Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
CANT. 2. 3. I ſat down under His Shadow with great delight, and His Fruit was ſweet to my Taſte.
YOu heard in the former part of the verſe, that the Lord Jeſus is compared to an Appletree in the midſt of the trees of the wood; and I preſt it upon you the laſt day, that you ſhould be like unto Chriſt: Chooſe to be fruit-bearing trees; it's better to be a fruitful tree than to be a tall Cedar or a mighty Oak; I proceed to what remains.
You have heard of the tree: Now conſider the two reſemblances in which Chriſt is compared unto the Apple-tree. Here is a Specification, or an Illuſtration of the Simile. Firſt, Here is an Apple-tree for the nature; And ſecondly, for the fruit: ſo that theſe words hold forth,
1. Firſt, How Beneficial Chriſt was, and how Beneficial he is as he is a tree. And
2. Secondly, What uſe the believing ſoul makes of him.
Firſt, He is beneficial for his ſhadow, that's delightful, a pleaſant delightful ſhadow. Secondly, Then he is beneficial for his fruit, his fruit that is ſweet alſo: now the uſe that the believing Soul makes of Chriſt is,
Firſt, It ſits down under his ſhadow: I ſat down under his ſhadow with great delight. Secondly, It eats of his fruit; His fruit was ſweet to my taſte: So that both his ſhadow and his fruit is exceeding pleaſant and delightful to the believing Soul.
The words have two ſeveral readings: Some read them thus. In his ſhadow I delight and ſit down; I deſired and ſat down in his ſhadow: Or in his ſhadow I deſired to ſit; I deſired that I might ſit down, for the word ſignifies both deſire and delight, now I take it ſo. I deſired that I might ſit down. It holds forth,
1. Firſt, the Vehemence of affection which is in the believers heart to Chriſt, the mighty ſtrong deſire, the breathings and pantings, the deſires of a gracious heart are carried out ſtrongly after Chriſt; Pſ. 42. 1, 2. they are the expreſſions of mighty ſtrong deſires, vehement deſires after God: as the hart panteth after the water brooks, ſo doth my Soul after thee, O God; my ſoul thirſts after God, for the living God; when ſhall I come and appear before God! ſo, Iſa. 64. 1. the Church expreſſes her ſtrong deſires after God; Oh that thou wouldeſt rent the heavens and that thou wouldſt come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy preſence: the expreſſions of vehement deſires after Chriſt, it's like the deſire of a Servant, or labouring Man after the ſhadow, ſo Job expreſſes it, Job 7. 2. he ſets down what deſire the labouring man hath: as a ſervant earneſtly deſireth the ſhadow, and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his work, he thirſts after it, he breaths after it, when a man deſires and breaths after a thing he draws in the air, he ſucks and pants after it, ſuch is the deſire of a poor Soul.
2. It doth not hold forth only vehemence of deſire, but it holds forth conſtancy of deſire, I deſire that I may ſit down: ſhe was ſat, but ſhe deſired to ſit ſtill, I deſire to ſit longer and to continue under the ſhadow, as a man that ſits under a ſhadowy place at eaſe, he is loth to be diſturbed: One thing have I deſired of the Lord, ſays David, Pſal. 27. his deſires were like unto the deſires of the Spouſe here; v. 4. one thing have I deſired of the Lord, and that will I ſeek after all the dayes of Life, to behold the beautie of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple: David deſired all his dayes to ſit under the Ordinance, that he might behold the beautie of God.
I ſhall look towards the other reading, which is more known: I ſat down under his ſhaddow with delight: Or I delighted and ſat down under his ſhadow, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſte. She had a great delight; as her deſires were ſtrong, ſo her delight was good. When a Soul finds Chriſt, it alway finds a Sweetneſs in him, which is proportionable to all its deſires: It's not ſo in the things of the world: a man may have ſtrong deſires after vanities and creature comforts, but when he enjoyes them, he can take no delight in them; but it is not ſo in the enjoyment of Chriſt, the delight is proportionable to the deſire of the Soul; nay, it's more in Chriſt than it expected: it's able to ſay as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon, I heard a great deal of thy wiſdom, ſaid ſhe, but the half was not told me. I ſhall clear up two things in the words.
