The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 200

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-6.-" Like them that dream." I. THE DREAM. It was a delightful one. 1. T!tere are many of quite another kind--dreams full of trouble, terror, and distress. Many such are recorded in Scripture (Gen. xl.; Dan. ii.; Job vii. 14; Jllatt. xxvii. 19). 2. But this was full of joy and rapture. So unexpected, so wonderful, was Israel's redemption from exile. They could hardly realize how blessed they were, For it was a reality, not a dream. More often the daylight destroys our dreams; but this joy remained, 3. .And their joy was irrepressible. (\7 er. 2.) How sadly little of such joy do we see in the redeemed people of the Lord to-day I If they had not been redeemed at all, they could scarcely be more sad, 4:, Their joy compelled the confession of God's goodness to them on the part of heathen nations. A glad Church is ever a conquering Church. A realized redemption will be rejoiced in by the redeemed themselves, and recognized by others yet waiting to be redeemed, The world wants still to see a joyful witness-bearing Church. ,vhen such Church is seen, then, perhaps, the millennium will have come. Ilut let each consciously redeemed soul bear its testimony here and now, not waiting for others. It is who.t ought to be. II. THE DREAM MODIFIED BY THE DAYLIGHT. (Ver. 4.) For: 1. The company of e:riles who had come back were but as a handful, as a tiny rill, the wonde1· of which was that it did not dry up, there was so little of it. Such rills generally did dry up, EIS the bE1re watar-courses proved, And the company of those returned from Babylon, they were, oh, so few; the great majority were in exile still, and they themselves were threatened with all me.oner of opposition (Ezra. iv. 11-24). 2. Hence there rose up tlie prayer, "Tum again our captivity," etc.; that is, "Bring bnck our exiles, 0 Lord, in such strength and numbers, that it shall be with us as with the slender stream when, by the melting of the mountain snows, its waters a.re swollen into a full, rapid, mighty torrent, bearing all before it; let there be such an increase for us, thy people." And is not this the very prayer the Church needs to-day? for the com- pany of God's faithful people, a.re not they in this desert world but as e. handful, a "little flock," a tiny rill? Let us each say our "Amen." III. IluT REALIZED AGAIN DY FAITH IN TIIE PROMISES 01" GoD. (Vera. 5, 6.) It might be amid drenching rains the sower went forth to cast into the ground his handful of seed, but the promises of God to such as he never failed, aud in due time the glad harvest was given. So the devout psalmist looked now on himself and his little com- pany of fellow-exiles, no longer EIS a tiny rill rca,ly to be dried up and perish, but as the sower's handful of seed which amid much toil he sowed; but sustained by the sure confidence that thf, harvest would make amends for all. Aud for the Christian worker to-do.y, the lonely missionary in China, India, Central Africa, and elsewhere; ah I with what tears these servants of God often go forth I Ilut they bear the precious seed, precious in itself, precious in 1heir own experience of its power; and they, too, are sustiLined, as all true workers for God must be, by the faith that" doubtless," without any possibility of failure, they shall come a.gain to God who sent them forth, bringing with joy the rich results of their present toil and prayer. Let us pray for such sowers. Let ue be SUCij o\irselves,-S. 0,  222 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. CXXVI, 1-8.