Page:The New View of Hell.djvu/219

 heavenly life. Through obedience to these laws—at the same time acknowledging the Lord as their source, and the source of all our disposition and power to obey them—the interiors of the soul are opened toward heaven, and the influx of hell is lessened, and the Lord's life flows in with ever-increasing power and fullness; precisely as, through obedience to the laws of our physical life, physical debility and disorder recede, and bodily health, strength and elasticity flow in.

We cannot love the Lord supremely and our neighbor as ourselves, by simply desiring or willing to do so;—no, nor by the power of faith alone however strong, or prayer however sincere and fervent. But this love is sure to flow into our hearts in the degree that we humbly acknowledge its source, and compel ourselves to obey its laws. Shun falsehood, fraud, deceit, adultery—all known evils—as sins against God, and by degrees you will come to hate and loathe these vices. Devote yourself religiously to some useful calling, and you will gradually grow into the love of that use. Practice the laws of charity, and the life of charity with its delights will be imparted unto you more and more. Obey the law of kindness, and there will be a constantly increasing influx of the spirit of kindness into your heart. Do justly, because such is the will of God, and you will grow more and more in love with justice. In all your dealings and intercourse with your fellow men, be careful to obey the laws of neighborly love, and to regard and shun their