Sowing in tears, reaping in joy. (Quality: very good)

[0:00] Trusting once again in the help of the Lord, we will turn to Psalm 126, verses 5 and 6.

[0:16] The 126th Psalm, the 5th and the 6th verses. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

[0:31] He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

[0:45] The 126th Psalm, the 5th and the 6th verses. This Psalm is generally understood to be written.

[0:59] It was written, we suppose, on that occasion.

[1:35] But we are certain of this, that in the second verse, we read, It then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.

[1:48] And then said they, among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

[2:02] And undoubtedly, it was a time of great gladness and great rejoicing. But also, you see, in these things, sometimes the Lord directs his dear people into some of those past experiences.

[2:25] And we cannot doubt that when the children of Israel, through their own folly and their sin, the Lord turned them into the captivity of Babylon.

[2:46] And undoubtedly, there was in that place a sowing in tears. Dear friends, you see, our text says, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

[3:03] Well, I believe it's an experience and a condition that all of God's people know in some measure.

[3:16] Some undoubtedly know more of sowing in tears. But those, I believe, that know more of sowing in tears, they also shall know more in concern with the reaping in joy.

[3:36] Well, we know we come here this afternoon to thank the dear Lord for again fulfilling that which was spoken of in creation almost, that there should be sowing time, there should be a harvest time, and there should be cold, and there should be heat.

[4:05] Well, dear friends, all I just want to say is this concerning, concerning the harvest, which we do thank the dear Lord, that once again he hath appeared so wonderfully for us and on behalf of us.

[4:26] We often wonder for the many sins that this nation is guilty of and what the Lord would do to this once favoured Ireland.

[4:43] But again, there hath been a sowing time, and also there hath been a reaping time. Well, dear friends, I am certain that we would all join together to thank the dear Lord for his wonderful mercies made known in that national and in that providential way.

[5:06] But what I want to come to, my dear friends, more particularly is the experiences of God's dear people. And first, I would just briefly direct your attention to the dear apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, or shall I say more correctly, his disciples, when Jesus was about to be taken from them, because Jesus said unto them, a little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

[5:56] Now, this disturbed and distressed the dear disciples, because they could not understand the meaning of what the Lord said, a little while, and ye shall not see me, and a little while, ye shall see me.

[6:15] And, of course, the Lord knew all those things that were troubling and distressing his dear disciples.

[6:29] So he says, What is that he saith unto us, a little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

[6:41] They said, Therefore, what is this that he saith? A little while, we cannot tell what he saith. Now, Jesus knew, and that they desired to ask him, and he said unto them, Do you inquire among yourselves?

[6:58] He undoubtedly saw their sorrow, and he said, Do you inquire among yourselves?

[7:10] What I said? A little while, and ye shall not see me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament.

[7:26] You see, dear friends, I believe, I don't want to say anything wrong, but I believe it's the path of the Lord's disciples.

[7:38] Of course, we are not brought into those same circumstances as these disciples were in at this present time, but I believe it is a part of the life of the Lord's disciples, whereby he says, Very, very, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

[8:17] Oh, dear friends, these are not the words of a poor, feeble man. They are the words of a faithful God speaking unto his dear people.

[8:31] I know not, I know not, and where there is that one, or there may be more, that the Lord has seen fit, and to bring them in a time of sorrow, and that sorrow, of course, will bring, not necessarily, eye tears, but heart tears.

[8:58] You see, eye tears may be, may be, may be quite easily to, to, to perform, but it is heart tears, I believe, that the dear Lord sees, and, and acknowledges.

[9:11] Well, well, well, well, he says, ye shall, he says concerning his disciples, and if we are amongst his disciples, we shall know something, of weeping, and the lamenting, and the world rejoicing.

[9:27] Well, dear friends, do we know, some, something of, of these things, and then, and he says, I've, I've already put before you, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow, shall be turned, into joy.

[9:42] Then, then, then, then he, he, he brings us, this, and this, and that we may, understand it more, more fully. He says, the woman, when she is in trouble, of her sorrow, because her hour is come, but as soon, as she is delivered, of the child, she remembereth no more, the anguish, for joy, that a man is born, into the world.

[10:09] Then he comes to this point, that, that, that I, I want to set before myself, I want to set before you each, whether you are younger, or older, he says, and, and, and, and ye now, not, not, not in some time, time hence, but, but, but ye now, therefore, have sorrow, but I will see you again, and, and your heart, shall rejoice, and, and your joy, no man, taketh from you.

