Cant. ii. 1-7, " I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste," etc.
In the two first verses you have the description that Christ gives, first of himself, then of his church. Of himself, verse 1 ; that is, what he is to his spouse: "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the ' Isa. XXV. 6; Matt. xxii. 8; Rev. xix. 7.
42 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
valleys." The Lord^ Christ is, in the Scripture, compared to all things of eminency in the whole creation. He is in the heavens the sun, and the bright morning star: as the lion among the beasts, the lion of the tribe of Judah. Among the flowers of the field, here he is the rose and the lili/. The two eminencies of flowers, sweetness of savour and beauty of colour, are divided between these. The rose for sweet- ness, and the lily for beauty (" Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"), have the pre-eminence. Farther, he is " the rose of Sharon," a fruitful plain, where the choicest herds were fed, 1 Chron. xxvii. 29 ; so eminent, that it is promised to the church that there shall be given unto her the ^excellency of Sharon, Isa. xxxv. 2. This fruitful place, doubtless, brought forth the most precious roses. Christ, in the savour of his love, and in his righteousness (which is as the garment wherein Jacob received his blessing, giving forth a smell as the smell of a pleasant field. Gen. xxviL 27), is as this excellent rose, to draw and allure the hearts of his saints unto him. As God smelled a sweet savour from the blood of his atonement, Eph. v. 2; so from the gi'aces wherewith for them he is anointed, his saints re- ceive a refreshing, cherishing savour. Cant. i. 8. A sweet savour ex- presses that which is acceptable and delightful, Gen. viii. 21. He is also "the lily of the valleys ; " that of all flowers is the most eminent in beauty. Matt. vi. 29. Most desirable is he, for the comeliness and per- fection of his person ; incomparably fairer than the children of men : of which afterward. He, then, being thus unto them (abimdantly satiating all their spiritual senses) thek refreshment, their ornament, their delight, their glory; in the next verse he tells us what they are to him : " As the lily among thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters." That Christ and his church are likened unto and termed the same tiling (as here the lily), is, as from their union by the in- dwelling of the same Spirit, so from that ^conformity and likeness that is between them, and wherevmto the saints ai'e appointed. Now she is a lily, very beautiful unto Christ; " as the lily among thorns:" — 1. By the way of eminency; as the lily excelleth the thorns, so do the saints all others whatever, in the e3''e of Christ. Let comparison be made, so will it be found to be. And, — 2. By the way of trial; the residue of the world being " pricking briers and grievmg thorns to the house of Israel," Ezek. xxviii. 24. " The best of them is as a brier, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge," Mic. vii. 4. And thus are they among the daughters, — even the most eminent collec- tions of the most improved professors, that are no more but so. There cannot be in any greater compaiison, a greater exaltation of the ex-
' Mill. iv. 2; Rev. xii. 1; ]>ukc i. 78, 'AvaroXfi i^'u\},tivc Numb. xxiv. 17; 2 Ttt. i. I!); Rev. x.xii. 1(5; Gen. xlix. 9; Mic. v. 8; Rev. v. 5.
' Isa. xxxiii. 9, Ixv. 10. ^ Rom. viii. 29.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 43
cellency of any thing. So, then, is Christ to them indeed, verse 1 ; so are they in his esteem, and indeed, verse 2, How he is in their esteem and indeed, we have, verse 3.
" As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." To carry on this intercourse, the spouse begins to speak her thoughts of, and to show her delight in, the Lord Christ; and as he compares her to the lily among the thorns, so she him to the apple-tree among the trees of the wood. And she adds this reason of it, even because he hath the two emi- nent things of trees, which the residue of them have not: — 1. Fruit for food; 2. Shade for refreshment. Of the one she eateth, under the other she resteth ; both with great delight. All other sons, either angels, the sons of God by creation. Job i. 6, xxxviii. 7, or the sons of Adam, — the best of his offspring, the leaders of those companies which, verse 2, are called daughters, or sons of the old creation, the top branches of all its desirable things, — are to an hungry, weary soul (such alone seek for shade and fruit) but as the fruitless, leafless trees of the forest, which will yield them neither food nor refreshment. " In Christ," saith she, " there is fruit, fruit sweet to the taste ; yea, 'his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed,' " John vi. 55. "Moreover, he hath brought forth that everlasting righteousness which will abundantly satisfy any hungry soul, after it hath gone to many a barren tree for food, and hath found none. Besides, he aboundeth in precious and pleasant graces, whereof I may ^eat; yea, he calls me to do so, and that abundantly." These are the fruits that Christ beareth. They speak of a tree that bringeth forth all things need- ful for life, in food and raiment. Christ is that tree of life, which hath brought forth all things that are needful unto life eternal. In him is that righteousness which we ^hunger after; — in him is that water of life, which whoso ^drinketh of shall thirst no more. Oh, how sweet are the fruits of Chiist's mediation to the faith of his saints ! He that can find no relief in mercy, pardon, grace, acceptation with God, holiness, sanctification, etc., is an utter stranger to these things (■*wine on the lees) that are prepared for believers. Also, he hath shades for refreshment and shelter ; — shelter from ^vrath without, and refreshment because of weariness from witliin. The first use of the "shade is to keep us from the heat of the sun, as did Jonah's gourd. When the heat of wrath is ready to scorch the soul, Christ, inter- posing, bears it all. Under the shadow of his wings we sit do^vn con- stantly, quietly, safely, putting our trust in him; and all this with great delight. Yea, who can express the joy of a soul safe shadowed