Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 3,4,5,6
VERS. 3, 4, 5, 6.
As the Apple tree among the trees of the wood, ſo is my beloved among the ſonnes: I ſat downe under his ſhaddow with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet unto my taſt.
He brought me into the Banquetting houſe, and his banner over me was love.
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with Apples, for I am ſick of love.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth imbrace me.
IN the two former Verſes we had Chriſt praiſing of himſelfe and his Spouſe; upon which the Church in theſe fowre Verſes doth returne praiſe to him again: as he ſet forth her praiſe, that ſhee excelleth all the daughters, as far as the lilie excelleth the thornes, ſo ſhe commendeth him that he in dignity ſurmounteth all the Sonnes, as far as the Apple tree excelleth all the trees of the forreſt.
The Church doth declare Chriſt's excellency.
1. By compariſon, ſhe compareth him with all other for beauty, fruitfullneſſe, comfort, and delight, unto the Apple tree, above all other trees, which bring forth no fruit, but are barren in the Forreſt, Verſ. 3. As the Apple tree among the trees, &c.
2. The effects or fruits of Chriſt, and they are double.
1. A fervent deſire in the Church toward Chriſt, I exceedingly delight to ſit under his ſhaddow, Verſ. 4.
2. Chriſts loving proviſion made for her, He hath brought me into the banqueting houſe, &c. Verſ. 4. This was as a cauſe of love-ſickneſſe to the Church, upon which follows theſe effects.
1. A patheticall exclamation, or ſuddaine outcry of the Church, Stay me with Flaggons and comfort me with Apples, for I am ſick of love.
Laſtly, a remedy follows this diſeaſe, His left hand is under my head, &c. Verſ. 6.
1. For the Churches compariſon in theſe words, As the Apple tree among the the trees of the wood, ſo is my beloved among the ſonnes. In which we may conſider fowre things.
1. What the Tree is that is here ſpoken of.
2. The place it groweth in, to wit, in the Forreſt.
3. The perſon reſembled by this Tree.
4. The perſons reſembled to the place of the trees growth.
The Apple tree here ſpoken of is expreſſed in the Hebrew by the word Tapuach, expounded in Greeke foreign Inde. foreign Malus arbor, & malum fruct usby foreign, in Latine Malus. Some thinke that Malum an Apple, comes from Malum evill, becauſe ſin came firſt into the world by eating of an Apple. But others (unto whom I incline) think that it comes from Malo, I more will or deſire, becauſe it is paſſing pleaſing to nature, it being a fruit which man much deſireth and delights in. An Apple tree is commended to us in theſe reſpects.
1. For its comfortable ſhaddow that it giveth, as appears in the following part of the Verſe, it being a tree of a ſpreading nature.
2. It is very fruitfull, as likewiſe appears in this Verſe, the Apple tree is fruitfull above all the trees of the Forreſt, which bring forth no fruit, or elſe they bring forth wild, harſh, and ſowre fruit not fit for food.
3. The Apple tree hath more variety of fruits then any other tree whatſoever, ſo that it can hardly be reckoned up how many various ſorts of Apples there be, and that of different taſt.
4. It is very pleaſant in taſt.
5. It is very ſweet and refreſhing unto the ſenſe of ſmelling, as thereby a quickning power is conveyed into a fainting weake body.
Now by this is held out the plentifull ſupply of grace in Chriſt, flowing downe upon all his Members. Hence Obſerve,
That the Saints find a ſweet ſupply of all grace in Chriſt.
For looke of what uſe and comfort the Apple tree is to mans body, the ſame, and much more is Chriſt unto the ſoule. Chriſt is a ſhaddow of protection unto his people; fruitfull in his communicating of grace, he aboundeth in variety of all his graces: his fruit is good to the taſt, and ſweet unto the ſences of the ſoul cheering and comforting thoſe that are weake by communicating of thoſe graces to them. Chriſt hath in him ſufficiency of all grace relative and ſuitable to all conditions: as Job ſaith that he was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, and a Father to the poore: ſo is Chriſt made every thing to Believers, in proportion to their wants. As Eliſha, when he raiſed a Child to life, Put his mouth upon the Childs mouth, his eyes upon the Childs eyes, his hands upon the Childs hands: ſtill ſimilar parts were applied to ſimilar: ſo doth Chriſt apply himſelfe to us in a relation ſuting and anſwering to every neceſſity. This of the Apple tree.
