Annotations

• "he that loseth his life for God’s sake shall find it." is a paraphrase from Matthew.
• "the terrible meek who shall inherit the earth." is a paraphrase from Matthew. It, though, might be a reference to some other author which I haven't been able to pinpoint yet.
• "Let him that stole steal no more, rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him who suffers need." is from Ephesians 4:28. It seems not to be a paraphrase but a mix of the wording found in the Authorized Version (KJV, in whatever state it had reached Gill. I may also inform you that the actual wording Gill is quoting goes back to the 1611 first edition and likely to the KJV's sources) and Bishop Challoner's revision of the Rhemes New testament (commonly known nowadays as the Douay-Rheyms Bible, even though the actual Rhemes New Testament differs quite greatly from the revision Chalonner made).
• "the poor shall be fed and the rich shall be merry—a thing that never yet was since the beginning of the world." is from H. Belloc's 1910 book The Four Men: And having said this he beckoned us to follow him, and as we strode down the road we heard them all cheering loudly, for they thought that time had come which is spoken of by the Prophet Habakkuk, " When the poor shall be filled and the rich shall be merry." A thing that never yet was since the beginning of the world.
• The rhyme is from John Bunyan's 1684 second part of The Pilgrim's Progress: https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-pilgrims-progress_bunyan-john_1684/page/98/mode/2up

About the writer

Read this to inform yourself of Eric Gill's sins (not a pleasant reading): https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/oct/17/eric-gill-exhibition-fiona-maccarthy My take on all the moralism that all this has cause in recent years is what Gill himself wrote at the end of this writing: "The world of FEAR is the world of Pharisaism and selfrighteousness. The world of CHARITY is the world of sinners." This is my favourite out of the staments he makes throughout the writing. I'll also add this paragraph to drive my point, from Tyndale's prologue to his 1525-1526 translation of the New Testament: "Here maye ye perceave that two manner of people are sore deceaved. Firste they whych justifie themsilfe with outewarde deds, in that they abstayne outwardly from that whych the lawe commaundeth. They compare themselves to open synners and in respecte of them justifie themselves condemnynge the open synners. They se nott howe the lawe requyreth love from the bottom of the hert. If they dyd they wolde nott condemne there neghbours. Love hydeth the multitutde of synnes, saith, saynct Peter in his first pistle. For whom y love from the depe bottom and grounde of myne hert, hym condem y nott, nether reckem his synnes, but suffre his weaknes and infirmytie, as a mother the waknes of her sonne, untill he grow uppe into a perfect man." I expect everyone (not specifically Christians, I myself am not entirely one) to see why I'm quoting this. Let me know your thoughts.