here hath no more ado than to fit down under his fhadow with great delight; fhe finds that, in that cafe, fhe is called to gather fruit under the Apple-tree; and eat, and improve that opportunity fhe hath gotten, by taking his fruit and feeding thereon: communion with Chrift is given us, not to fet us idle, but to make us busy on fuch a happy opportunity; and that partly,

(1.) Because we know not what may be upon the back of that opportunity; it may be like that which Elijah got under the juniper-tree, 1 Kings xix. 5, 6, 7. where the angel defires him to eat, for the journey is great he hath to go; and he got forty days fafling after that double meal: little know we what may be on the back of a banquet, how hardly we may be put

to it.

(2.) Becaufe idlenefs will foon cut us fhort of our enjoyments. When Chrift and the bride are together at a feaft, Song v. 1. on the back of it, fhe falls afleep; though it was but a flumber, her heart waking, yet he thereby was put to the back of the door, ver. 2. II improven opportunities may firip a foul of all its enjoyments before it be aware: "Emptinefs and diftance may fleal on, as one that travails; and poverty as an armed man." Under the happy fhadow we fhould be holy epicures, diligent feeders, and greedy eaters of the fruit of the Apple-tree.

4. It is here imported, that the neceffities of the faints. cannot be fo many but Chrift hath fupply for them all. If they be affaulted and tempeft-beaten, or fcorched and fun-burnt, he is a fhadow; if they be faint, he hath fruit; and his fruit is,

(1.) Refreshing fruit; and is called fruit, in conformity to the metaphor of his being the apple tree: the purchased and promifed allowance of Chrift to his people are refreshing and fatisfying, like favoury fruit.

(2.) This fruit is folid fruit; the believer feeds not upon wind, as it is faid of Ephraim, Hof. xii. 1. but fruit; he does not feed upon afhes, as it is faid of idolaters, Ifa. xly. 20. but fruit; he does not feed upon poifon, as it is faid of the wicked, Job xx. 16.; nor VOL. IX,

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does he feed upon hufks, as it is faid of the prodigal fon, before he returned to his father, but the fruit that grows upon this Apple-tree, the Tree of life.

(3.) This fruit is not only pleasant and folid, but plentiful and fufficient to anfwer their neceffities and all their wants: "Where fin aboundeth, grace doth much more abound." O Sirs, it is an useful study to study the fulness of Chrift, in his natures, in his person, in his offices, in his flates of humiliation and exaltation, and his words and precious promifes! Here is wine and milk; both fpecial and common allowances, Ifaiah Iv. 1. Again,

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(4.) As this fruit is durable fruit; fo it is good to ftudy the durablenefs of his allowances; for John iv. 14. it is, "The water that fprings up to everlafting life." The fruit of the tree of life is fill green and fresh, Rev. .xxii. 2.; and still ripe and ready for eating and all these rich, full, and durable allowances are thine, poor needy foul, according as thou doft need them; and thy need is thy pass and warrant for clofing with them, Ifaiah lv. 1. "Ho, every one that thirfleth, come ye to the waters. John vii. 39. "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink." The thirty ground is the ground that needs a fhower; the thirfly foul is the foul that needs a drink, even as the hungry man is the man that needs meat: and the more need, the more let be your errands to Chrift for fupply. Have you much to do? Well, in him you have much to do it with; here would be your life, to take up Christ's fulnefs rightly, and to improve it as your need is difcovered to you.

5. His fruit was fweet to my tafte, it imports, that there is a pleasant relish and fweetnefs in Chrift's allowances to his people. Concerning which we may remark,

(1.) That his allowances to them are not only fuf ficient, and enough, "Bread enough and to fpare;" but they are fweet and delicious. Chrift's fruits are like the tree caft into the waters of Marah, that made them fweet, Exod. xv. 25. It is like the meal caft into the prophet's

prophet's pot, that took death out of it, 2 Kings iv. 41. So that if you would have any forrowful or bitter condition sweetened, then no method is fo commodious, nor mean fo fure, as to take the fruit of this Apple-tree to feafon it: they are much to be pitied that are under any hard and bitter lot, and have nothing of Christ to fweeten it.

