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It is the Lord’s gracious dealing in all the deliverances of his people, even because they are his people, he gives them matter of rejoicing; and yet he is so wise in his dispensation towards them, that he holds them still in a dependence on him, that so still we may have something to pray for to him, which we must have supplied by (over and above) all that we have gotten before. Surely, beloved, it cannot be denied by us but “that the Lord has done great things for us;” and if so be that we will also unfeignedly acknowledge the truth, we may say, “We are glad of them.” And yet, for all that, we have still cause to pray to the Lord, that he who has begun the good work among us would also perfect it; and we may be assured of this, if we continue earnest with God in our prayers, he shall bring the work to a happy end. It was so here with the people of God upon their begun return out of Babel: they waken and stir themselves up by a commemoration of God’s former goodness towards them; “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad:” for so it is in the original, and not whereof. And yet, for all that, they pray to God, “Turn again our captivity;” and say that if he would do that, it would be as refreshing to them as the streams of water that come from the north to the dry south; and withal subjoins an assurance that it shall be so, according to their prayer, “They that sowed in tears shall reap in joy.” And so those who depend continually upon God, and bear affliction patiently, and do the thing which he commands them, “and goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed;” all that shall be recompensed when it comes to the shearing, for these “shall come in with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them.”
There are three things here in the words to be taken heed to: 1. The praise that they give to God for that which he has done, “The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” 2. The prayer that God’s people make to him, “Turn again our captivity, as the streams in the south.” 3. The prophetical confidence they have that it shall be so: “They that sow in tears, etc.”
I. “The Lord has done great things for us.” They acknowledge and confess, from their own experience, that the Lord has done great things for them, and this indeed was a good confession. This day’s exercise was begun with a confession of sin, and I wish now it were ended with a confession of thanksgiving. For there is a threefold confession spoken of in Scripture. First, there is a confession of sin, as it is in Psalm 32:5, “I said, I will confess my transgression to thee; and thou, Lord, forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” Second, there is a confession of faith, as it is in Romans 10:10, “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” And in these times, when religion, or any point thereof, is in danger, that is the proper time we ought to make this confession. And it is not enough for us to say over the articles of our belief in general, but whatever point of our religion we see to be in danger, we are obliged to confess that point before the world, and to promise to stand to it.1 And then men attain to a further degree of perfection than before, for before they were only professors of religion, but now they are confessors of it. Third, there is a confession of thanksgiving, and that is when one confesses that the Lord has done great things for them, and so they are thankful. These three confessions of necessity must go together; for he who is not humbled for sin, and has not gotten a sight thereof, that so he may confess it, he will never seek in to Christ; for it is only the sight of the guiltiness of sin that makes any to flee in to Christ. Secondly, if there be not faith to believe in Christ, then there will not be an open confession for him, nor for his truth; and if there be none of these, then you will never confess that the Lord has done great things for you, but when it is done, you will say it is yourself who has done it. But if so be that you see your sense of sin, and of Christ, and of redemption by him, and has faith to believe in him, and to confess him before the world, then you will say, “The Lord has done great things for us.” And, therefore, since you began this day’s exercise with a confession of sin, and we have of late made a public confession of our faith, let us also close this day’s exercise with a confession of thankfulness, from our own experience, and say, “The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”
“The Lord has done great things for us.” In this acknowledgment and confession there be three points considerable of thankfulness, which are all aimed at here. 1. That they were great things were done. 2. Who it was that did them—“The Lord.” 3. That they are done not against us, but “for us.”
First, “great things.” What great things were these? If they will remember all the great things that were done for them from they came out of Egypt, they were great indeed, and would take a long time to tell them, and yet many times do the prophets and servants of God remind them of these. But there were three things that were great in the present deliverance out of Babel. 1. Because it was strange, and a thing they hardly looked for; and therefore in the beginning of this psalm they say, “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were as them who dreamed.” When they heard of such a thing as to be relieved from their captivity, they thought they had been dreaming, to hear of such a sudden and great change to be so unexpectedly done. And you know that dreams are but vain things, and not to be looked to; so they could not believe this, it was so strange; this declares the greatness of it. 2. It was great also in respect of the extent of it. I mean it belonged to all sorts of persons, great and small, rich and poor, men and women, and to each person of all sorts; every one who apprehended the greatness of their captivity apprehended also the greatness of this. And, indeed, the deliverance that belongs both to kirk and country and to every member thereof, these are great deliverances; and this concerned their religion also, because they could not get stayed in Babel, but they were constrained to be idolaters. As you see the three children, they were commanded to fall down before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. 3. And it was great also, because it did concern their consciences, their liberties, their fortunes, their lives, and their posterity also; for their posterity had remained slaves also, if the Lord had not shown this great mercy.