1. Firſt, ſhew you what this ſhadow is that the ſpouſe ſat under.
2. Secondly, What is it to ſit under this ſhadow?
1. Firſt, What is the ſhadow the Spouſe ſat under with ſo much delight? they are either natural or metaphorical; you know what a natural ſhadow is, it's a darker or obſcurer light which is cauſed by the Interpoſition of your body betwixt the eye and the ſun, when the Trees or the Mountains ſtand betwixt you and the Sun, they caſt a ſhadow towards you; now there are ſhadows of the night, and ſhadows of the day: indeed night is nothing elſe but a ſhadow, a great ſhadow, nothing but the ſhadow of the earth, the earth coming betwixt the Sun and us, therefore the ſhadow: the night, it's a privation of light, and therefore it's terrible, the ſhadows of the night are dreadful to nature becauſe it's a privation of light: but the ſhadow of Chriſt is not the ſhadow of the night, for his ſhadow is no dreadful ſhadow, indeed it's like the ſhadow of the night for the largeneſs of it, becauſe the ſhadow that Chriſt caſts it reaches the whole earth over, it's a mighty large ſhadow, that thouſands and ten thouſands of poor weary ſouls may ſit under, and ſo indeed it reſembles the ſhadow of the night: but it's not the ſhadow of the night, it's a comfortable ſhadow, a delightful ſhadow, it's the ſhadow of the day, it's as the ſhadow of the trees, or as the ſhadow of a Rock in the midſt of Summer: as you know they are exceeding pleaſant and delightful. So then we ſhall enquire what is the uſe of theſe ſhadows, that we may ſee how uſeful Chriſt is to the Soul.
1. Firſt of all, The uſe of the natural ſhadow it ſerves for Secrecy: If a man will hide himſelf, or retire himſelf, he will go among the ſhadows. A man that walks amongſt the woods and ſhadows, he is not ſo eaſily found, as when he walks in the open field, and no trees, and ſo nothing to ſhadow him; and therefore the Lord is ſaid to ſhadow his people, Iſa. 51. 16. I have put my word into thy mouth, and covered thee in the ſhadow of my hand, there I have hid thee, that thou mayſt be ſafe: and thus Beloved is Chriſt a ſhadow: Chriſt is a ſhadow to his people in that he is their hiding-place, they are hid in Chriſt, their life is hid in Chriſt, and their comforts are all hid in Chriſt, they are hid from wrath, they are hid from diſpleaſure, they are hid from enemies, they are hid from the power of temptation: and therefore God puts Moſes into the Rock, when he would hide him, which rock was a type of Chriſt: the Soul that is in Chriſt it lies in the rock, it lies in the clefts of the Rock, it's in Chriſt that the ſoul enjoyes ſweet Communion with God, it retires it ſelf and hides it ſelf in Chriſt, and converſes ſweetly with the Almighty.
2. Secondly, As the ſhadow is a place for ſecrecy, ſo a place for reſt; I ſay it's a place for reſt: When a man, a labouring man in the field, deſires to ſit down, he will ſit down under a ſhadow; the expreſſion of Job before, as the ſervant earneſtly deſires the ſhadow; why wherefore does he deſire the ſhadow, but that he might ſit down and reſt? there is nothing ſo welcome to him as a ſhadow, a ſhadowy place where he may ſit down and reſt: In this reſpect Chriſt is a ſhadow to his people, he is a ſweet reſting-place: it's not poſſible the ſoul ſhould reſt but in Chriſt, it never finds reſt till it come to Chriſt: therefore he calls, Math. 11. 28. poor laden Souls, ſuch as are weary and tired, and have ſpent their labour and ſtrength in vain; Come to me, ſayes he, you that are weary and heavie laden, and I will give you reſt: the Soul does never reſt ſweetly till it come down and reſt ſweetly under Chriſt.
