Psalm CXXVI

A Song of degrees.

1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Ziou, we were like theiu

that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for

them.

3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

4 Turn again our captivity, 0 Lord, as the streams in the south.

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with liini.

Lord, to whom shall we go for the joy of final victory, but to thee, who has been in all ages the source of Israel’s joyful victories? Jehovah has ever been the author of our blessings, of blessings almost too great to be believed, and He will give us “An autumn of joy for a seed-time of tears.” “We have bcfii like those that fJream.”

392 PSALM CXXVl. — PAST JOYS RECORDED, AND

On all such occasions, so great has been the blessing vouchsafed, that our “mouth has been filled luith laughter.” The word iiVo expresses the habit, or customary act, as does also ‘)”^Q^i q. d., at such times A^) our mouth was filled with laughter, and the old patriarch’s words, Job viii. 21, were verified in us, and the Gentiles were wont to say,

“The Lord has ivrougM mightily
In wha/, he has doiiefin’ them.”

It was thus in the valley of Elah, where Goliath fell, and Philistia fled. It was thus at Baal-Perazim. It was thus when one morning, after many nights of gloom, Jerusalem arose at dawn of day, and found Sennacherib’s thousands a camp of the dead. And it has all along been the manner of our God.

“The Lord has wrought mightily
In what he has done for us;
And toe have been made glad /”

Ever do this till conflict is over! Just as thou dost with the streams of the south, year by year, so do with us — with all, with each. And we are confident thou wilt; we are sure that we make no vain boast v.’hen we sing this Psalm as descriptive of the experience of all thy pilgrims and worshippers. Home beautifully says, “Thou sowest perhaps in tears, thou doest thy duty amidst persecution and affliction, sickness, pain, and sorrow; thou labourest in the church, and no account is made of thy labours, no profit seems likely to accrue from thee. Nay, thou thyself must drop into the dust of death, and all the storms of that winter must pass over thee. Yet the day is coming when thou shalt reap in joy; and plentiful shall be thy harvest. For thus thy blessed Master ’ went forth weeping,’ a man of sorrows, bearing precious seed, and strewing it all around him, till at length his own body was buried, like a grain of wheat, in the furrow of the grave. But He arose and is now in heaven, whence he shall ’ doubtless come again rejoicing,’ with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, ’ bringing his sheaves with Him.’ Then shall every man receive the fruit of his works, and have praise of God.” Look, then, at this picture — “He goes, and he goes weeping, Bearing the basket of seed, (load of, Amos ix. 13): He comes, and he comes with singing, Bearing his sheaves!”

The worshipper, in all ages, has known the going forth to serve the Lord in tears — the following him with the cross — the scattering the seed in his field in sorrow and fear; but as certainly shall he know the joy of harvest at his Lord’s return. The disciple is in this merely tracing the Master’s path —

“So came Messiah, friend of men,

(A man of sorrows he),
To fight with grief, and tears, and pain.

That we might conquerors be.
Behold, he comes the Second time

To wipe away our tears,
And takes us up along with him

For everlasting years.” — Barclay.

Our Lord, in his parable of the Sower, seems to unfold the idea expressed here, so far as it bore on his service and labour here. The other part, refen-ing to his Second Coming and glory, was not dwelt upon there. Nevertheless, it is well for us, in pondering the parable of the Sower, to revert to this Psalm, and see the reward of him who goeth forth like the master. We shall not serve less cheerfully by joining in this Psalm —

The Lord’s servant thankfully recording past joys, and anticipating future.