By Rev. THOMAS BOSTON.
THESE are they that labour and are heavy-laden. The word labour, signifies not every labouring, but a labouring to weariness, and so some read it weary. Heavy-laden are they that have a heavy burden on their back, which they are not able to bear.
Who are meant by these? I cannot agree with those that restrain these expressions to those that are sensible of their sins and misery, without Christ, and are longing to be rid of the same; but I think it includes all that are out of Christ, sensible or insensible; that is, these that have not had, and these that have had, a law-work upon their consciences. And, to fix this interpretation, consider,
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The words agree to all that are out of Christ, and none have any right to restrain them. None more properly labour, in the sense of the text, than those that are out of Christ, seeking their satisfaction in the creature. Eccles. i. 8—”All things are full of labour, man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” And who have such a burden of sin and wrath upon their back as they have? The word properly signifies a ship’s lading, which, though insensible of it, may yet sink under the weight.
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“The whole world lieth in wickedness” (I. John v. 19), as men in a deep mire, still sinking. Christ came to deliver men out of that case; having taken upon Him our nature (Heb. ii. 16), He caught hold (Greek) as one doth of a drowning man, even as He did of Peter when sinking (Matt. xiv. 31). And what are the invitations of the gospel, but Christ putting out His hands to sinking souls, sinking with their own weight. Consider,
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That the words, in other scriptures, are without controversy applied to the most insensible sinners. See what labour and weariness! Heb. ii. 13—”Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts, that the people still labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?” In the most solemn invitation to Christ in all the Old Testament, the word labouring is so used. Isa. lv. 2—”Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” Luke xi. 46—”Ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne.” Lade is the same Greek word used in the text. Isa. i. 4—”Ah! sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity.” Were they sensible? far from it; for, verse 3: “Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” And, II. Tim. iii. 16, it is said: “Silly women, laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.”
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Consider the parallel text, Isa. lv. 1—”Ho, every one that thirsteth,” where by the thirsty is not so much understood those that are thirsting
after Christ, as those who are thirsting after happiness and satisfaction, seeking to squeeze it out of the creature; for the thirsty invited are the same that are spending their labour for that which satisfieth not. But these that are thirsting after Christ are not such.
- If the words be a restriction of the call to sensible sinners, then the most part of sinners are excluded. If they are not included, sure they are excluded; and if the words are restrictive, sure they are not included; and then, so far from being the truth of the text, that is no gospel-truth at all; for all, without exception, that hear the gospel, are called to come to Christ. Rev. iii. 20—”Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.” And if any one be not called, they have no warrant to come; and, if so, unbelief is not their sin, as in the case of the Pagans; which is absurd.
Lastly, This is a most solemn invitation to come to Christ; and if I say the most solemn, there is some ground for it by what is said before. And shall that be judged restrained, that so expressly and solemnly comes from that fulness of power lodged in Christ, more than that just quoted † (Rev. iii. 20) where there is no shadow of restriction. Besides, this restriction may well be a snare to an exercised soul, which ordinarily, by a legal disposition in all, will not allow that they may come to Christ, because sin is not heavy enough to them. But although sinners will never come to Christ till they see their need of Him, yet this will I ever preach, that all under pain of damnation, are obliged to come to Him, and that they shall be welcome on their coming be their ease what it will: that such as are willing to come ought not to stop on a defect of their sensibleness, but come to Him, that they may get a true sense of sin unto repentance; for He is “exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins” (Acts v. 31). He is to give, not to stand and wait, till “folly bring repentance with it.”