The Conversion of Lydia.
I. Lydia was listening: "And a certain woman named Lydia, heard us." Great stress is laid in the Bible on hearing: "Faith cometh by hearing."
II. Lydia listened attentively. She paid heed eagerly laid hold of the great truths enunciated by the Apostle. If you lay hold of the truth, the truth will lay hold of you. Once the hearers of the gospel reach this stage of close, anxious attention, this eager grasping of the truth, there is every reason to believe they will be led on to a full and saving knowledge of it.
III. She listened attentively in her heart: "Whose heart the Lord opened to attend." Life before light hearts before heads: that is the fundamental principle of the gospel.
IV. Lydia was listening attentively with her heart opened.
V. Lydia listened attentively with her heart opened wide by the Lord. The text shows that the opening of her heart was (1) gradual, (2) gentle.
J. C. Jones, Studies in the Acts,p. 280.
Reference: Acts 16:16. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. iv., p. 227.