"trees of the wood; for who among the fons of the mighty can "be compared to the Lord? Thirdly, Some by the apple-tree, fuppofe the citron appletree is meant, which is exceedingly large, and always bearing either in the bud, bloflom, flower, or fruit, and denotes the extenfive glory of the Church's beloved, the Lord JESUS, who is the tree of life, that grows in the midst of the paradife of God, and bears at all times for fenfible finners, upon the branches of the promises, buds of hope, bloffoms of peace, flowers of pardon, and fruit of joy, whofe leaves are for the healing of the nations; all which fet forth the glory of the Church's beloved. Friendly. What may I apprehend by the Church faying, I fat down under his fhadow with great delight? Truth. It denotes refreshment: as fhades are of a cooling, refreshing nature, and therefore very defirable in a hot feafen fo the Lord JESUS CHRIST, in his perfon and prefence, is a fweet refreshing shade to the foul; O how cooling and refreshing is the fhade of his precious blood to a guilty foul, which screens it from the heat of divine wrath, to which fin had expofed it; for were it not for the fhade of CHRIST's precious atonement, the guilty foul would be fcorched with the beams of his wrath in the day of the Lord's fierce anger. But beneath this refreshing fhade, both finners and backfliding believers find all the fweets of life, peace, and joy. Farther, this fhadow may denote the righteousness of CHRIST, which fhade is as extenfive as the demands of the law, under which the believer refts with the greateft fafety and delight; as a fhade in fcripture points out a place of fafety and protection from danger and diftrefs, Pfal. xci. 1. 4. He that dwelleth in the fecret place of the Most High fhall abide under the fhadow of the Almighty, and under his wings fhalt thou trust; fo the shade of CHRIST's righteoufnefs affords infinite fafety and protection from all the curfes of the broken law to every foul that trufts therein. Hence, CHRIST is faid to be as the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land. Shades are not only places of pleafure and fafety, but also of growth; fo the foul that dwells beneath the fhade of the Redeemer's precious blood and obedience, will find fuch a cooling, refreshing nature therefrom, as will caufe a moft delightful growth in the mind of faith, hope, joy, and love, Hof. xiv. 7. They that dwell under his fhadow shall revive as the corn, they shall grow as the vine, the fcent thereof shall be as the wine of Le banon. Friendly. What may I apprehend by the spouse saying, Ifut down under his fhadow with great delight? Truth. The fuperlative contentment of the mind in the moft intimate communion with CHRIST; I fat down, fays the spouse, under his shadow, as one at reft, fhe was perfectly, fatisfied with her enjoyment, finding the fhadow of his perfon, blood, and obedience so refreshing to her mind, fecuring to her foul, fatisfying to all her defires, that the expreffeth her joy in the ftrongest terms, with great delight; as though the could not poffibly be delighted more, all her defires were granted in the prefence of her beloved. To fit beneath the prefence of CHRIST, and enjoy the refreshing smiles of his love, is the happiest seat in heaven or or earth. "If I were to be made fole emperor of the whole univerfe, and had all the retinue of honours, amaffed treafures of riches, and accumulated pleasures of life! what would an eternity of thefe enjoyments be to one hour's prefence of my beloved? Nay, fuppofing was foated upon a I throne in heaven, far above the highest archangel, what would this be to my foul without the presence of beloved? The fpoufe may well fay, I fat down under under bis Shadow with great delight; for what heart can conceive, of tongue exprefs the joy, rapture, peace, blifs, that the believer finds beneath the fade of Immanuel's blood and righteoufnels, whereby it is not only fafe for ever from wrath and condemnation, but has all the fweets of heaven imparted. my Friendly What may I apprehend by the fpoufe faying, His fruit was feet to my taste? Truth. By CHRIST's fruit, I apprehend his incarnation, which branch of our falvation is richly laden with wifdom, love, and power: First, the Chriftian views a grand display of infinite wifdom, in ordaining fuch a glorious Saviour for his redemption, as none other in heaven or earth was able to accomplish the work; therefore, faith Gon, have laid belt upon one that is mighty; deliver him from going down into the piv I have found a ranfom. Herein the wildom of GOD fhines, according to the perfection of his nature, that he should fix -upon two natures to constitute one perfon, who had in him all -the glory and authority of JEHOVAH, yet infinitely more that - all the kindness and tenderness of the man; that, as God-Man, he might by his power and love, bring them that are afar off, nigh to God. Secondly, The Chriftian views CHRIST's incarnation, beating the precious fruit of love; it was rich, inconceivable, and unutterable love in him, who was the God of glory, effentially poffeffed with all the perfections of the Godhead, for to love us fo as to take upon him our nature, not only to become a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief, but a victim and a facrifice to fave us; condefcending grace, and mercy to an infinite degree! Thirdly, The branch of CHRIST's incarnation bears the fruit of almighty power; therefore the angel faid unto the virgin, The power of the Highest fhall overshadow thee; for that great traniaction was not accomplished by the ordinary power or bleffing of heaven, but by extraordinary and