[10:42] I do trust, dear friends, be, because, and there are many sorrows, many difficulties, many, many, many things, that, that you know, that, that, that causes us, great concern, from within, and from without, and, and, these are, these are sorrows, sorrows, because, who, who can consider, the, the, the, in, in, in, in our, in our day, without, without that sorrow, of, of, of heart, and, and, and, and, there, there, there may be with some, though, and, and, they, they have those tears, but, dear friends, the dear Lord, how, how he encourages, his dear people, in, in, in, in a time of trouble, and sorrow, and, he, he, he, he says this, he, he, he, he, he says, and now you, therefore, have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice.

[11:48] You know, it's a wonderful thing. Every member, friends, he is a faithful God, and those shalls, and those wills, must, and they will be performed.

[12:02] We need patience, to wait upon the Lord. We need faith, and to look alone, unto him, and, and, and, and, and he says, he says, and your heart shall, shall rejoice, and it is a joy, that, that no man, take it from you.

[12:24] Well, dear friends, could the dear Lord, could he have said, anything better, unto his sorrowing disciples, and, and, and now, now, our text says, they that sow in tears, they shall reap in joy.

[12:42] What a wonderful joy, that is, when the Lord, that the Lord grants to his dear people, a little joy, and peace, in believing.

[12:53] And, and that, and that soul is lifted up above, above, above all, all those sorrows, they, they've, they've sowed, they've sowed the ground, for rejoicing, in their tears, and now, and now, I'm not going to, to say, dear friends, when, when the, when the, the Lord will, will, will bring that, that state of rejoicing, that no man, take it away from us, but what I do know, is this, and of course, you all know it, when the seed, is sown, into the, into the ground, we, we, we know this, it doesn't immediately, spring up, there, there is, there is a time, and that, and that, and that time, for the husband man, undoubtedly, I, I, I've never been, been, been in that, in that way, but, but, but, but, undoubtedly, the husband man, is very concerned, and he goes, he, he goes to his field, which, which he has sown, and, and perhaps he finds, but very little, or, or no, evidences, of, of, of that seed, spring, springing up, first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn, in the air, is it not so, my dear friends, the dear, the, the dear Lord, hath appointed, a time, and where, where, whereby this, this soul will be brought, and to rejoice, and it will be a joy, that no man can take away from him, because he, he will rejoice, in, in, in, in the dear Lord, and for all that, that, that he or she trusts, that, that, that he had, he had done for, for, for them, in the way of salvation, and, and, and, and deliver them, from sin, death, and, hell, which of, which of course, it is a great way, of rejoicing, these captives, that were in Babylon, undoubtedly, rejoiced, that, that they, that they were freed, from their captivity, but all to rejoice, dear friends, in that way, whereby, whereby the Lord makes, he makes himself known, as that great deliverer, to deliver us, delivering us, from sin, death, and, hell, or, or, or, what a wonderful, and, and you see, although, although, although, these things, will undoubtedly, be tried, but dear friends, the, the, the very essence, and the foundation, of these things, can never be removed, from, from, from the sinner's heart, and soul, and so, and so, there, there is, there is, from time to night, time to time, a little renewing, my dear friends, of, of, of that joy, can you not go back, when, when, when, when we had, when we had, that first ray of hope, that the dear, the, the dear Lord, had quickened our souls, into divine life, and, and, and, and he's, he's, he's delivered us, from, from the curse of the law, the condemnation, the condemnation, of the law, and, and the, and, and, all, all that, all that the Lord, will inflict, upon those, that know nothing, of that great salvation, that the dear Lord, went forth, and to, to accomplish, for all of his dear people, well dear friends, these, these things are sown, and, and, and we, and we know, that as I've already just said, that seed doth not directly come, come, come up where, where there is, the evidence is, but that, but that soul doth not lose, the sweetness, that soul doth not lose, the power, and that soul doth not, doth not lose, lose the blessedness of it, but we know, my dear friends, we have, we have still, that rotten old nature, that, that, that, that, that, that nature, that is a, is an enmity against God, and, and that there is, there is so much that, that, that we are called upon to endure, but blessed be his great, and his glorious name, that work, that, that he, that he, he, he does, in the soul, for the, for the salvation of that soul, can never be erased, as I, as you, as undoubtedly you prove this, that faith, my dear friends, no degrees, but, but that faith, that faith, in, in the blood, and the atonement, of our Lord, and, the Lord and Saviour,

