at beamed in the preacher's countenance,
as well as hear the gracious words that came from his mouth.

The woman's heart is touched and taken; the woman is won. By that still
small voice the devil's chains are broken, the rocky heart is rent. When
the congregation dissolves, she steals away to her house alone. There
her eye falls on some gaudy ornaments, the instruments of her sin, and
the badges of her shame. Whence this sudden strong loathing? Perhaps she
grasps them convulsively and flings them on the fire, shutting her eyes
that she may not see her tormentors. She sits down, and searches her own
heart,--her own life. She discovers that it is altogether vile. Her own
heart is the darkest, deepest pit out of hell; she is the chief of
sinners. She never knew this before. She had often experienced twitches
of conscience for particular acts of evil; but now her whole life and
her whole being seem one dark, deep, crimson sin. What has done this? It
was that word of Jesus; it was the pardon that he offered; it was the
divine compassion that beamed on his countenance and glowed on his lips.
She was melted. The old stony heart flowed down like water, and went
away; and a new, tender, trustful, loving heart came up in its place.
She is not the same woman that she was yesterday. She is a new creature
in Christ Jesus; but she could not yet tell the name and describe the
nature of the change that had taken place in her being, as a new-born
child could not announce the fact and explain the nature of its birth.
The infant will manifest its birth and life, by seeking sustenance from
its mother's breast; and when the child has grown, the grown man will
reflect on his birth, and perhaps understand in some measure its nature
and importance. Such was the passing from death into life in the
experience of that woman. Conversion in our own day often takes place as
secretly, and as soon. The word of the Lord that proved itself quick and
powerful then, liveth and abideth the same for ever; and this is the
word which by the Gospel is preached unto us still.

The natural history of conversion does not change with the lapse of
centuries, any more than natural history in other departments; there
were doubtless examples of secret regeneration in the time of our Lord
and his apostles, as well as in our own time. He knew this woman's case
as well as he knew the case of the woman who pressed through the crowd
to touch the hem of his garment. That w