I. What manner of persons those were, to whom the apostle says, Ye are in heaviness: II. What kind of heaviness they were in. III. What were the causes, and IV. What were the ends of it. I shall conclude with some inferences.
I. 1. I am in the first place to shew, what manner of persons those were, to whom the apostle says, Ye are in heaviness. And, first, It is beyond all dispute, that they were believers, at the time the apostle thus addrest them. For so he expresly says, ver. 5. Ye who are kept through the power of God by faith unto salvation: again, ver. 7. he mentions, the trial of their faith, much more precious than that of gold which perisheth. And yet again, ver. 9, he speaks of their receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. At the same time therefore that they were in heaviness, they were possessed of living faith. Their heaviness did not destroy their faith: they still endured, seeing him that is invisible.
2. Neither did their heaviness destroy their peace, the peace that passeth all understanding, which is inseparable from true, living faith. This we may easily gather from the second verse: wherein the apostle prays, Not that grace and peace may be given them, but only, that it may be multiplied unto them; that the blessing which they already enjoyed, might be more abundantly bestowed upon them.
3. The persons to whom the apostle here speaks were also full of a living hope. For thus he speaks, ver. 3. Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again, me and you, all of us who are sanctified by the Spirit, and enjoy the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, unto a living hope unto an inheritance, that is unto a living hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. So that notwithstanding their heaviness, they still retained an hope full of immortality.
4. And they still rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. They were filled with joy in the Holy Ghost. So ver. 8. the apostle having just mentioned the final revelation of Jesus Christ (namely when he cometh to judge the world) immediately adds, In whom though now ye see him not (not with your bodily eyes) yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Their heaviness therefore was not only consistent with living hope, but also with joy unspeakable: at the same time they were thus heavy, they nevertheless rejoiced with joy full of glory.
5. In the midst of their heaviness they likewise still enjoyed the love of God which had been shed abroad in their hearts, Whom, says the apostle, having not seen, ye love. Tho’ ye have not yet seen him face to face, yet knowing him by faith, ye have obeyed his word My son give me thy heart. He is your God, and your love, the desire of your eyes, and your exceeding great reward. Ye have sought and found happiness in him: ye delight in the Lord, and he hath given you your hearts desire.
6. Once more, though they were heavy, yet were they holy: they retained the same power over sin. They were still kept from this by the power of God: they were obedient children, not fashioned according to their former desires, but as he that had called them is holy, so were they holy in all manner of conversation. Knowing they were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without spot and without blemish, they had thro’ the faith and hope which they had in God, purified their souls by the Spirit. So that upon the whole, their heaviness well consisted with faith, with hope, with love of God and man! with the peace of God, with joy in the Holy Ghost, with inward and outward holiness. It did no way impair, much less destroy, any part of the work of God in their hearts. It did not at all interfere with that sanctification of the Spirit, which is the root of all true obedience; neither with the happiness which must needs result from grace and peace reigning in the heart.
II. 1. Hence we may easily learn what kind of heaviness they were in: the second thing which I shall endeavour to shew. The word in the original is λυπηθέντες· made sorry, grieved, from λύπη, grief or sorrow. This is the constant, literal meaning of the word: and this being observed, there is no ambiguity in the expression, nor any difficulty in understanding it. The persons spoken of here were grieved: the heaviness they were in, was neither more nor less than sorrow or grief; a passion which every child of man is well acquainted with.
2. It is probable, our translators rendered it heaviness (tho’ a less common word) to denote two things, first, The degree; and next, the continuance of it. It does indeed seem, that it is not a slight or inconsiderable degree of grief which is here spoken of, but such as makes a strong impression upon, and sinks deep into the soul. Neither does this appear to be a transient sorrow, such as passes away in an hour: but rather such as having taken fast hold of the heart, is not presently shaken off, but continues for some time, as a settled temper, rather than a passion, even in them that have living faith in Christ, and the genuine love of God in their hearts.
3. Even in these this heaviness may sometimes be so deep as to overshadow the whole soul, to give a colour, as it were, to all the affections, such as will appear in the whole behaviour. It may likewise have an influence over the body: particularly in those that are either of a naturally weak constitution, or weakened by some accidental disorder, especially of the nervous kind. In many cases we find the corruptible body presses down the soul; in this, the soul rather presses down the body, and weakens it more and more. Nay, I will not say, that deep and lasting sorrow of heart, may not sometimes weaken a strong constitution, and lay the foundation of such bodily disorders, as are not easily removed. And yet all this may consist with a measure of that faith which still worketh by love.