3. Thirdly, Again, a ſhadow it's a place of coolneſs and of refreſhment, it's a defence againſt the heat: if a man deſire to walk in the height of Summer, he will walk in the ſhadow; thus is Chriſt to his people. You ſhall ſee what is ſaid in that Iſa. 32. 2. And a man ſhall be as a hiding-place from the wind, as a covert from the tempeſt, as a river of water in a dry place, as the ſhadow of a great rock in a weary Land: as the ſhadow of a great rock▪ which keeps off the heat and the ſcorching of the Sun; and thus is Chriſt to a poor Soul, a poor fainting Soul, that is ſcorched with the heat and diſpleaſure of the Lord, why there is no ſitting down but under Chriſt. When the Soul ſits down under wrath and diſpleaſure, he makes every place too hot, and every condition too hot, and there is no ſitting down under any creature comfort; a man can't ſit down under the ſhadow of any creature, or under the ſhadow of himſelf, or under the ſhadow of his own righteouſneſs, the Sun of wrath will be too hot for him, he will ſoon ſet all the ſtraw and ſtubble on fire, there is no reſt there, and it can't ſit down untill it come to Chriſt.
4. Fourthly, Again, To ſit down with Chriſt there is Contemplation and Meditation; for a man to exerciſe his thoughts and meditation he will chooſe a ſhadowy place: the Lord Chriſt he is thus a ſhadow. When the Soul ſits under Chriſt, it may contemplate the glory of God that is in Chriſt. God reveals precious things, excellent things to his people, ſuch as eye hath not ſeen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man can conceive; the ſoul ſits down under Chriſt, and it gains more of the knowledge of God in one day, than in many years: all the knowledge that God gives of himſelf, it's in, and through Chriſt. God gives knowledge, ſayes the Apoſtle, but it's in the Face of Jeſus Chriſt. I ſay whilſt the Soul ſits under Chriſt, it's under a ſhadow, and it may contemplate on the great things of the Kingdom of God, and is learnt to know that which is hid from the wiſe and prudent of the world. Again,
5. Fifthly, We are wont to uſe the ſhadow for a place of refreſhing our ſelves, eating and drinking under it. It was uſual among the Patriarchs in thoſe hot contryes: the Angels when they came to Abraham, he deſired them to ſit under a tree, and made proviſion ready, and there they did eat; and thus is Chriſt uſeful unto his people, whilſt they ſit under Chriſt, they feed upon precious fruit; I ſat under his ſhadow, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſte, under God in Chriſt. God doth make a ſweet Banquet for the Soul, and the ſoul, though it enjoys many promiſes, and never ſo many precious ordinances, yet unleſs the ſoul ſits under the ſhadow of Chriſt, it can't feed upon them, it can take no delight in them. If a man have never ſo good meat, in the height of Summer, if he hath no ſhadow to keep off the Scorching beams of the Son, he can't eat his meat with delight. So the ſoul if it looks not upon God in Chriſt, as he is a ſhadow to him, it can't partake of any of that daintie with delight.
6. Sixthly, Again, You know a man can't look upon the beautie and light of the Sun with eaſe, it is ſo Glorious as it ſpoils the ſenſe: but if a man look through the trees, or the ſhade he may ſee the ſun: and thus the Lord he doth cauſe the Soul to ſee Chriſt, and thus the ſoul it beholds his Glory; Thou canſt not ſee my face and live. But thus I will do, I will put thee in the Rock, and ſo thou ſhalt ſee ſome glimpſe of Glory. It's in and through Chriſt that the Soul ſees ſomething of God, for he could not elſe behold his Glory, for our God is a conſuming fire; thus you ſee what the natural ſhadow is, ſo is Chriſt.
