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.