almighty energy of the HOLY GHOST: when the Chriftian fees the branch of CHRIST's incarnation, fo richly laden with the fruit of wifdom, love, and power; he feeds thereon by faith, as the bread of life which came down from heaven, and finds it fweet, yea fweeter than honey, or the honey-comb, becaufe all the comfort of heaven and happiness is fecured thereby. Fourthly. The fruit of CHRIST's obedience is a perfection of righteoufnefs every way adequate to the demand of the law: this fruit is, peace of mind, and joy in the Holy Ghost, the foul is not only eternally fecured from the condemnation of the broken law, but loved and approved of GOD, and has a fure right unto eternal glory, and cannot fail of being fweet to the believer's tafte. Fifthly, The fruit of CHRIST's death is a perfection of atonement; for every fin the believer hath been guilty of, in thought, word, or deed; however innumerable, aggravating, and great, he views that juftice is fatisfied for them-heaven is appeased-wrath is removed-and a perfect amity and reconciliation between GOD and his foul through that atonement. Such fruit is fweet and defirable to the believer's taste. Sixthly, The fruit of CHRIST's refurrection is a perfection of victory over fin, death, and hell: When the believer experiences that he has overcome all these potent adversaries, (which are all he has to fear,) what can poffibly yield him more joy than to view them triumphed over, and he poffefs the victory as his own? Laftly, The fruit of CHRIST's interceffion is a perfection of freedom, and liberty with God, as a child with a father; his interceffion is as a key to unlock all the treasures of grace, love, and mercy contained in his incarnation, life, death, and refurrection; not only the foul pleads, but CHRIST; and if CHRIST pleads, the Father always hears, for he speaks as one VOL. III. H having authority, being entered within the vail, not with the blood of bulls, nor of goats, but with his own. Now this fruit as it contains all the blessings of his heart, hopes of hea ven and happiness, cannot but be fweet, precious, and valuable to the believer's taste. Friendly. What may I apprehend by the spouse saying, He brought me to the banquetting-house, and his banner over me was love? Truth. A farther illuftration of that sweetness and precioufnefs that she found in the prefence and blessings of her beloved, and as much as if the spouse had faid, "He entertained me, brought me to the royal banquet, to the fumptuous feaft "which he had prepared, the precious fruits of his blood and love, to delight my foul." "I was regal'd with heav'nly fare, "With fruit and manna from above; "The conqu'ror spread "The banner of his love." WATTS. "He brought me to the house of wine, where, like an un"paralleled lover, he kindly replenished my mind with ten ❝thousand thoufand fweets; there he opened the pipes of every "blessing and promife! O amazing! the fountains of falva"tion flowed, and he handed forth to me flaggons of love, "better than wine, fweeter than honey, or the honey-comb; "more to be defired than gold, yea, than much fine gold! "Here I feafted on the bread of life, drank of the wine of the "kingdom, and his banner over me was dying, bleeding, re"deeming, victorious love! If I look into the mifery of my "heart, and depravity of my nature, his banner over me is "love, to relieve and deliver me therefrom! If I view my "tranfgreffions, which are more in number than the fands << upon the fea fhore, yet his banner over me is love, to par "don and forgive them all! If I view wrath, curfe, and con"demnation to be my due defert, yet his banner over me "is love, to fcreen me from wrath, to fave me from condem "nation, and to blot out all my tranfgreffions by the precious "blood of atonement! If I look upon all mine enemies, yet «ftill his banner is over me, to protect and deliver me from "them all! If I extend my views into eternity, his banner " is over me, for my confummate happiness there! O charm"ing banner, whofe motto is lovel O royal banquet, so sweet "to my tafte, and heavenly feaft, that yields fuch confum"mate joy !" "With love he march'd, with love he led, "With love he arm'd my breast ; "With love he did the banner spread, "With love he crown'd the feast." ERSKINE. CHRIST's delight is to commune with, and manifest himfelf to, his people, which manifeftation and out-breakings of his love was fo great, fo wonderful, that the spouse cries out, Stay me with flaggons, comfort me with apples, for I am fick of love; which is as though fhe had faid, "Stay, fupport, com"fort me, or I fhall faint beneath my confolation. O fup<< port me with fresh supplies of the fame joy that overcomes, "or I fhall fink beneath the weight of it; for nothing can "fupport, but that which finks me. Oftay me, with fresh "flaggons full of wine, or I fhall faint beneath my joy, for "want of more; for nothing can heal, but that love which "wounds me. "The love, the love that I bespeak, "More of this love, that makes me faint, * If more would kill me, I'm content To die of this difeafe." ERSKINE. Thus, Friendly, you fee what familiarity and freedom CHRIST admits a believing foul to use with him; for the spouse not only defired one favour, but favours to be heaped upon her; not only to ftayed with flaggons, but comforted with apples, upon which the learned Ainsworth thus writes; "Strew me with, make me a couch of, bolfter me up with "apples, to keep me from finking, and refresh my spirits "which languish. For apples are of a fragrant nature, and " revive by their odour, especially fuch as grow upon the "citron apple-tree, Cant. ii. 2. whereby is meant the com |