Page:The New View of Hell.djvu/50

 nobler state—that state of sweet unselfish love, which is heaven.

This great change (for it is, indeed, a great change), or this passing out of a low, natural, selfish state of life, into one that is higher, richer, nobler—in short, into the truly human state, is spoken of in the Bible as a "resurrection to newness of life;" as a "putting off of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," and a "putting on of the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;" as "passing from death unto life;" as being "born again"—"born from above"—"born of God," without which, we are assured, no one can enter the kingdom of heaven.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Now although the Lord desires that we should all pass out of our low or hellish state, into that high and heavenly one which He has made us capable of attaining, although He has told us how we may do so—has made the way very plain—has assumed our nature with all its hereditary and selfish proclivities that He might thereby become to us THE WAY—yet He uses no compulsion. He leaves all in freedom to either remain in their low natural state, which is hell, or to rise out of it into that exalted and unselfish state, which is heaven. He has made known the conditions upon which alone we can rise; and He is ever ready to lend us all needed help. He is continually calling to us and saying. This is the