ordained nearly the whole of mankind to everlasting torture by the worm that dieth not, in the fire that is not quenched : the saints are so in- finitely more powerful in damning than the sinners ! Blake's fundamental conviction is of universal salva- tion, not of nearly universal damnation, as we may read in many places ; nay, with some of the certainly deepest and purest of sages and mystics both of the East and the West, he will not allow the real essen- tial existence of evil. Thus in the opening of " The Gates of Paradise " : — " Mutual forgiveness of each vice, Such are the Gates of Paradise, Against the Accuser's chief desire, Who walked among the stones of fire. Jehovah's fingers wrote The Law : He wept ! then rose in zeal and awe, And in the midst of Sinai's heat, Hid it beneath His Mercy Seat. O Christians ! Christians ! tell me why You rear it on your Altars high ? " And again, in " The Everlasting Gospel," with the text of the woman taken in adultery : — "Jesus was sitting in Moses' chair ; They brought the trembling woman there. Moses commands she be stoned to death : What was the sound of Jesus' breath ? He laid His hand on Moses' law ; The ancient heavens, in silent awe. Writ with curses from pole to pole. All away began to roll ;