could not understand the most important parts of Scripture, till " he opened their understandings f." In like manner, there is yet a veil on the hearts of men whilst they read and hear the Scriptures; nor can any but God remove itg. Hence it is plainly declared by our Lord himself, that " no man can come unto him, except he be drawn of the Father'1." However humiliating therefore the truth may be, we are constrained to say, in relation to every man that is converted, that the work " is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy'."]
That a great and effectual work was wrought upon her will appear, whilst we consider, II. The evidences of her conversion —
Here we are called to notice,
1. Her public profession of the faith of Christ — [She was not ashamed to acknowledge the conviction that
had been wrought on her mind ; nor was she afraid to confess her faith in Jesus of Nazareth. Accordingly, she was, together with all her household, baptized immediately, in token that she had embraced the Christian covenant, and was become a disciple of the Lord Jesus. This, it is true, was not a decisive proof of sound conversion ; because some submitted to the rite of baptism who had not received the grace of God in truth k: but it was a strong presumptive evidence of her sincerity, in- asmuch as it exposed her to all the obloquy and persecution, which were the common lot of Christians at that day. The insincere were deterred by these considerations from acting according to the dictates of their conscience1: but the upright uniformly and universally complied with them ; and exerted their influence over their respective households, to bring them also by baptism into covenant with Christ.
In this, her example deserves particular attention : for though, on account of our having already received the seal of the covenant in baptism, we are not again to be baptized, yet are we to maintain the same fidelity as she did, and to shew, by the whole of our conduct, whose we are, and whom we have engaged to serve"1 ]
2. Her zealous attachment to the cause of Christ —
[She felt an ardent love towards him who had been the instrument of her conversion ; and a most unfeigned desire to glorify her God, to whose grace alone she was indebted for
f Luke xxiv. 45. R 2 Cor. iii. 13— 1G. h John vi. 44, 45. 1 Rom. ix. 1(J. k Actsviii. 13. ' John xii. 42,43.
,u Rom. x. 10.