Secondly, the place of this Apple trees growth, it is among the trees of the wood, or, of the Forreſt, or Grove, among wild trees, begrowne over with moſſe, and without culter, trees that bring not forth fruit meet for man, that are either barren, or elſe they beare wild, ſowre, bitter, and unſavory fruits, ſuch as is food for Hogs and wild Beaſts rather then for man. Such is the ſtate of all the Sonnes of men by nature, for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle in Rom. 11. 24. that we are wild by nature, not as we were firſt made, but as we were corrupted in Adam, and ſo derived from him to his poſterity: and therefore he ſaith, we were graffed in contrary to nature. That is, we are ingraffed in to Jeſus Chriſt by ſome means which is above nature. Now Chriſt far excelleth in beauty, fruit, and comfort, all the Sonnes of men.
Thirdly, the perſon affimilated to the Apple tree, it is Jeſus Chriſt, the Churches Beloved, from whom ſhee receives life, health, and every ſaving grace of the Spirit. The Hebrews expreſſe Beloved by the word Dod, which is the ſame in ſignification with David, as was hinted before in Chap 1. 13. Chriſt is the Churches Beloved; he loved her firſt, therefore her duty is to love him againe, and therein ſhee faileth not, although ſhee be not able to love him ſo perfectly as ſhee ought, nor in ſuch a meaſure as he loveth her.
Fourthly, the perſons reſembled by the Forreſt trees they are termed Sonnes, not ſonnes of men, yet the adjunct (of men) may be added, and ſo it may be meant of all the Sonnes of Adam, whom Chriſt far excelleth, as it is ſaid of him in Pſal. 45. 3. Thou art fairer then all the ſonnes of Adam. The Church conſiders Chriſt not exalted but here on earth, in his eſtate of humiliation: not ſitting in the Heavens, but pitching his Tabernacle among men. And therefore it cannot be that Chriſt is here compared unto the Angells which are called the ſonnes of God, Job 1. 6. unto whom, in this eſtate, and in reſpect of taking our nature, and for the ſuffering of death, was ſomewhat inferiour, Heb. 2. 7. but in reſpect of the former ſimilitude of the trees of the wood, we may underſtand it of all earthly creatures, as the Kings, and Potentates, and wiſe men of the world; theſe are called ſonnes, as the peoples of the world were called Daughters in Verſ. 2. Thus the King of Aſsyria is likened to a Cedar in Lebanon, under whoſe ſhaddow dwelt all great Nations, Ezek. 31. 3. 6. And Nebuchadnezzar is likened to a tree ſtrong and high under which the beaſts of the Earth dwelt, &c. So the Church doth extoll her beloved above all the great ones in the world, he being the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, Rev. 1. 5. Theſe things remembred, let us ſee what is inferred.
Firſt Obſerve,
That all men by nature are like the Trees of the Forreſt, which bring forth nothing but ſowre, bitter, and unſavory fruit.
All the fruits that man produceth by any naturall ability, it is like the fruit of a wilderneſſe, wild, bitter, and unſavory.
Secondly Note,
Chriſt is the Churches Beloved.
Chriſt loved us and gave himſelfe for us; he loved us when we were not, yea, when we were his enemies we were reconciled unto him; hence it is that the Saints love Chriſt.
Thirdly Note,
That Chriſt far excelleth all the great ones of the world, for beauty, ſweetneſſe, and comfort. So is my beloved among the ſonnes, &c. Chriſt was the firſt-borne of God, and therefore he was ſet above all the Kings of the Earth, Pſal. 89. 28. The firſt borne among the Jewes was the principall, and had three prerogatives: firſt, a double portion of goods, Deut. 21. 17. Secondly, the rule or government, 2 Chron. 21. 3. Thirdly, the Prieſt-hood, Numb. 8. 14. 15. Now Chriſt is called the firſt-borne of God, to ſhew, that he is to be worſhipped and honoured above all things: he is ſaid to be the firſt-borne of every creature, and the firſt-borne of the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, Col. 2. 15. 18. And therefore was to be worſhipped of all the Angells of God, Heb. 1. 6. And is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, Revel. 1. 5. Thus much for the compariſon it ſelfe, now followeth the fruits or effects thereof.
I ſat downe under his ſhadow with great delight, and his fruit was pleaſant unto my taſt.
Here the Church declareth the fruit of Chriſts ſhaddow, and fruitfulneſſe, and withall expreſſeth her earneſt affection that ſhe hath to be kept under Chriſts power, and under his protection from perſecution and affliction.
Ʋnder his ſhadow, &c.