2. Secondly, There are Metaphorical ſhadows: ſhadow in Scripture is taken in a Metaphorical ſence: the ſhadow is taken for a defence; as they that ſit under protection, are ſaid to ſit under a ſhadow. So Iſa. 30. 1, 2, 3. Wo to the rebellious Children, ſaith the Lord, that take counſel but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add ſin to ſin: that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to ſtrengthen themſelves in the ſtrength of Pharaoh, and to truſt in the ſhadow of Egypt. Therefore ſhall the ſtrength of Pharaoh be your ſhame; and the truſt in the ſhadow of Egypt your confuſion. God pronounceth wo to them that run down to Egypt; you ſee there that ſtrength and ſhadow is all one, they truſt in the ſtrength of Egypt: under the ſhadow of Egypt, that is the ſtrength of Egypt. They thought that Egypt ſhould have been their protection: ſo Pſa. 17. when David prayes that the Lord would protect him, he prays that the Lord would be a ſhadow to him; there protection and ſhadow is all one. Verſe 8. keep me as the Apple of thine eye, hide me under the ſhadow of thy Wings: Now if you take ſhadow in this Metaphorical ſence, for defence and protection, it's very evident that Chriſt is thus a ſhadow unto his people, he is their defence and protection: It's he that defends them from the wrath of God, and it's he that defends them from the wrath of man. It's ſaid of ſome trees, the Laurel tree and ſome other, they are a defence unto men in a tempeſt of thunder and Lightening. However it's true of Chriſt. He that ſits under Chriſt, he is a defence from thunder and lightening, from the wrath of God, and that Soul that ſtands under him he is ſafe and well protected.
And as he is a defence to man from the wrath of God, ſo he is a defence from the wrath of man; Iſa. 4. 6. And there ſhall be a Tabernacle for a ſhadow in the day-time from the heat; and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from ſtorm and from rain. The Lord Chriſt promiſeth protection unto his people in the day time, when it's never ſo hot, when the wrath of man is fierce and cruel: and there is a like promiſe in the 25. of the ſame prophecie, 4. verſe, For thou haſt been a ſtrength to the poor, a ſtrength to the needie in his diſtreſs, a refuge from the ſtorm, a ſhadow from the heat, when the blaſt of the terrible ones is as a ſtorm againſt the wall, &c. the Lord Chriſt he is ſuch a ſhadow, ſuch a protection to his people againſt the heat and tempeſt of all wrathfull ones.
2. Secondly, Again, A ſhadow in the Metaphorical ſenſe, it ſignifies afflictions and ſorrows, and ſometimes Death it ſelf, becauſe they are privations of comfort, even as the ſhadow is a privation of light, and theſe may be called Chriſts ſhadows: the ſufferings of Chriſt are Chriſts ſhadows: It was the ſufferings of Chriſt that did eclipſe his glory when he was here upon earth: now all theſe ſhadows theſe ſufferings of Chriſt, though they were dreadful ſhadows to him, yet they are comfortable ſhadows to his people from firſt to laſt; all the ſufferings of Chriſt are comfortable ſhadows to his people. He ſat under them with abundance of grief and dolour, that ſo his people might ſit under him with abundance of joy and peace and comfort; his temptations were all ſore griefs. Oh what a day of temptation was it to him? And yet how comfortable were theſe ſufferings unto his people? Afflictions, even Death it ſelf, was a ſhadow to Chriſt, and what a comfortable refreſhing was it to his people! When Chriſt was upon the Croſs he caſt a great ſhadow, and what comfortable refreſhment is it for poor weary Souls to ſit under it?