Secondly. “The Lord has done.” And yet it was a king who did set them free, even Cyrus; he was the instrument of returning their captivity. But what was it that moved Cyrus to do this? We cannot say that it was religion, for he was a stranger to that. Second, we cannot say it was policy moved him, for he had a great, numerous, and virtuous people in captivity, and so we cannot say it was policy did move him to let them go. And besides this, we hear not that he relieved any more captives that year, whereas he had many more. And therefore, seeing it was not religion moved him to do it, nor was it policy; and seeing their deliverance was not common with others, but singular, it behooved only to be the Lord who did it: yea, whatever was the king’s intention the Lord was the doer of it, for he put it in the king’s heart. For the Lord has not only power to work by second causes, but by the hearts of men also.
Thirdly. “For us.” They had had but little cause of thanksgiving, if these great things had been done for the enemies, and against them; but they were done only for them: and that indeed makes the thankfulness great. The Babylonians and they among the heathens said, “The Lord has done great things for them;” but they say, “The Lord has done great things for us.” The infidels wonder at that which was done; not that anything was done for themselves, but when they saw that which was done for God’s people; and God’s people turn it over again, and say, “The Lord has done great things for us.”
Beloved, these are the considerations that I would have you to think upon in your thankfulness to God now. 1. That they be great things which the Lord does for you; for if you only think them to be common things with the rest of the world, you will not be thankful for them. God has made the world; that is a great work; and he upholds it, and all that is therein; that is another great work: and we are obliged to be thankful for these. And moreover, he has sent his Son to the world to die for your redemption, and his Spirit from heaven for your sanctification: all this may be said to be done for you in particular, for there is enough there for all mankind, if they have faith to believe. But I may say, moreover, since the last we met here at this occasion, the Lord has done great things for us, even for us in this land, and for us in this house in particular,2 because then we had no expectation that it should have been thus; it was to us a dream. And indeed, I think the like of this has never been seen—so soon and so great a change: surely it is wonderful in our eyes that the Lord has done this for us. It is also great because of the extent of it; for it concerns all in the land, from the highest to the lowest; and it concerns them also in everything they have to do with. For if the Lord had not been pleased to have dealt thus wonderfully with us, we had died in captivity, all ways, both in our consciences, for they had been chained; our bodies had been in slavery, our means in danger,3 our liberties taken away; and our posterity would still have been slaves also.4 And therefore I say it, and indeed I think all must say it, that indeed they are wonderfully great things. 2. Now shall we not say that it is the Lord who has done this? Surely it is the Lord only who has done it, and no other. It is true, indeed, he has called many worthy instruments to the doing of it; yet they themselves have been forced to acknowledge that it is only the Lord who is the doer of every point of it. Howsoever, indeed, they ought to be respected as those whom the Lord has employed as instruments, but it is the Lord who is master of work, and they do all by his permission and direction. “Not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give glory.” Ay, indeed, we have continual reason to say this. 3. These great things are done also “for us.” He might have done great things against us, but he has done them for us. For if the course had proceeded which was once beginning among us, (and some malicious enemies are yet working so fast as they can,) what could we have looked for but that we should have been overspread with all sort of idolatry? And then the heavy vengeance of God should have lighted upon us. But the Lord has been very gracious to us, in holding these evils off us, and in doing great things for us. And therefore, I would have all to consider of this, and all who are in any doubt of these things, I desire no more but that they should humbly submit themselves to God, and see whether or not these be great things that are done, because beyond all our expectation, and because of the extent of them, and to see also that it is the Lord who has done them, and he has also done them for us. I know how men do slander these whom God hath employed into this great work; but if so be that we have the warrant of God for that which we do, and our hearts be honest in the doing of it, we need not to care for those foul aspersions that they would put upon us, by following it.
