THE JOURNEY II

British Museum
For The Sexes: THE GATES of PARADISE
Title & Prologue

As a prologue to Blake's second version of The Gates of Paradise he added a passage which incorporates some of his most basic teaching about the condition of man. He tells us that entry into Eternity in which man's divine nature is realized, requires that man engage in Mutual Forgiveness. Unless an individual knows himself to be forgiven and actively forgives the faults in others he aligns himself with the Accuser. Having eaten of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, the individual assigns the category good to whatever benefits him, and evil to whatever opposes him. Until he realizes the everything is holy, the Gates will not open for him.

To Blake eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree led to the promulgation of the law which is the instrument of accusation, dividing man into the virtuous and the law-breaker. Mercy, which does not assign guilt, deserves to be placed on Christian altars in the place of commandments through which man may be condemned.

Blake wrote The Gates of Paradise as a guide for entry into Paradise. The prologue serves a reminder that the stages through which man progresses are are not for the purpose of condemnation but should lead to acceptance and forgiveness.
          

For The Sexes: THE GATES of PARADISE, Prologue, (E259)                      
"Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire
Jehovahs Finger Wrote the Law 
Then Wept! then rose in Zeal & Awe
And the Dead Corpse from Sinais heat 
Buried beneath his Mercy Seat
O Christians Christians! tell me Why
You rear it on your Altars high"         

Jerusalem, Plate 54, (E 203)
"In Great Eternity, every particular Form gives forth or Emanates
Its own peculiar Light, & the Form is the Divine Vision
And the Light is his Garment This is Jerusalem in every Man
A Tent & Tabernacle of Mutual Forgiveness Male & Female Clothings.
And Jerusalem is called Liberty among the Children of Albion" 

Jerusalem, Plate 92, (E 252)
"Los answerd swift as the shuttle of gold. Sexes must vanish & cease
To be, when Albion arises from his dread repose O lovely Enitharmon:
When all their Crimes, their Punishments their Accusations of Sin: 
All their Jealousies Revenges. Murders. hidings of Cruelty in Deceit
Appear only in the Outward Spheres of Visionary Space and Time.
In the shadows of Possibility by Mutual Forgiveness forevermore
And in the Vision & in the Prophecy, that we may Foresee & Avoid
The terrors of Creation & Redemption & Judgment."

Songs and Ballads, (E 477)
"Let us agree to give up Love
And root up the infernal grove                                 
Then shall we return & see
The worlds of happy Eternity

& Throughout all Eternity 
I forgive you you forgive me
As our dear Redeemer said                                   
This the Wine & this the Bread"

Ephesians 4
[31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice,
[32] and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 2
[5] And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Mark 11
[25] And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Luke 6
[37] "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;