Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 2 · Verse 3
Verſe. 3. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, ſo is my beloved among the ſonnes: I ſat down under his ſhaddow with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſte.
As He ſet forth her praiſe that She excelled all the daughters, as farre as the Lilly did the thornes; ſo ſhe ſets forth his here, that he excelled all the ſonnes of men as farre as the apple tree excells all the reſt of the common trees of the forreſt. Which allegory ſhe proſecutes ſhowing what worthy benefits ſhe received from his goodly apple-tree, including them all under theſe two, 1. His ſhaddow, the quality whereof was ſo delightfull, that ſhe ſat downe under the ſame; and, 2. Fruit, the quality whereof in like manner was ſo ſweet unto her Mouth, that ſhe did taſte thereof and eate of the ſame.
She had before, c. 1. v. 13, 14. compared him to a bundle of ſweet Mirrh, and a cluſter of odoriferous Camphir, both excellent in ſmell, but had not fruit nor ſhaddow, and therefore now ſhe compares him to an Apple-tree that afforded unto her both theſe, thereby ſhowing unto us that the excellency of Chriſt is ſo great, through the plenty and variety of all grace and comfort that are treaſured up in Him, that no one thing or few, whereon we can fix our conſideration, though never ſo good or excellent, can ſufficiently or fully repreſent that all-ſufficiency and full ſtore that is in him, but what ever is good, delightfull, or praiſe worthy in every thing, is all collectively and in the higheſt degree or meaſure, and in the moſt excellent manner, to be found in Him.
Firſt then ſhe compares him to a Tree, planted by the hand of that Heavenly husbandman, Joh. 15. 1. in the earth of our Humane nature, who brought forth much ſweet and comfortable fruit in his life time, Joh. 21. 25. And therefore (as trees in the winter ſeaſon ſeeme to be dead) he in his paſſion being deſtitute as it were of leafe and fruit, gave up the Ghoſt and died, but yet, as trees in the ſpring revive, ſo did he after his lying a few dayes in the grave revive and riſe gloriouſly, and aſcend to the Heavens thereafter conſpicuouſly, where he ſits at the right hand of the Father, as that Tree of life in the heavenly Jeruſalem ſpoken of, Rev. 22. 2. whoſe leafe and fruit is medicinall.
And more particularly ſhe compares him to an apple-tree commended in Scripture by three things ſpecially, 1. Pleaſant fruit, 2. Comfortable ſhaddow: and, 3. Sweet ſmelling. And in this place particularly praiſed from Shaddow, which did delight her, and Fruit which was ſweet to her, to ſhow unto us thereby, that even ſo Chriſt Jeſus excells all others whatſoever, who are but as wilde trees, as wanting culture or dreſſing, 1. in heavenly beauty of grace and glory, 2. in ſweet and well ſmelling fruit of obedience and merit; and 3. In comfortable ſhaddow, of refreſhing conſolation and powerfull protection.
Secondly, having compared Chriſt to an apple-tree, ſhe proſecutes the allegory, ſhowing what excellent benefits ſhe received from him; which ſhe comprehendeth under theſe two, to wit, his ſhaddow which did delight her; his fruit which did refreſh her; under the one whereof ſhe ſat, and of the ſweetneſs of the other ſhe did taſte.
Firſt then we will ſpeake of this His ſhaddow, 2. Of the Churches ſitting under it; and, 3. Of her delight in it.
Firſt then we read of a twofold ſhaddow, the one is, worldly, the other is divine and heavenly: the worldly is that under which worldlings do ſhelter themſelves, as confidence in earthly things with the rich fool, and that whereof Job makes mention, Job. 20. 5. as of a thing ſpeedily evaniſhing, ſhort, and but for a moment: therefore it was ſaid to that fool, This night thy ſoul ſhall be taken from thee. The like whereof we ſee in Balthaſar, Haman, Pharaoh, and Herod, &c. And which therefore is like to Jonas gourd of very ſmall continuance, and affording more grief in end, than contentment before: ſo that they are like Jobs friends, miſerable comforters, whether confidence in earthly riches, honours, or arme of fleſh, &c. The other ſhaddow, is divine and heavenly, under which for comfortable refreſhment, (whereof Job ſpeaks, Job. 7. 2.) or for protection and defence, (whereof Iſay ſpeakes, Iſay. 25. 4.) the godly ſhelter themſelves, as we may ſee, Pſ. 91. 1. and 57. 1. applyed to God, and as David profeſſes.
