An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song,: commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.

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 o∣ver 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 im∣brace 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 dou∣ble.

• 1. A fervent desire in the Church toward Christ, I ex∣ceedingly 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 belo∣ved 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 by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 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 (un∣to whom I incline) think that it comes from Malo, I more will or desire, because it is passing pleasing to na∣ture, it being a fruit which man much desireth and de∣lights in. An Apple tree is commended to us in these respects.

1. For its comfortable shaddow that it giveth, as ap∣pears 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 a∣ny other tree whatsoever, so that it can hardly be rec∣koned 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 in∣to 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 a∣boundeth

in variety of all his graces: his fruit is good to the tast, and sweet unto the sences of the soul cheer∣ing and comforting those that are weake by communi∣cating of those graces to them. Christ hath in him suf∣ficiency of all grace relative and suitable to all conditi∣ons: 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 eve∣ry 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 simi∣lar: so doth Christ apply himselfe to us in a relation su∣ting 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, a∣mong wild trees, begrowne over with mosse, and with∣out 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 de∣rived from him to his posterity: and therefore he saith, we were graffed in contrary to nature. That is, we are in∣graffed 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 Spi∣rit. 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 some∣what 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 Le∣banon, 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 a∣bility, 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 there∣fore he was set above all the Kings of the Earth, Psal. 89. 28. The first borne among the Jewes was the prin∣cipall, 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 crea∣ture, 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 shad∣dow,

and fruitfulnesse, and withall expresseth her ear∣nest affection that she hath to be kept under Christs po∣wer, and under his protection from persecution and af∣fliction.

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 might sit, &c. The forme of the Hebrew word doth in∣crease the signification, so that it noteth a continuall and fervent desire of that which is pleasing, delightfull, or pro∣fitable: 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 deli∣vered only from evill, but made partaker of his good∣nesse. Fruits signifie graces and good workes, Mat. 3. 8. and Gal. 5. 22. and they also signifie a comfor∣table 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 resur∣rection, and all the fruits of them, which are commu∣nicated unto us by the Gospel: his glorious ascensi∣on in our nature, leading captivity captive, and gi∣ving spirituall gifts unto men; his sitting at the right hand of Majesty in our nature, making continuall in∣tercession for his people, his protection in times of trouble, his presence in the middest of persecuti∣on, in a word, all the workes of his mediatour∣shipp 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 sha∣dow with great delight, &c. Hence it is that the Psal∣mist 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 perse∣cution; 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, fluctua∣ting 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; re∣turne 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 re∣fuge, 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 hand∣wrighting 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 Mo∣ses 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 satisfi∣ed, 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 bur∣ning 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 sha∣dow 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 sa∣tisfied with all good things in Christ. All the faithfull feed upon Christ, and are nourished with all heaven∣ly 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 redempti∣on, as the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 1. 30. It pleased the fa∣ther that in Christ, should all fulnesse dwell, Col. 1. 19. from whom wee receive all spirituall blessings in hea∣venly 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 com∣municable 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 sweet∣nesse, 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 eve∣ry 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:

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Inde. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Malus ar∣bor, & ma∣lum fruct us
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Desidera vit, optavit, cupivit, con∣cupivit.