[17:46] Jesus Christ, can never completely be removed, because, that life, is a divine life, and that, and that, and that faith, although, although it, as the hymn writer says, I believe, it, it can be damned, but it can never die, well, dear friends, what an unspeakable mercy, if we know something, of sowing, in tears, and also, reap, reap, reap, reap, in joy, now, there, now, there's another, another thing, I, I, I, I just want, a very similar thing, in the, in the, 20th of, of, of, of St. John's Gospel, you, you, you all, you all know, when, when, when dear Mary, and she, and she went to the sepulcher, and she went to the sepulcher, weeping, dear friends, what, what, what, what a wonderful favour, if you and I have been brought, to weep, concerning, the, the sufferings, and the, and all that the dear Lord, endured for, for his dear people's sake, and, and these sufferings, have brought, have brought you to weep, and, and you, you are, you are sowing, sowing in this way, you're, you're sowing in tears, concerning the sufferings, of the Lord Jesus Christ, well, well,

[19:16] Mary, we, we, we read, she stood without the sepulcher, weeping, and as she wept, she, she stooped down, and, and she looked in the sepulcher, and, and she sees two angels, in white, and sitting, the one at the head, and the other, at the, at the feet, where, where, and where the body of Jesus, had had lain, and they say unto her, woman, why weepest thou?

[19:44] Well, she answered, in, in this way, she, she said, because, they have taken away, my Lord, and I know not, where they have, laid him.

[19:57] Now, dear friends, as you know, we shall never have that same experience as Mary, but, but we do know, we do know something, of the withdrawing, of the presence, and the love, the help, and the grace, of the dear Lord.

[20:16] Has the, have these things, my dear, dear friends, brought us, in that way, and we've sowed in tears, and we've sowed in tears, because we know, that our sins, have separated us, from, from the dear Lord Jesus.

[20:34] Well, well, Mary, of course, she, she came, to take away, that, that body, for, for she, she, the, the angel said, woman, why weepest thou?

[20:47] She said unto them, because they have taken away, my Lord, and I know not, where they have laid him. And, and, and, and when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus, standing, and knew not, that it was Jesus.

[21:03] Jesus said unto her, woman, why weepest thou? All the tenderness, the compassion, the wonders of, our dear Lord, after he was risen, from the dead.

[21:19] Woman, why weepest thou? And, and, and the, and, and she turned herself, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, I'm sorry, then, and, and, and, and she said, and, when, when, when the Lord said, woman, why weepest thou?

[21:40] And, whom seekest thou? She supposed him to be the gardener, said unto him, sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

[21:55] All the love, my dear friends, that prompted, and that dear woman, whom the Lord cast out, seven devils, the love that, that prompted, that, the, that dear woman, and, and to, to take the Lord Jesus away, if someone had taken him away, she was going, she was going to find him, and take him, we know not where, but, undoubtedly, there were, there was something that where, where, where she would have, have, have laid him, and then, and then, and then we read, Jesus said unto her, Mary, oh, you know, look how the dear Lord, my dear friend, addresses, his sorrowful souls, Mary, what there is, dear friends, in that name, we cannot hardly begin, to, to, to, to realize, when, when, when the Lord said,

[22:56] Mary, unto, unto her, on that resurrection morn, she turned herself, and said unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, which is to say, master, Jesus said unto her, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended, to my father, but go, go ye to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and your father, and to my God, and your God, Mary Magdalene came, and told the disciples, that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken, these things unto her, the offenders, the things that he had spoken, to Mary Magdalene, suited to her, very case, now, undoubtedly, in that time of, sowing, in tears, and, and reaping in joy, the dear, the dear, the dear Lord, and will suit, the blessing, unto, your case, and my case, and so, and so we can see, we can see, they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy, well, there's just one more case, very briefly, that, that, that,

[24:11] I want to, I want to, to bring before you, and that is, you, you all know the case, and that is, that is dear Hannah, as you, as you know, she, she, she went up, and to, and to the feast, with the, and with the, Elkanah, and her husband, and we, and the husband said, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and, and why is thine heart grieved, I, am I not, and better to thee, than ten sons, so Hannah rose up, after, after she had eaten, in Shiloh, and after they had drunken, now Eli the priest, and sat, and sat upon a seat, by a post, of the temple, of the Lord, and, and she was, in bitterness, of soul, and, and prayed, unto the Lord, and wept sore, you know of course, the cause, she was childless, and you, and of course, in those days, it was a great reproach, to be childless, and, and, and, and now, and now,