This comfortable ſhadow is the ſhield of protection and defence. The tree ſhaddoweth from the heat of the Sun, ſo Chriſt ſhadoweth from the wrath of God, and from the perſecutions of men. The ſhaddow of Aegypt that we read of in Iſa. 30. 2. and the ſhadow of Heſhbon, Jer. 48. 45. ſignifie the defence wherein men truſted: now ſuch a ſhadow of defence is Chriſt unto his people.
I ſat downe with great delight.
We may read the words thus, I much deſired that I foreign Deſidera vit, optavit, cupivit, concupivit.might ſit, &c. The forme of the Hebrew word doth increaſe the ſignification, ſo that it noteth a continuall and fervent deſire of that which is pleaſing, delightfull, or profitable: ſo that the ſence is as much as this, I did much pleaſe and delight my ſelfe to ſit under his ſhadow, &c. By ſiting is meant abiding, or reſting, as in Pſal. 91. 1. He ſhall lodge (or abide) under the ſhadow of the moſt high. The ſhaddow of a tree is comfortable, and doth refreſh thoſe that are parched with the boyling heat of the Sun. The Church is under hot perſecutions, being in the world, as a lilie among thornes, ſhe is alſo under wrath reveiled by the Law, therefore ſhe taketh ſo much delight under Chriſts ſhaddow, in him ſhe findeth reſt and peace, and therefore ſhe ſiteth downe and remaineth under his ſhaddow, becauſe he hath delivered her from the wrath to come, 1 Theſſ. 1. 10. In whom ſhe hath peace, though in the world, ſhe hath tribulation. John 16. 33. now ſhe proceedeth to an other fruit of his goodneſſe.
And his fruit was ſweet to my taſt.
The Church acknowledgeth, that ſhe is not delivered only from evill, but made partaker of his goodneſſe. Fruits ſignifie graces and good workes, Mat. 3. 8. and Gal. 5. 22. and they alſo ſignifie a comfortable reward, Pſal. 58. Prov. 27. 18. but here wee may take them for the words and workes of Chriſt.
Firſt, Chriſt's words are ſweet; for David cries out moſt pathetically, ſaying, How ſweet are thy ſpeeches to my palate, beyond hony unto my mouth! Pſal. 119. 103. The Jewes confeſſe, That never man ſpake like him: and Peter ſaith, Lord, thou haſt the words of eternall life, Joh. 6. 68.
Secondly, Chriſt's workes are ſweet, his worke of incarnation, taking our nature upon him; his worke in our nature, killing of ſinne, by his death and reſurrection, and all the fruits of them, which are communicated unto us by the Goſpel: his glorious aſcenſion in our nature, leading captivity captive, and giving ſpirituall gifts unto men; his ſitting at the right hand of Majeſty in our nature, making continuall interceſſion for his people, his protection in times of trouble, his preſence in the middeſt of perſecution, in a word, all the workes of his mediatourſhipp are ſweet, yea, pleaſant and pleaſure it ſelfe unto us.
From the firſt of theſe effects, Obſerve, That Christ is a ſhadow of protection unto his people.
As Trees are a ſhadow from the hot ſcorching ſun: ſo is Chriſt a ſhadow unto his people, from the heat of the wrath of God, and from the perſecutions of the world. Thus the Lord promſeth in Iſa. 4. 6. 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 ſtorme, and from raine. The Lord doth promiſe by this Tabernacle, to be a defence unto them againſt all dangers and annoyances, ſet forth by alluſions, as to the cover of the Tabernacle, Exod. 36. 19. and the uſe of the cloud, Pſal. 105. 39. And thus wee have the Prophet ſaying, Thou (Lord) haſt been a ſtrength to the poore, a ſtrength to the needy in his diſtreſſe; a refuge from the ſtorme, a ſhadow from the heat; when the blast of the terrible ones is as a ſtorme againſt the wall, Iſaiah 25. 4.