3. Again, Thirdly, The ſhadow in a Metaphorical ſence in Scripture is a dark repreſentation of a thing; that which doth repreſent a thing, it's called the ſhadow of it; as you know the types and Ceremonies and the whole Levitical Law, they did hold forth ſomething of Chriſt, and therefore all thoſe ceremonies and types they were ſhadows of things to come, and ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks of all thoſe ceremonial things, they were the ſhadow, but the body is Chriſt. So then whatever it is that holds forth Chriſt, whatſoever it is that repreſents Chriſt to the ſoul, that may be called a ſhadow, the ſhadow of Chriſt under which the Soul ſits down, which the Soul takes delight in. As all the Ordinances of Chriſt they hold forth ſomething of Chriſt; as a mans picture is called a ſhadow; the ordinances, they hold forth Chriſt, there's the ſhadow of Chriſt in them. The word holds forth ſomething of Chriſt, and ſo the Sacrament, and ſo the fellowſhip of the ſaints, there's ſomething of Chriſt to be found in all theſe, to be ſeen and enjoyed in all theſe: this alſo is one of the ſhadows of Chriſt that a gracious heart deſires to ſit under; where ever it ſees any thing of Chriſt, in any word, any Ordinance, in any Communion of ſaints, there it takes delight, it bleſſes God for ſuch communications of himſelf, and there it ſits down, deſiring with all faithfulneſs to wait upon God in them, that it may ſee more of Chriſt until ſuch time as the day ſhall break and the ſhadows may flie away. Thus you may ſee what this ſhadow is that the believing ſoul deſires to ſit under, and how Chriſt is likened and ſet forth by the Natural and Metaphorical ſhadow.
Queſt. But you will ſay in the next place, What is it to ſit down under this ſhadow?
Anſw. Firſt of all, It's a Poſture of reſt, as walking is a moving poſture, ſo ſitting is a poſture of reſt; It holds forth, the ſoul is in a reſtleſs condition, till ſuch time as it comes to Chriſt, there is no reſt till ſuch time as it pitches upon Chriſt: what ſayes David, in that Pſalm, he ſpeaks unto his Soul there, when he deſired that he might return to his reſt, Pſalm 116. 7. Now Oh my ſoul return unto thy reſt, for the Lord he hath dealt bountifully with me: he had been wandring abroad in the world, and he found no reſt there, he returns to God as to his reſting-place, and now Oh my ſoul return unto thy reſt.
2. Again, Secondly, it's a reſt with Confidence; as it's a reſting Poſture, ſo it's a Confident Poſture. A man will not ſit down in a place of danger, if he ſees danger he will not ſit down: If a man be in ſuch a place as he fears wild beaſts or thieves, he will not ſit down: why, when a man ſits it's a confident Poſture; to ſit down with Chriſt, it's a confident Poſture, it's to truſt in Chriſt, when the ſoul layes all its weight upon Chriſt, when it looks to the power, goodneſs and faithfulneſs of the Lord Jeſus, held forth in the promiſe, there it ſits and ventures it ſelf upon him, and ſaith with the Apoſtle, I know in whom I have truſted, and believed, and he is able to keep what I have committed to his truſt.
3. Thirdly, Again, ſitting it's a poſture of ſtedfaſtneſs: when a man leans or reſts upon another he is ready to fall down, but this holds forth the ſtedfaſtneſs of the ſouls condition in Chriſt. Oh then it's not poſſible the Soul ſhould fall; he may be moved, but he ſhall not be greatly moved; he may be moved ſo as not to be removed; I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, nay twice he hath made this promiſe, that the gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt his people.
4. Again, Fourthly and laſtly, This poſture doth relate to continuance and abiding; and therefore that eternity of enjoyment of Chriſt is ſet down with that eternity of reſt with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God. If a man ſit down, he will make ſome ſtay, it holds forth a continuance, or abiding of the ſoul with Chriſt, there it reſolves to ſtay, there it reſolves to take up; as the Lord ſayes unto his people, here ſhall be my reſt for ever; ſo ſays the ſoul, Lord here I will reſt, here I will abide and continue for ever. Well then, to conclude all with a word of Application.
1. Ʋſe. Firſt of all, it lets us ſee, whatſoever is in Chriſt is uſeful and delightful. Every paſſage of the life of Chriſt, yea all the ſufferings of Chriſt, from firſt to laſt, how uſeful are they to the Saints, and how comfortable when they are improved by faith? Not only the fruit of the Tree is good, but the ſhadow of the Tree is good, the very ſhadow of Chriſt is good, the ſufferings of Chriſt, the very death of Chriſt is exceeding uſeful and delightful, when the Soul delights in it: Oh how delightful is the Glory of Chriſt!
