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Commons Fall of Satan Butts Set of Illustrations for the Book of Job Page 16 |
Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering
(Job 26:6)
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? (Job 11:7)
. . . the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night (Revelation 12:10)
It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know? (Job 11:8).
..now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:31)
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked (Job
36:17)
. . . even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven (Luke 10:17-18)
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (I Corinthians 1:27)
Job 26
[1] But Job answered and said,
[2] How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?
[3] How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
[4] To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?
[5] Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.
[6] Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.
Job 11
[5] But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;
[6] And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
[7] Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
[8] It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
John 31
[27] Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
[28] Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
[29] The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
[30] Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
[31] Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
[32] And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Job 36
[15] He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
[16] Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.
[17] But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
[18] Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.
Luke 10
[16] He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
[17] And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
[18] And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
[19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
[20] Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
I Corinthians 1
[23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
[25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
[26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
[27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
[28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
[29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.
[30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
[31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Satan is not easily recognized because he takes many forms and wears many disguises. His legitimate role was "Prince of the Starry Hosts And of the Wheels of Heaven, to turn the Mills day & night." But Satan falls from the heavens through pride and envy and becomes the tempter and accuser of men. He finds a place in the minds of men where he can bring doubt, destruction and dissension where there had been faith, and salvation and harmony. In the outer world Satan is found in the selfish behaviors which foment hostilities and wars. Blake refers to the Satan who distorts our thinking as the Spectre, and the Satan who disturbs the operation of the world as the Selfhood.
The reason that Satan must be cast out is that he occupies the place in the psyche that belongs to Christ. The fallen Urizen is another name that Blake gives to Satan. We see from this that false reasoning is the cause of man's distorted perception of reality. When man conceives of God as the distant judge who enforces the moral law based on assigning the qualities of good or evil to everything one encounters, he has accepted Satan, the Ruler of this World, as his God. If Christ, the God within, assumes his rightful place in the psyche then man can discern that everything that lives is holy.
The fall of Satan takes places when the Selfhood is annihilated, allowing the Spectre to be reunited with the Emanation, error to be replaced with truth, and man to enter the state of grace which Blake calls Imagination.
This event is what we pray for in the Christian liturgy when we ask that God "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of the holy spirit."
Milton, Plate 3, (E 97)
"They Builded Great Golgonooza Times on Times Ages on Ages
First Orc was Born then the Shadowy Female: then All Los's Family
At last Enitharmon brought forth Satan Refusing Form, in vain
The Miller of Eternity made subservient to the Great Harvest
That he may go to his own Place Prince of the Starry Wheels"
Milton, Plate 4. (E 98)
"Every Mans Wisdom is peculiar to his own Individ[u]ality
O Satan my youngest born, art thou not Prince of the Starry Hosts
And of the Wheels of Heaven, to turn the Mills day & night?
Art thou not Newtons Pantocrator weaving the Woof of Locke
To Mortals thy Mills seem every thing & the Harrow of Shaddai
A scheme of Human conduct invisible & incomprehensible
Get to thy Labours at the Mills & leave me to my wrath,"
Jerusalem, Plate 77, (E 232)
"But Jesus is the bright Preacher of Life
Creating Nature from this fiery Law,
By self-denial & forgiveness of Sin.
Go therefore, cast out devils in Christs name
Heal thou the sick of spiritual disease
Pity the evil, for thou art not sent
To smite with terror & with punishments
Those that are sick, like the Pharisees
Crucifying &,encompassing sea & land
For proselytes to tyranny & wrath,
But to the Publicans & Harlots go!
Teach them True Happiness, but let no curse
Go forth out of thy mouth to blight their peace
For Hell is opend to heaven; thine eyes beheld
The dungeons burst & the Prisoners set free.
______________________________________
England! awake! awake! awake!
Jerusalem thy Sister calls!
Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death?
And close her from thy ancient walls.
Thy hills & valleys felt her feet,
Gently upon their bosoms move:
Thy gates beheld sweet Zions ways;
Then was a time of joy and love.
And now the time returns again:
Our souls exult & Londons towers,
Recieve the Lamb of God to dwell
In Englands green & pleasant bowers."
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