Of this ſhaddow therefore of divine refreſhment and protection doth the Church ſpeake, which has theſe three properties, 1. It is a covering ſhaddow from the ſcorching heat of Gods wrath, and the evill of all ſtormes, as we ſee, Iſay. 4. 6. and Pſ. 61. 4. 2 It is a cooling ſhaddow, or refreſhing, ſuch as is ſpoken of, Job. 7. 2. Or like that of Jonas gourd wherein he ſo delighted, and which the cloudy pillar afforded to Iſrael in the wilderneſs by day, when any heat of perſecution or calamities comes, whereof is mention, Pſal. 57. 1. any fiery tentation of concupiſence aſſaults, or any ſcorching is of an accuſing conſcience. 3. It is a curing ſhaddow; therefore ſayes the Angell, that the leaves of the Tree of life▪ Rev. 22. 2. were for healing, and no marvell that the ſhaddow of Chriſt ſhould be ſuch, when the ſhaddow of his Apoſtles, (as we read, Act. 5. 15.) was ſo ſoveraigne for cure.
Next, ſhe ſayes that ſhe ſat downe under this ſhaddow, which ſignifieth her reſting and acquieſcing there, or her making abode under the ſame, as is ſaid, Pſal. 91. 1. Without going furder, or elſe where, and ſhewing hereby that the godly find in Chriſt and his death and ſatisfaction, ſuch a treaſure and ſufficiency of comfort in any trouble, or diſtreſſe outward or inward, that they ſeek no furder, to any creature in Heaven or Earth, more then Naaman did to any other water than Jordan, to be clenſed of his leproſie; and therefore are not like fooliſh Idolaters, who will not reſt in Chriſts merits or Satisfaction, but will joyne their own or others; and not invocate him alone, but Saints and Angels, nor relye upon the purging vertue of his blood allaverly but will imagine to themſelves another fiery purgatory; and ſo as the Pſalmist ſayes, Pſ. 16. they multiply their own ſorrowes, and continue ſtinged with theſe ſcorpion's tailes mentioned Rev. 9. 5. And having wearied themſelves in ſuch labyrinths can never find ſolid eaſe or comfort, till they come to this ſhaddow and ſit downe there and reſt under the ſame, as he invites all weary ſinners to do, Matth. 11. 28, &c.
Laſtly, ſhe ſayes, ſhe ſat downe with delight, and with a great delight, under this his ſhaddow, which delight of hers was not carnall or ſinnefull, ſuch as the delight is of the wicked or worldlings, but a holy and a ſpirituall delight, like the joy, whereof David ſpeakes, Pſal. 4. 7. Or like his delight that he had in Gods Law, Pſal. 1. 2. and 119. 70. Alſo in doing his will, Pſal. 40. 8. and in the comforts of his word, Pſal. 94. 19. and 119. 92. Which like a ſhaddow refreſh't his ſoul.
This delight is, 1. A ſure and well grounded delight not on a ſandy foundation, 2. This delight comes not from fleſh or blood, but from a higher ſource, 3. This delight is a great delight, becauſe of the greatneſs of the benefit which the ſoul receives, 4. This delight is durable, and as the abode is under the ſhaddow of the Almighty, Pſ. 91. 1. So abides the delight; and, 5. This delight is the pledge and forerunner of that full and eternall delight which the ſoul ſhall have in Heaven, Pſ. 16. 11.
Having ſpoken of her ſitting under his ſhaddow with great delight, followes to ſpeake of his fruit, and the quality or ſweetneſs thereof to her taſte. Of which fruit we have to conſider, 1. What the ſame is and the variety thereof, 2. The aboundance or plenty; and, 3. The dureableneſs or perpetuity.
2. Next, we have to ſpeake of the ſweetneſs and quality of this fruit, and, 3. To whoſe taſte it is ſo Sweet, to wit, unto hers only, who is the ſpouſe of Chriſt.
Firſt then by his fruit is underſtood no other thing but the ſweet comforts which we find in him, as the hony which Sampſon found in his dead Lyon, and which is only to be had in, and from this Lyon of the tribe of Iudah. Which fruits are, 1. Of ſuch variety, as that the meditation of his nature, his offices, conception, birth, life, death, buriall, reſurrection, aſcenſion, ſitting at the right hand of his Father, and coming againe to Judgement, all afford unto us ſtore of ſweet comfort; likewiſe his poverty, his meekneſs, his pitty, his charity, his readineſs to cure all that came unto him, his acceſſe, his affability, and all his holy vertues yield unto us not only fruit of example for imitation, but of ſweet comfort and conſolation.
2. The plenty of this fruit is ſo great, that he is like that tree ſpoken of by Daniel, Dan. 4. 12. whereof it is ſaid, that all fleſh fed thereof: therefore doth the Prophet invite all who have a ſpirituall appetite to be partakers of the good things of Chriſt, Iſay. 55. 1. And himſelfe ſayes, Come to me all yee that are weary and loaden, and I will refreſh you, There is then plenty of ſweet fruit in him to all the world to be found, and (as of the five loaves and two fiſhes) aboundance to leave over, ſo that the deficiency may be on our part, as it was in the widdowes veſſels for receiving more oyle, that we in like manner want the hand of faith and the veſſels of prepared hearts, but there is no deficiency on the part of Chriſt.