Now what wrought this upon them? “We are glad.” It is impossible, yea, flesh and blood cannot conceive what gladness will be in the heart of man when they see that God has done anything for them. When but a great man does anything for us, especially the thing itself which they do being great, as when we have committed treason, and a great man, or the king himself, deal for us to get us free, we will think that a very great matter, worthy to be rejoiced in; but when the Lord does great things for us, our cause of rejoicing is far greater then. Only consider this: that rejoicing is only proper to some in the world, but it is common to all the godly; ay, I may say, it is proper to the godly also, for it is the prerogative of the children of God, that they may always rejoice. That you may perceive the truth of this, you must know the difference wherein it stands. 1. In the cause of their rejoicing. The godly man rejoices because he has the Lord to be his God, and he lifts up the light of his countenance upon him; but for the worldly man, he is as the rich worldling, he rejoices only when his corn and his oil does abound, and when his barns are full; then he says, “Soul, take thee rest, for thou has enough laid up for many years.” This is the great difference between the child of God and the worldling. The child of God has evermore his eye towards God, and his sorrow is when God withdraws himself, and he sees not his face; but he rejoices when he has the light of his countenance; but for the worldly man, he only rejoices in the things of the world. 2. The joy of the child of God is a full and perfect joy. I mean not that the children of God attain to perfection of joy here, but only it is so in comparison with the wicked, or the worldly man—it is a shouting joy. 3. The joy of the child of God, it is a heavenly and spiritual joy for the quality of it; but the joy of the worldling, it is but carnal, natural, and worldly. And I may add to these also, that it is an abiding joy; for the child of God, when he is once entered into the state of grace, he abides into it, and that indeed is matter of great joy. Then, beloved, since this is the joy of the godly, let us labor for it—to have a divine joy, coming from divine grounds, and such a joy as in the quality thereof is heavenly and spiritual, in quantity full, and in the continuance everlasting, and then we may be sure that such a joy shall abide, not only so long as we are here, but it shall also be perfected hereafter.
II. But yet, for all this, there is no such cause of rejoicing, but there is also great cause of supplicating, and therefore he subjoins to this a prayer, “Turn again our captivity, as the rivers of the south.” How can this be, that he returns to prayer again? For he has said, “The Lord has brought back our captivity,” even the captivity of Zion; and seeing he had restored Zion to her former liberty, which was the worship of God, they behooved also to be restored; yea, that God was not worshipped at Zion, was a greater cause of sorrow to them than their own captivity, and therefore, in bringing back the captivity of Zion, they behooved to rejoice more than in their own. What then is it that makes them to pray thus? The reason was this: they acknowledge that there was also much wrought by God already in bringing them from this captivity, as they had just cause to rejoice; but as there was much wrought, so there was much to work also; and so they acknowledge by their prayer, that he who has begun the good work must perfect it. And, therefore, now they beseech the Lord that, seeing he has begun to turn again their captivity, he would not leave off now till it be perfected. There were two causes specially made them to pray this. First, there were a number of those who were called the people of God, who, when their liberty was proclaimed, did not return again to their own land, but stayed still in Babel, notwithstanding the proclamation that was made. And there were but a few of them who longed for this deliverance, for some of them had gotten fat worldly portions made up there, and had allied themselves with those people, and so had no will to leave that land to return to their own. The second reason was because they, who, at the proclamation, had returned to their land were daily in danger, either by the hostilities of the enemies, or that another king should arise, and through his change they should be brought back, or that Cyrus' own heart should change again; and therefore they are earnest with God in their prayers “to turn again their captivity.” That is, that he would move others who have not as yet returned to return, and that he would be a guard every way to those who are returned, that they be not drawn back again.