[25:29] Eli, he saw, he saw, he saw Hannah, and, and we, and we, and we read, that she was in bitters of soul, prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore, and she, and she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look upon, the affliction of thine handmaid, and, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but will give thee, give unto thine handmaid, a man child, then I will give, give him unto the Lord, all the days of, of, of his life, and there shall no razor, come, come upon his head, now, now we, now we read, we, we, we read that, that, that Eli, Eli saw her, and of course, he, he, he, he misrepresented, the sorrow that, that Hannah, Hannah was him, you see, and people, may, may, misrepresent, your sorrow, and my sorrow, but, we will be thankful, to the dear Lord, the dear Lord, will never, never misrepresent, any of the sorrows, that his dear people, are brought into, where they sow, in tears, and so, and although, although,

[26:53] Eli, Eli was of the, oppression, that, that she had been drinking, well, well, well, of course, he said, he said, and Hannah answered, no my Lord, I am a woman, of a sorrowful spirit, I have drunk, neither wine, nor strong drink, and for I have poured out, my soul, before the Lord, count not thine handmaid, a daughter of, of Bill, for out of the abundance, of my complaint, and grief, have I spoken, hitherto, then Eli answered, and said, go in peace, as you know, he was a prophet, and he, and he prophesied, this to, Hannah, go, go, go in peace, and the God of Israel, grant thee thy petition, that thou hast, asked, asked of him, and she said, let thy handmaid, find grace in thy sight, for the woman, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance, was no more sad, you see, she wept, my dear friends, in sorrow, but her countenance, now, and was no more, no more in sorrow, and she rept in joy, concerning that, which the Lord, so wondrously, and miraculously, done for her, now, what a, what a wonderful thing, my dear friend, it is for, for, for you and I, and there may be those, that I already said, they are sowing in tears,

[28:28] I am certain of this, that, that, that, that, that there will be, a reaping time, and that reaping, as of course, the harvest came along, naturally, and the, and the Lord, is the master of that harvest, and at an appointed time, the harvest was ready, and it was got in, so, so more, spiritually, there will be an appointed time, when, you, when you and I, will reap in joy, now, there's just, that's another thing, that, that I, I want to bring, bring, bring before us, and that, and that is what the dear, Apostle Paul writes to the church, at, at, at the, at the, the Corinthians, where, where, where, where, where he, where he says, in, in that way, whereby, whereby, whereby, he, he makes him, he makes himself known, in that, in that most wonderful way, when the, when, when, when, when he says this, that, that, that, in that, in that, in that, in that fourth chapter, he says, and for which cause,

[29:43] I speak in now, of, of the, of the time, the time of sorrow, and, and those sowing in tears, now, now, the dear Apostle Paul, he says, he says this, and, and for which cause, we faint not, now, what cause is this, that the dear, Apostle Paul, writes to the church, at Corinth, and I trust, it may, it may, it may be written, to you and I, this afternoon, for, for this cause, we faint not, now, the previous verse, verse, that says, for all things, are for your sakes, what a wonderful thing, dear friends, that this sowing in tears, and this reaping in joy, are for your sakes, it's for his, it's for his dear people's sake, and then, then, then he, then he goes on to say, say, say this, that the abundant grace, might through the thanksgiving, of many, redound to, the glory, of God, now, look at the abundance, of grace, my dear friends, which will redound, to the glory, of God, you see, dear friends, as, and we, we are, if we look at this, sowing in tears, there may be, a spirit of, of, of rebellion, there, there may be, a wrong spirit, arise, in our poor hearts, and should there be one, that that is murmuring, and repining, because they are, in this state, of, of sowing in tears, mark this, dear friends, it's not my word, it's the word, word of the Lord, all things are for, your sakes, that the abundant grace, you see, in the, in this path, dear friends, and, and, and, you, you will prove, the abundance of, the grace of, the dear Lord, you will, you will,