2. Ʋſe. But in a word I beſeech you ſit down under Chriſts ſhadow, let not any Poor creature ſit down under any other ſhadow but the ſhadow of Chriſt. Make haſte, poor weary Souls, you that have toyled your ſelves, and laboured in vain, have ſought for righteouſneſs and conſolation in your ſelves, Oh that you would not think of ſitting down under theſe ſhadows: But make haſte to Chriſt, get out of your ſelves and ſit under his ſhadow. Let me tell you if you be not under this ſhadow of Chriſt, you are under the ſhadow of death; It's ſaid of Chriſt before he came into the Land of Napthali, they ſat down under the region and ſhadow of Death: ſo Poor Souls, if you ſit not under Chriſts ſhadow, you ſit under the very region of the ſhadow of death.
Nay, let me tell you further that it's not poſſible you ſhould find reſt, but only under this ſhadow; there is no creature can ſhadow you: the ſhadow of your own righteouſneſs and your own works is too ſhort to comfort you, and the ſhadow of all the works that men do enjoy they are too ſhort. A man may ſolace himſelf under the ſhadow of the creature for a time, theſe ſhadows are too ſhort when the Sun gets up to the height of it's beauty, and you have moſt need of ſhadow you can't have it. Poor Souls, when you have moſt need of cool refreſhing ſhadows, theſe ſhadows goe quite away; ſo that I ſay it's not poſſible that you ſhould reſt ſweetly and ſecurely under any other ſhadows but the ſhadow of Chriſt, it's not poſſible ye ſhould hold out in the time of trial: you read of the ſtony ground in Math. 13. the corn that was ſown upon it, when it came up, the Sun did ariſe, and though it did ſpring up, yet anon it withered, there was no root, and ſo it died: if Chriſt had been their ſhadow he could have helpt it, but when the wrath of man was furious he could not ſtand long, but withered, becauſe he had not depth of root: Oh what a ſweet refreſhing ſhadow is Chriſt! if he do overſhadow the Soul, it may ſtand in any place, in any condition, though times of Perſecution be never ſo hot. You know Chriſt was a ſhadow in the fiery furnace, a ſweet refreſhing ſhadow to the three Children, there he kept off the heat.
Nay, Conſider further, all the ſhadows beſides Chriſt are periſhing, they are vaniſhing ſhadows; they are truly compared unto ſhadows; man walks in a vain ſhadow; whatever any man ſits down under, he ſits under a vain ſhadow, it flyes away preſently: you know the Prophet ſays, all fleſh is graſs, and the glory of it as the flower in the field, and what man would ſit down under the ſhadow of graſs? it's ſoon withered, and then the ſhadow is gone. What man will ſit down under withering comforts? they are cut down in a moment: and what are theſe ſhadows? All creature comforts are like the ſhadow of Jonahs Gourd, it was a good refeſhing ſhadow while he had it, but the Lord prepared a worm, and it did eat the Gourd before the Morning, and when the Sun did ariſe it did ſcorch the head of Jonah, and made him faint and ſick: why, ſo the Lord he doth ſerve Poor creatures like Jonah, when the creature is gone and the ſhadow is gone, when a man apprehends the wrath of the Lord, and the diſpleaſure of God, he hath nothing to ſhadow it; Oh what a hard affliction is this! what dangerous ſhadows are creature comfort to ſit down under, which are prickling thorns and brambles? A man to ſit down under thorns when he might as well ſit down under the Appletree: all creature comforts when a man ſits down under them, if truſted in, they will prove tearing thorns, pricking thorns, and nothing but ſorrow in them; now Chriſt he is a ſhadow wherein you may reſt, you may reſt upon Chrirſt and lean upon Chriſt, and he is of Infinite ſweet refreſhing and ſupport unto his people: take heed I ſay that you ſit not down under the ſhadow of any creature comfort, but under Chriſt, and then this will follow, you ſhall ſit down under him with ſweet delight, and ſhall eat of his fruit, and this fruit will be ſweet to your taſte. But ſo much for this time.