And indeed, these are the same reasons that we have even now to pray to God to return our captivity. The Lord, indeed, is begun to return our captivity, and we have cause to rejoice and be glad of it. But we have also cause to be humbled before God, and to pray to him. First, because there be many who, albeit this deliverance be offered to them, yet they love it not. Many will allege that if the king would proclaim this liberty to them, O then they would be glad, and would accept of it with all their hearts; but since it is not so, they will not go before the consent of authority: and indeed this is one chief cause that hinders authority from giving their consent. And I verily believe that some who says so, albeit that the king’s mind should change, and he should become as one of us into the matter, yet they would not accept of that offer of liberty, for it is the thing they do not desire. I know of some who have said that before they abode the censure of the General Assembly they had rather abide the Spanish Inquisition; and indeed I think it is true, for they would pass freer without a censure in the one nor in the other.5 For they love idolatry, and affect it, and their hearts are going that road; and so they rue from their hearts, that there is anything done to stop it. It might be, indeed, that they would make a form to consent, if so be that the king would ordain it; but it would be against the heart. And therefore we should pray to the Lord to let them see the right, and to bring them from their captivity to liberty. And then, beloved, for ourselves who are returned, we may be in great danger yet, for we may be soon reduced again, for as far as we are on. Yet if it be so, we will have the guilt of it ourselves; for if we return to the Lord with all our hearts, then he will be our God, and we will be his people; and there may be some little captivity for a while, but if we will endure to the end, and go on in his strength, there is no question but he will perfect the work that he has begun.
“As the rivers in the south.” What means this? It is the water that comes toward the south parts which makes the hottest climate, because of the direct beams of the sun towards them; such as the deserts of Arabia were to Judea. When rivers come out of these places, there is great need of them, and they make great refreshment where they come. How came these streams? For if they came from Arabia, then they were torrents; they came through the melting of the snow off the hills, and that filled the water pools; and now it is turned as streams in the south.6
1. We may see here that the souls of God’s children, when they are in spiritual captivity—when they see that God is not honored, that religion is not rightly set up, that people’s souls get not good food, they are like ground gaping to heaven for a shower, or like sandy deserts that are brunt up for want of rain, and looks mournful till they get it. And indeed I put no question, but there have been many in this land these bygone years, who have been like dry gaping earth, wishing and praying earnestly for a deliverance to the kirk of God within this land: and that any deliverance is now begun into this land, it is to be imputed to that, that God has heard these prayers, and is now begun to send an answer to them.7 And so let us still strive to win nearer to God, and pray more earnestly to him, and when he begins to deliver, take that as an answer to our prayers. 2. We may see here, when deliverance comes, it makes the hearts of God’s people to be glad, as the streams do the dry gaping ground in the desert. 3. We may see here what is the way they seek of returning their captivity: they pray to God to do it. It were to be wished that our captivity here were returned, by turning our king’s heart the right way, and that our deliverance should come that way. There be two ways of delivering God’s people from their enemies. First, as the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians, by a terrible, strong, and mighty hand. The Lord forbid that ever we see that day here that we be put to that! And therefore, we should pray to the Lord that he would exert his influence on our king’s heart, that so he may take such a course as may tend most for the honor of God, the establishing of religion, and for the salvation of poor souls, and for establishing himself and his crown to his generation after him perpetually. These, indeed, should be our wishes, that our deliverance may come that way; and therefore let us supplicate his Majesty continually for that end. And when he will not hear our supplications, (as the Lord forbid it come to that, and we trust in God it shall never come to it), then let us double our petitions and supplications to God, that he who has the hearts of all men into his hands would incline his heart to that which is most agreeable to his will, and may be most comfortable both for himself and for others.8
III. There is a prophetical confidence that it shall be so, according to their prayer. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” And then, in the next verse, he sets it down more fully; “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” That is, albeit he buy his seed at a dear price, and go forth with a sad heart to sow it, yet when he brings in sheaves thereof, he shall have a shouting joy.