[31:56] I, the Lord will, will, will keep you in that way, whereby, you will feel, underneath are those, everlasting arms, and, and that there, there will be, there will be much help, granted to, to, to this one, that is sowing in tears, concerning, it may be a providential thing, it may be something, in the family, but more, more particularly, I do, I do, and trust, it may be, it may be, soul trouble, and that soul trouble, of course, you, you know not what to do, and as good, as good Jehoshaphat said, when that army was, was coming, again, against him, he knew not what to do, but, our eyes, are upon thee, dear Lord, and, and so, when the Lord, keeps his dear people's eyes, upon, upon him, what, what can do us any, real harm, he, he will, he will uphold that soul, he will, he will, he will preserve that soul, and he will provide that soul, because, because he says, for, for this cause, we faint not, we, we, we faint not, under, under these, these shrine dispensations, with, and, because, of the abundance of grace, you see, there's two things, concerning, the abundance of grace, and that is, for the, for, for the glory, through the, through the thanksgiving, of many, and, and, and the, and the, the thanksgiving, of many, redounding, to the glory, of God, this is the sweet experience, my dear, dear friends, of those, that, that, that, that, that, that are being brought to, sow in tears, and shall, at the appointed time, they shall, reap in joy, because, you see, he says this, for, for, for which cause, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we faint not, but though the outward man perish, yet the inward man is received day by day, then he comes to this great point, dear friends, he, he, he says this, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us, a far more, an exceeding, weight of glory, look, look, could there be a greater joy, in the experience of God's dear people, and to, to enter, just a little, in, into, into, into that, eternal, weight of glory, the glory, my dear friends, of salvation, the glory, of the dear Redeemer, the glory of that great work, that he hath done, whereby, as I've already said, save his dear people, from sin, death, and hell, redeem them by, his own precious blood, then he goes on to say this, for, for we, we look not at the things, which are seen, but we, but we, we look at the things, which are not seen, for the things, which are seen, are temporal, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal, look, the offends, how the dear Lord, weans us,

[35:32] I trust, that we may trace, in the dealings, with, with the dear Lord, he's dealing, dealing with us, in this way, whereby, earthly, earthly, things, are, are less and less, important unto us, it, it, it, it, it is, it is, those, those heavenly things, or, or, or, as, as Paul says, while we look not at the things, which are seen, but the things, which are not seen, for the things, which are seen, are temporal, but the things, which are not seen, they are eternal, the eternal, the eternal safety, and security, of our never dying soul, what wonderful things, my dear friend, that the dear Lord, hath provided, for, for his, his dear people, who are sowing, in tears, they shall reap, in joy, well, I read, of course, the sixth verse, as well, but I, but I,

[36:36] I feel this, dear friends, that that sixth verse, confirms, what, what, what is set, set before us, in the, in the fifth verse, but, but I, I feel that there is, that there is, an exception here, because, in the fifth verse, we, we read, they that sow, that, that, that, that, that, that, that sets, that sets forth, I believe, all the people, of God, they, they that sow in tears, they, they shall reap, in joy, then he comes to, to this singular point, he that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed, I believe, my dear friend, sets forth, the, that, that, that, and that, which, which the dear, the dear Lord ministers, and particularly, perhaps, his pastors, they go forth, my dear friends, and they go forth, weeping, bearing precious seed, is there anything, my dear friends, more precious, than the word of God, that, that, that word of salvation, and that under sweet influence, and power, of the Holy,

[37:54] Holy Spirit, and fits and prepares, a soul for, eternal glory, well, well, I believe it sets forth, the, the, the ministering sermon, but not only so, be, because, I am, I am, I am certain of this, it sets forth, fathers, and mothers, it sets forth, grandparents, as well, concerning their children, and their children's children, and he that goeth forth, weeping, and bearing precious seed, shall doubtless, doubtless, mark these words, doubtless, come again, with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with them, there will be then, dear friends, and that, bountiful harvest, we often are tried, and exercised, are we not, that there seems to be so, little signs, and seals, to our poor ministry, and we, and we feel to be so, imperfect, in our service, unto the dear Lord, but here, here is, a wonderful, confirmation of that, which goes before, they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy, he that goeth forth, and weepeth, weeping over, their children, their children's children, weeping over those, and that, that may have, the Lord hath laid, in your poor heart, well, it is, it is not a fruitless thing, my dear friend, that harvest, will be fruitful, if we go forth, weeping, bearing, that precious seed, that for they shall, doubtless, come again, with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves, with them, but there,

[39:49] I must leave it, may the Lord, at his blessing, Amen.