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I. A POLITICAL FACT, EMBLEMATIC OF MORAL RESTORATION. The political fact here celebrated is the return of the Jews from Babylonian thraldom, through the interposition of Cyrus.

1. The political restoration was great. It was a restoration from exile, bondage, and destitution of religious privileges. And are not souls in their unregenerate state exiles alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, slaves "carnally sold under sin," destitute of true religion, without God and without hope in the world?

2. It was Divine. Who else can effect the salvation of the soul?

II. A HUMAN EXPERIENCE COMMON TO MOST MEN.

1. A great difficulty to realize at once a great and unexpected event (ver. 1). There is mercy in this. Could we fully realize such events as they occur, our nervous systems would be shattered, our mental powers would be paralyzed. Thank God for this dreaming faculty, a faculty which weakens the force of terrible events.

2. The irrepressibility of strong emotions (ver. 2). There are emotions to which souls are susceptible that cannot always be suppressed; they are electric, and must break in thunder and flash in lightning. These emotions are useful, they clarify the atmosphere and bring in the sunny and serene.

3. The inspiring force of success (ver. 2).

4. Love for others increasing with increased blessings (ver. 4). He who practically appreciates the blessings he receives from Heaven will desire that others may participate in the same. He who is good will do good, he who is truly pious will be philanthropic.

5. True happiness comes out of suffering (ver. 5).

(1) It comes out of the sufferings of others. How much of the enjoyments of the men of this age have come out of the sorrows and tears of the men of past generations!

(2) It comes out of the sufferings of ourselves. Godly repentance is the essential condition of spiritual enjoyment. "Through much tribulation," etc.

6. Genuine work for others, however painful, will be prosperous (ver. 6).

(1) Philanthropic acts are seeds. There is a germinic life in every noble act, a life capable of indefinite multiplication.

(2) The sowing of these seeds is often very painful. "Sow in tears." Parents, ministers, missionaries, all will attest this.

(3) However painful, their harvest will reward the sower amply. They will yield "sheaves." They fall into the soil of human souls, and this soil is fecundant and imperishable.

(Homilist.)

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KJV: {A Song of degrees.} When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

WEB: When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.