condition of unbelief and produce a conviction of the truth of
the gospel. When the mind is changed from a state of unbelief to one of
hearty belief the birth of the mind is complete. But the mind is only a
part of man. The heart must be born again. What is the normal state of
the unregenerate heart? It is one of either _indifference_ or _hatred_.
The latter is the former fully ripened. It is said that Voltaire carried
a seal ring upon which were engraved the words, "Crush the wretch," and
every time he sealed a letter he impressed his spirit of hatred upon
that letter. Now, the gospel sets forth the love of God in Christ and
the loveliness of Christ's sacrifice for us in such a manner as to
change the indifferent or malignant heart into one of supreme love to
Christ. When the heart has thus been changed from hatred to love it is
born again. But man has also a body, and upon this spirit can not act.
If the body is to be born again, some element must be used that can act
upon the body. Hence our Saviour says, "born of water and the Spirit,"
because water can act upon the body. Now, the only use of water in the
new birth is in the act of baptism. All scholars of note in the
religious world agree that Christ's use of water in the new birth has
reference to baptism. Paul also speaks of "having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water." Thus,
with mind and heart changed by the Spirit through the gospel, and the
body solemnly consecrated to God in baptism, the entire man is born
again. This is all accomplished by the Spirit of God working _in and
through the gospel_.

2. Another work of the Spirit is to "_bear witness with our spirits that
we are children of God, and if children, then heirs_" (Rom. 8:16). It
does not say, "bear witness _to_ our spirits," but "_with_ our spirits."
Many people gauge the witness of the Spirit by feelings within
themselves. If they feel good, it is evidence to them of the Spirit's
testimony, but they frequently feel bad also; whose testimony is that?
The testimony of the Spirit should be clear testimony, and not
fluctuating; it should be in words, and not in feelings. Feelings,
impressions and emotions come and go like the waves of the sea, but
words remain forever the same. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
word shall not pass away," saith the Lord. The idea of the conscious
testimony of the Spirit is not sustained by either the word of God nor
a