3. The durableneſs and perpetuity of this fruit, is ſuch that, 1. This tree never ceaſes, as is ſhowne, Rev. 22. to bring forth the ſame, and to yeeld the ſame to us, as well in the winter ſeaſon of ſharp adverſity and in greateſt plenty, as in the ſummer ſeaſon of peace and proſperity. 2. As alſo, the perpetuity of this fruit is ſuch, that it endures unto life everlaſting; and therefore it may be ſaid of it, as our Saviour ſpeaks to the Samaritan woman, Joh. 4. 14. Whoſoever ſhall drink of the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall never thirſt; but the water that I ſhall give him, ſhall be in him a well of water ſpringing up into eternall life.
Next, this fruit of his is called ſweet, both becauſe it is ſo of it ſelf, like Jonathan's and Sampſon's honey, whereof each of them taſted. And 2. becauſe it ſweetens alſo unto us all bitter things, which would be ſo otherwiſe, like that Tree which was caſt into the waters of Marah; even all our beſt actions, to make them of a ſweet reliſh and ſavoury to God, which would be otherwiſe but counted ſoure grapes, and menſtruous clouts; and all croſſes and calamities, which are bitter to fleſh and blood, yea death it ſelf, and the grave; all which it ſweetens unto Gods children.
Laſt of all, to whom, or to whoſe taſte is this fruit ſweet? ſurely to none but to the godly; therefore ſhe ſaies, that his fruit was ſweet unto her taſte. It is therefore ſweet unto her for theſe reaſons: 1. Becauſe of the ſweetneſſe that it has in it ſelf, as hony, ſugar, and the like. 2. In reſpect of the great deſire, and ſpirituall appetite, that ſhe has towards the ſame, which makes even that which is very coorſe, and has ſome bitterneſſe, or no taſte at all, ſweet to one that is hungry; where on the contrary, to a cloyed ſtomack, even Manna it ſelfe was diſguſtfull. 3. In reſpect of the ſpirituall ſenſe of taſting how good the Lord is, which thoſe that are carnall and unregenerate have not, being dead in their ſins, and not endued with the new life of grace, and therefore has not the new ſenſes of the ſoul, which the godly have.
Obſervations.
1. Chriſt is here as an Apple-tree preſented to the eye of faith, that as our firſt Parents, by eating of the Tree which was in the midſt of the garden, and was forbidden, did fall, and incur death and damnation; even ſo their Poſterity may, by the eating of the fruit of this Tree, which is in the midſt of the garden of his Church, and whereof we are bidden to eat, Ioh. 6. 50. may riſe again, and attain to life and ſalvation; for, of this Tree it is onelyonly true, which is ſpoken of that other, Gen. 3. 6. that it is good for food, and pleaſant to the eye, and a tree to be deſired to make one wiſe. And therefore mad fools are they, who will not come to this Tree of life, to which the way is now made ſo patent, that they may eat thereof, and live for evermore.
2. The fruit of this Tree is not onelyonly, 1. profitable for ſpirituall food; as alſo, 2. (as it is ſaid of the Tree of life, Gen. 3. 22.) to attain thereby to life everlaſting; but, 3. ſeeing likewiſe that it is ſo ſweet and delectable, to ſuch as have the ſpirituall ſenſe of taſting, and an appetite after the ſame; Therefore let us earneſtly beg at God's hands, who is onelyonly able to give the ſame, this ſpirituall ſenſe and appetite, that hungring and thirſting after righteouſneſſe, we may be truly bleſſed, and get that comfortable ſatisfaction promiſed, Matth. 5. 6. and Pſal. 61. 5. And as a diſtempered palat in a feavour, counts every ſweet thing bitter, that even ſo, through the diſtemper and ſickneſſe of our ſouls by ſin, we count not that bitter and diſguſtfull to us, which others finde in Chriſt ſo ſweet, and is communicated to them in the means of grace.
3. Seeing there is not onelyonly ſweet fruit to be had in Chriſt, but ſuch delightfull ſhadow, that the Church takes pleaſure to ſit down under the ſame, and therein puts as it were her non ultra; therefore if we be the true members of this Church, let us in like manner ſet up our reſt in Chriſt Jeſus, and his merits onelyonly, for ſpirituall refreſhment to our ſouls both in life and death; and, under the coverture of his onelyonly ſatisfaction and protection, let us ſhelter our ſelves from the ſtorm of Gods wrath, and all other evill, in calling on his Name, and confiding in him allaverly: and whoſoever they be that do otherwiſe, (as Romaniſts do) herein they varie from the practice of Chriſt's Church, and are no true membrs thereof.