Only observe two things here. 1. That the afflictions of God’s people are as sowing in tears; wherein there is three things. First, in sowing you know there is great pains. The land must be first tilled and dressed before the seed be cast into it; and there is pains in casting the seed into it; and then it must be covered with ground. And then it takes a great dressing all the year, before it be set into the barnyard. There is none of you who are ignorant of this, but the sowing of the seed requires great labor and pains. Secondly, it requires great charges too, and therefore it is called “precious seed.” For you know seed-corn is aye dearest; but especially when other corn is dear, then it is very dear: yet albeit it were never so dear, the husbandman resolves that he must have it, and he will hold it out of his own belly, from his wife, children, and servants; and will take it to the ground, and sow it; and he will go out weeping with it. And so you see that with the pains there is also great charges. Thirdly, there is also great hazard, for corn, after that it is sown, is subject to many dangers. And so is it, indeed, with the children of God in a good cause. First, they must resolve to take pains about it, for that is a preparing of the ground for seed; and if there be not a seed time, how can you look for a harvest, and so to reap anything? Remember that every step you give in a good cause, is a handful of seed, and then, when you bestow charges upon a good cause, count up that. Why not? Yet remember it is a sowing of seed, it must yield usury to you; and so indeed it will yield most of anything that ever you had. He can give a hundredfold more in this life, but afterward it will yield much more. Thirdly, you must resolve to undergo hazards also, in life, lands, moveables, or whatsoever else you have in the world: rather hazard all these before either religion be in hazard, or your own souls. And if the Lord shall cast your knot of time, so that either you must quit the world, or quit the way of salvation, rather quit the world, and all that is in it. And therefore consider of this, that if you either undergo pains, or charges, or hazards for a good cause, that it is only sowing of seed, that so you may do it the more willingly. There is a speech to this purpose, in Psalm 129: some there are compared to ploughmen, and some are compared to the land that is tilled by them. The enemies and persecutors of the children of God are put to pains, and sow the seed, but God makes his children to reap the increase. O but this be a considerable seed-time for the children of God!
2. Then after the seed-time follows the harvest: and that comes with joy, and that is a shouting joy. For then they get more than they could have looked for; and it is not leaves which they get, as in the spring, but it is fruits, such as are in harvest, at Michaelmas. There be three degrees of the happiness of God’s children, in reaping of fruits. First, in the first-fruits. Even when they are enduring anything for the gospel of Christ, it carries contentment and fruit with it: but chiefly it has contentment when we find the Lord working that in us, first to believe the gospel, then to do according to it, and then to be content to suffer for it. When the Lord works this in a soul, then he gives them a further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and that is a handful of the first-fruits; and he gives them also a further measure of sanctification than they had before. As I put no question but many in this land, who have been employed about this work, have found further assurance of the pardon of their sins, and a further measure of sanctification; and it works in them an earnest desire to study after sanctification, and to get victory over their corruptions. And if it be in sincerity, then it will prevail; and then they will find peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Second, after the first-fruits, then come sheaves, not singles9, but sheaves, to refresh the husbandman, and to assure him that the full harvest is coming. And when he threshes these sheaves, and they yield well, then they are great comforts to him. So the Lord now and then gives testimony of a full deliverance to his own people, especially of the deliverance of Zion, and lets them taste of the sheaves which they have reaped. And lastly, they get the full harvest: and that is gotten at that great and last day, but not till then. And that is above all others that we get; for then we get peace without trouble, joy without grief, profit without loss, pleasure without pain; and then we have a full sight of the face of God. This is the way out that the children of God get from all their troubles—even a plentiful harvest in the hinder-end.
Surely, beloved, we have no skill to make the right use of these favors that the Lord bestows upon us. What does man do when he is resisting any sin? He thinks it a grief to do so, because it mars him of some present honor, pleasure, profit, ease, etc., and so he only compares his present pain with his present pleasure; but the best comparing is to compare the present pain with the pain that is to come afterwards, or with the pleasure that shall be afterwards; for if the present trouble be great in resisting, the trouble afterwards will be much greater if we yield. And compare the pleasure we have in yielding with the loss of the testimony of a good conscience, which passes all earthly pleasure. And let us evermore compare the present afflictions with the eternal weight of glory, which is to come, and then we shall be forced to say with the apostle, “That the light afflictions of this present life are not worthy to be compared with that exceeding weight of glory.” Therefore, beloved, be not shortsighted, as those whom the apostle Peter speaks of, as those who have poor eyesight cannot see far off; but in seed-time let us look to the harvest, and that in due season we shall reap the fruits of our labors. And we must not look for harvest at Whitsunday, but wait on till the due time; and if we will sow our seeds in tears, and wait on, then we shall get a eternal recompense of them all, when we shall get that great and eternal crown of glory put upon our heads, which is purchased for us by Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.