Sunday, May 06, 2012

BROTHERHOOD

British Museum
Young's Night Thoughts
Night VIII, page 47
'Were all men happy' 


The condition of being redeemed or regenerated expresses itself in Brotherhood: recognising oneself as a part of the unity of all men and all things. Blake follows the New Testament in his affirmation that man has the potential for becoming one in the body of Christ. The love that we have for God and he has for us, unites us as one family and establishes the Brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God. Brotherhood is not something we create by our own efforts but is a gift we receive when we practice forgiveness, learn compassion, and conquer our selfishness. We are one in Christ as the inclusive Brotherhood expressed by God's Universal Love.




Quotes from Blake: 
 
Four Zoas, Night IV, Page 41, (E 327) 
"Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die & are no more"

Jerusalem, Plate 96, (E 255)
"Jesus replied Fear not Albion unless I die thou canst not live
But if I die I shall arise again & thou with me            
This is Friendship & Brotherhood without it Man Is Not"

Jerusalem, Plate 96, (E 255)
"nor can Man exist but by Brotherhood"
 

Four Zoas, Night IX, Page 133, (E 401)
"we know That Man subsists by Brotherhood & Universal Love  
...
calling him Brother image of the Eternal Father" 
 

Quotes from the New Testament:

John.17
[21]  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, 
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
[22] And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; 
that they may be one, even as we are one:
[23]  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; 
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, 
as thou hast loved me.
[24] Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; 
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me 
before the foundation of the world.
[25] O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, 
and these have known that thou hast sent me.
[26] And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: 
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Ephesians 4
[3] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
[5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
[6] One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
[7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
...
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

1st John 2
[9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
[10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
[11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1st John 4
[20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
[21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

 Loving God and loving our brothers are one and the same thing.

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