/ sat doicn under his shadoio ivitJi great delight, and his fruit was sioeet unto my taste. — Cant. ii. 3.
In this verse two things are observable — (1.) Christ's commendation ; (2.) The church's experience.
1. Christ's commendation, in the beginning of the verse, where he is compared to an apple-tree among the trees of the forest. Some trees vield no fruit at all, as cedars, firs, and elms ; some only yield fruit for swine, as oaks bear acorns. The apple-tree beareth variety of comfort- able fruit for men. To this we see Christ is compared, and not to an ordinary apple-tree, but to the tree of life, which is in the midst of the orchard and paradise of God, Kev. ii. 7. And mark, in the context, how Christ and the church are bestowing honour upon one another. Christ avoucheth the church to be the best of all assemblies ; and the church avoucheth Christ to be the best of all Gods. The bridegroom beginneth and saith, ver. 2, ' My love is as a lily among thorns,' and the bride answereth, ' My beloved is as the apple-tree among the trees^ of the wood.' Qiiis sicut te ? is twice used in scripture of God and of the chiu-ch, Micah vii. 17, with Deut. xxxiii. 29. The text falleth in with the latter part— the church's eulogy to Christ. ^ Other trees yield little comfort to a poor fainting creature travelling in the wilderriess ; but Christ is an apple-tree, comfortable for shade, pleasant for fruit.
2. The church's experience — I sat down under his shadoiv with great delight, and his fruit ivas siveet unto mij taste. The commendation is built on the church's experience. They that have tasted and felt how
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sweet Christ is can better speak of him than others : 2 Cor. i. 4, * That we may comfort others with the comforts wherewith we are comforted of God.' A report of a report is a cold thing. We can best commend Christ to others when we have felt his virtue and tasted his sweetness ourselves. Two things the church experimented in Christ — (1.) Com- fortable shadow ; (2.) Pleasant, fruit.
[1.] A comfortable shadow. In those eastern countries the scorching of the sun was vehement, and the heat of it much annoyed them in travel, therefore so often is there allusion made to a shadow ; as Num. xiv. 9, ' Their defence is departed from them ;' it is in the margin their shadow ; and so the true God : Ps. xci. 1, ' He shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' And that is the reason why the spouse complaiiieth, Cant. i. 6, ' I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me ; ' expressing thereby her afflictions, which to us, in these colder countries, seemeth a strange expression. To them rain is always used for a blessing but sunshine often for affliction, they being parched and scorched with excessive heat. And therefore was it that Jonah was so much vexed when he wanted the comfort and shadow of his gourd. We read, Jonah iv. 7, 8, that he was exceedingly glad of the gourd ; but when the sun did arise and wither it, and did beat upon his head, he fainted, and wished that he might die. So God, when he promiseth great happiness to his people, saith, Hosea xiv. 8, ' I will be to them a green fir-tree ; ' meaning a cool and wholesome shadow ;igainst the scorching heat of the sun. All this is said to show how comfortable a cool shade was to them in those parts.
[2.j His fruit ivas pleasant to my taste. Christ hath not only a shadow to hide us, but cordial fruit to cheer and revive us. By fruit are meant those spiritual privileges and benefits which we enjoy by Christ, which are sensibly and satisfactorily pleasing to the soul.
Doct. Those that earnestly seek after a shelter in Christ from the wrath of God shall net only find that shelter, but many comfortable benefits and fruits accruing to them.
Here I shall show — (1.) What it is to sit down under the shadow of Christ with great delight ; (2.) What these fruits are, and how com- fortable to a spiritual taste.
First, For the first, that I may not strain the metaphor, but take it as it runneth most easily, I shall give you these propositions —
1. A shadow is not prized by men till some heat scorch. them. The church is here represented as faint and parched with heat. Our addresses to Christ always begin with a sense of our own want and misery. Ease is sweet to the burdened soul, and none seek rest in Christ to any purpose but those that feel the load of their own sins, Mat. xi. 28. None fly to their city of i-efuge but those who ai-e sensible of an avenger of blood at their heels, Heb. vi 18. None desire so ear- nestly to be found in Christ but those who apprehend a search, that wrath maketh inquisition for sinners, Phil. iii. 9. None are so willing and anxious about entering into an ark as those that fear a flood, Heb. xi. 7. It is the thirsty hart that panteth for the water- brooks ; the hart that hath been chased or eaten serpents, Ps. xlii. 1. It was the stung Israelite that did in good earnest look to the brazen serpent, John iii. 14. The scorched only prize a shadow. We have but cold