us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be _made heirs_ according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus iii. 5-7.) We are "_called sons_" and "_made_ heirs," and all this simply by the belief of the truth of the gospel, which is God's "incorruptible seed." Take the case of the very vilest sinner, who up to this moment has been living a life of gross wickedness. Let that person receive into his heart the pure gospel of God,--let him heartily believe "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures"--and he there, then and thus becomes a child of God, a thoroughly saved, perfectly justified, and divinely accepted person. In receiving into his heart the simple record concerning Christ, he has received new life. Christ is the truth and the life; and when we receive the truth we receive Christ, and when we receive Christ we receive life,--"he that believeth on the Son _hath_ everlasting life." (John iii. 36.) When does he get this life? The very moment he believes,--"_believing_ ye might have life through His name." (John xx. 31.) The truth concerning Christ is the seed of eternal life, and when that truth is believed, life is communicated. Observe, this is what the Word of God declares--it is a matter of divine testimony, not merely of human feeling. We do not get life by _feeling_ something in ourselves, but by _believing_ something about Christ; and that something we have on the authority of God's eternal Word--"the Holy Scriptures." It is well to understand this. Many are looking _in_ for evidences of the new life, instead of looking _out_ at the object which imparts that life. It is quite true that "he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself" (1 John v. 10.); but, be it remembered, it is "the witness" of a life which is received by "_believing_ on the Son of God," not by looking in upon one's self; and the more undividedly I am occupied with Christ, the more distinct and satisfactory will be "the witness" in myself. If I make the witness my object, I shall be plunged in doubt and uncertainty; but if I make Christ my object, I have the witness in all its divine integrity and power. There is special need of clearness as to this, because of the strong tendency of our hearts to make something _within_ the ground of our peace and contentment, instead of building, absolutely and exclusively, upon Christ. The more simply we cling to Christ, apart from all beside, the more peaceful and happy we shall be; but directly we take the eye off Him, we become unhinged and unhappy.