Secondly, Obſerve,
That the Saints are much delighted and refreſhed by this ſhaddow of Chriſt's protection. I fate downe under his ſhadow with great delight, &c. Hence it is that the Pſalmiſt cryeth, Hide me from the conſpiracie of the wicked, and from the rage of the workes of iniquitie, Pſal. 64. 2. This comfortable ſhadow, this ſheild of protection, the Saints moſt of all deſire in the ſuns heat of perſecution; hither they flie, as Doves unto their culture houſe, as the Child in the mother lapp; Chriſt was a ſhadow unto his Church in reſpect of the weight of her ſinnes, ſhe being terrifyed with the curſe of the Law, which herſelfe could not beare: now under this diſtreſſe of mind, ſhe flyeth unto Chriſt for ſuccour, to be ſhrowded and protected by his grace, and to be covered by his righteouſneſſe from that terrible curſe. When the ſoule is full of reſtleſſe vexations, fluctuating and tumbled up and downe in a whole Ocean of perplexities and fears, and can ſee no ſhoare, no land, no creek or haven of comfort: then it muſt into the Arke, then it uſes the Soliloquie of the Pſalmiſt; returne unto thy reſt O my ſoule! then it cries out with the bleſſed Martyr, O! none but Chriſt, none but Chriſt; there's my Arke, there's my reſt, there's my refuge, there I ſhall fiinde reliefe and releaſement, or elſe no where: Chriſt will be a calme to me after a ſtorme, he will diſpell and drive away all theſe clouds, he will hold my head above the water, and keepe me from ſinking; he will be light and joy, and unſpeakable ſolace after al theſe diſtempers: thus the poore afflicted ſoule, as a Priſoner of hope (as the Prophet ſpeakes, Zach. 9. 12.) returnes unto Chriſt, as to it's ſtrong hold: Chriſt is called the propitiat orie, Rom. 3. 25. for as the propitiatorie covered the Arke, and the Law in the Arke, which was The handwrighting of ordinances againſt us, Col. 2. 14. from the preſence of God; ſo Chriſt covereth our ſinnes, and putteth himſelfe betweene us and the indignation of his Father. The Apoſtle ſaith, As many as are of the workes of the Law, are under the curſe, for it is written, curſed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them, Gal. 3. 10. So that there is no help but to fly to him for ſuccour. Moſes was a type of Chriſt, where it is ſaid, that Moſes his choſen Servant, ſtood before him in the gapp to turne away his wrathfull indignation, that he may not deſtroy his people, Pſal. 106. 23. So Chriſt, the Mediator of the new Teſtament, muſt come betweene God and us, that the may not behold us but in him. The Saints finde that in him only is a full ſufficiencie to refreſh them, and to quench and coole all the heat of their ſinnes, and of Gods wrath: farre otherwiſe it is with Idolaters, and ſuch as worſhipp falſe Gods; when they have done all they can, they are not ſatisfied, they finde no eaſe, nor no way to take away the ſting of conſcience; They multiply their ſorrowes, as David ſpeakes, Pſal. 16. They doe puniſh and afflict themſelves many wayes, ſeeking all meanes to make ſome ſatisfaction for their ſinnes, to coole the burning heat of their guilty conſcience, but when they have wearied themſelves, they can finde no eaſe or reſt, for that is only to be found under the ſhadow of this Apple-tree, where the Church here taketh her delight and is ſet downe: ſo that the Churches prayer is the ſame with that of David, Pſal. 91. 4. that ſhe might dwell under his protection, and abide under the ſhadow of his wings, that he would cover her with his feathers; his faithfulneſſe and truth being applyed to her by faith, it may become hers, and ſo be unto her a ſhield and buckler.
Laſtly, In that ſhe doth not only delight under his ſhadow, but addeth, his fruit is ſweet unto my palate, or tast: Obſerve, That the Saints are ſweetly, and fully ſatisfied with all good things in Chriſt. All the faithfull feed upon Chriſt, and are nouriſhed with all heavenly food, even with all the fruits of his mediatour-ſhip. And what is wanting in him? Who is made unto us of God, wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 1. 30. It pleaſed the father that in Chriſt, ſhould all fulneſſe dwell, Col. 1. 19. from whom wee receive all ſpirituall bleſsings in heavenly places. The water of the Rock and the Manna in the Wilderneſſe were the ſignes, that Chriſt ſhould ſpiritually feed and refreſh his people. Now from the redundancy and overflowing fulneſſe of all good things in Chriſt, the Saints have there ſufficiencie and fulneſſe, Of his fulneſſe wee receive grace for grace, Joh. 1. 16. that is, graces anſwerable to every communicable grace of Chriſt, that as face anſwers face in water: ſo we may be made anſwerable to our head; now then let us eate of theſe apples in faith, digeſt them by meditation, and we ſhall find in them more ſweetneſſe, than the Iſraelites did in their Manna,; taſt, and ſee how good the Lord is, as it is in Pſal. 34. 8. every fruit of Chriſt's mediation, is an Apple of life, and every leafe of this Tree, ſerveth to heale the Nations withall, Revel. 23. 2. Now the Church being fully ſatisfied with all good things from Chriſt, which ſhe doth here declare, not only by this allegorie of an Apple-tree, but alſo by a banquet, for ſhe addeth in the next verſe, ſaying: