weight anu responsibility. And he who shall be a rejoicing reaper in the Lord's harvest- field is one to whom his sacred toil has been the burden of the Lord to him. This burden is made up of a deep sense (1) of his own insufficiency for the ,vork; (2) ot the urgent need for the work to be done; (3) of the shortness of time which remains for this work to be done; and (4) of the heavy respmsibility restir.g U[JOn him to be faithful in the work (2 Cor. v. 11). There mav or may not be tears npo:.i his face, but there certainly will be in bis heart. Often will he weep there. 'l'heso are the men who do the Lord's work, and win men in throngs for him. 3. He bears precious seed. The seed is the Word of God: that is settled for us by our Lord himself (Lnke viii. 5, 11; 1 Pet. i. 23). And it is as seed, because it has transforming power. The corn of wheat, when sown, lays hold on the elements of the soil around it, and transmutes them into its own substance, changes them into its own image and likeness. So does the Word of God in the heart of man. And it is "precious seed" because of what it is in itself. Who can calculate its value? And because he who sows it has found its value for himself; he has had experimental knowledge of its preciousness. Now, this seed he scatters in the furrows, as be has been bidden of the Lord to do; and he docs it in the confident belief that God will bless his work, and the harvest shall follow. Such is he who becomes the rejoicing reaper. II. WHAT HE NOW IS. We see him coming "again with rejoicing," etc. 1. Ooming again. That is, coming back from the field homewards. So shall the faithful servant of God, as he wends his homeward way, be seen, not with downcast, disappointed look, _ but with rejoicing, because of the good success of his toil. Such mer., ere they reach home, find their way lit up with the sunset ~low, tho eventide light, which the harvest joy brings to them. 2. "With rejuicing." How many are the springs of thnt joy I- that he has been himself saved; that he has been allowed to engage in the work; that he bas been kept faithful and persevering in the work; that he bas been made successCul in the work; that be is now going home to bis Lord to enter into his joy for ever. Oh, joy unspeakable and full of glory I 3. "Bringing his sheaves with him." (Cf. Rev. xiv. 13, "Their works do follow them.") Some of the corn has got home beforo the reaper, but there is much he brings with him, and yet more that will follow. III. 'l'HE BOBE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE Two. "Doubtless." There is no con- tingency, no mere" perhaps;" bis "labour is not in vain in the Lord." Faithful toil shall not fail of reward. God will see to this; he ever h11S, he ever will.-S. 0. Ver. 1.-Turning captivity into liberty. Is that always, altogether, and necessarily, n good thing? "When the edict of Cyrus went forth allowing the captives to return, it was eo unexpected, it was so miraculous, that we deemed the accomplishment of ancient prophecy a dream." "To turn again captivity" is to bring back God's redeemed ones. Perowne skilfully presents the points of thought and feeling in this psalm. "The first colony of exiles bad returned to Palestine. But, after e.11, what was that little band of settlers which formed the first caravan? It was but as the trickling of a tiny rill in some desert waste. Hence the prayer bursts from tho lips of the psalmist, 'Bring back our captives like mighty streams, which, swollen by the wintry rains, descend to fertilize the parched and desolate wildcmess.' 'l'hen comes the thought of the many discouragements and oppositions which the first settlera b11od to encounter; it was a time of sowing in tears. Still, faith could expect a joyful harvest. Ho who had restored them to the land would assuredly crown hiR work with blessing.'' I. CAl'TIVlTY IS DEST WHILE WE CHERISH SELF-DEPENDENCE. Becauso it moans that we 11,re under the Divine discipline. So long as we are wrong-minded-and to be self-trusting is to be wrong-minded-the saddest thing that could happen to u:1 is for God to let us alone. That he is smiting us is the all-satisfactory proof that be is intimately concerned for our truest well-being. Until Israel had lost that self-reliance which bad wrought such mischief for the nation, it was altogether best in captivity, heavy strain tbouuh that was to them. The time our co.ptivity continues is always the Divine measu::iment of the time necessary for doing tbo work of our captivity. If true-hearted, we should not desire relief from affliction ono moment beforo God's time bas come. Far better to keep the humili,,tion and aflli1:tion than to keep the scli'- dc1,endence. THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. uXXVI. 1-6.
II. LIBERTY IS BEST WHEN '\lE HAVE LEARNED TO DEPEND ON Goo. And that is the lesson to be learned in all captivities and afflictions. Liberty is then best, because the man or the nation knows what to do with it. The victim of the French Revolution, apostrophizing liberty, said, "0 Liberty, what crimes are committed in thy name I" Liberty is but captivity of another kind, when man has no principle and rule for his use of it. Restored Israel could have its liberty, because it had learned to lean on God.-R. T.