These afflictions, and these deaths of the saints are very precious; hence it is that the Psalmist calls them “precious seed;” because they are followed by the most fruitful crops, and by the most abundant harvests. But we infants in grace, we poor little children, under our tears and our sighs, understand not the voice, or the mind, or the will of our heavenly Father in these afflictions: nor can we see or understand how precious this seed is in the sight of God; who calls even “death,” (which is the worst and lowest of all these seeds,) “precious;” saying, in another place, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints;” and God sets this precious seed thus sown by his children, before all the treasures of the world. PSALM CXXVII. _The virtue of God’s blessing.—Good children are his gift._ A song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh _but_ in vain. _It is_ vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: _for_ so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children _are_ an heritage of the LORD; _and_ the fruit of the womb _is his_ reward. As arrows _are_ in the hand of a mighty man; so _are_ children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. This Psalm contains a most blessed and important doctrine. It is of the same subject-matter as that contained in the book of Solomon, called Ecclesiastes. The Psalmist teaches, that all governments and commonwealths rightly constituted are the good and free gifts of God: and that none of them can be either rightly constituted, at the first, nor preserved afterwards, by any human wisdom or might: but that all these things are in the hand of God: that, where he giveth not peace, where he giveth not men desirous of the arts of peace, and wise therein, where he holdeth not the helm of the state,—that there, all human wisdom, however great, all laws, all ordinances, all might, all arms, all preparations are vain. In the next place, the Psalmist saith, that where God blesseth not a domestic household, where he giveth not concord between husband and wife, success and happiness in the bringing up of children, diligence and faithfulness to men-servants and maid-servants; there, all labour and industry and toil are vain: concerning all which I have spoken more largely in my more full commentary on this psalm. PSALM CXXVIII. _The sundry blessings which follow them that fear God._ A Song of degrees. Blessed _is_ every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy _shalt_ thou _be_, and _it shall be_ well with thee. Thy wife _shall be_ as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive-plants round about thy table.