(2.) As Chrift's fruit is fweet in itself, and fweetens other things, fo the faints will acknowledge it to be sweet when they are in a right frame, and their tafle not corrupted and vitiate; for then they are like perfons in a fever, their taste marred; and the fweeteft things feem to be bitter to them; but when the faints of God are in a right frame, they will not fall in that fault which Eliphas fufpected in Job, chap. xv. II. "Are the confolations of God fmall to thee ?" Yea, when their fouls are in health, even his words of reproof will be sweet, even as the wounds of a friend that is faithful to a right difcerner, and as excellent oil, that will not break their heads. Surely then his honey, and honey-comb allowances will be fweet unto them; and they owe this teilimony to the truth of the matter, That his fruit is fweet. We are not complimenting him, when we commend him and his fruit: we ought to commend him thus to others, faying, with the church, "His mouth is moft fweet:" and, with David, " O taste and fee, that the Lord is good." When we repine, and quarrel, and fret, because of our fcanty allowances, O how ill bred are we! And, as the full foul, that loathes the honeycomb, it is a fign our fpiritual fenfe and difcerning is corrupted, when we cannot atteft that his fruit is fweet.

(3.) The Lord is pleafed fometimes to fatisfy his people with the sweetness of his fruits, without putting them ftill to the trouble of believing a bare word: he can, by fenfible comforts, make the greatest doubter and drooper to call himself a liar, that ever he should have brought up an ill report of Chrift and his allowances. This is fometimes the privilege of God's people; and though it were but once in a life-time, or tho' it were, as in Jacob's cafe, twenty years between one fweet Bethel and another, he fhould be bleffed

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for it it is not their ordinary to have these fun-blinks, or to be overcome with love and sweetness; for ordinarily they walk by faith, not by fight: by these warm blinks he fometimes gives faith a breathing. And therefore, furely they make a wrong use of these fenfible comforts, who cannot live without them; and who think God is gone, and Chrift is gone, and all is gone, when thefe comforts are gone: Afaph calls himfelf a beast, for thinking fo, Pfalm Ixxiii. 22, 23. "So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beaft before thee; Neverthe lefs, I am continually with thee; thou haft holden me by my right-hand." Under my temptations I queftioned all my religion as vain, and thought God was gone; but now I fee that, at my worft, his hand was round about me.

(4.) Yet it would ftill be remembered, that thefe fweet comforts and fealing favours are the effects of faith, if they be real and not delufive: I fat down under bis fhadow; then follows the sweetness and fenfible talles of his goodness and grace: these are fent, in order to cherish faith; and to exercife faith in Chrift, is the way to have more of thefe: "In whom, believing, we rejoice. After ye believed, ye were fealed with the Holy Spirit of promife." When comforts are gotten in a way of believing, then they are free of delufion; yea, then they are strengthening, and do much good; "The joy of the Lord is your ftrength," Neh. viii. 10.

6. It imports, that these fruits that are fo fweet and delicious to the believer's tafte, they are fill his fruits. It was he, with the Father, and Holy Ghoft, that from all eternity decreed the communication of that fruit: it is he that purchased all the fruit: it is he that is the ftore-houfe in whom it is laid up; for, "All fulness dwelleth in him and out of his fulness we may re ceive it." It is he that is the donor and difpenfer of the fruit, according as his wifdom and love fees meet, he lets it out to them, not as they would, but as they need it is he that guides the fruit he gives them, otherwife they would mifguide it and it is he that will make a good account of it all in due time; the day comes, when" He will be glorified in the faints, and

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admired in all that believe." You may queftion, If this fruit be in his hand to give out, how you came to be fo fcrimped? But, as he is wife, fo he will be true to his truft; and will beftow all in due time. In a word, it is his fruit, for it grows all upon him that is the Appletree; and this makes the fruit to be ineffably fweet, that it is all his and, as the water of life is fweetest at the fountain-head; fo the fruit is sweetest to the believer's taste that is feen to be growing on the tree of life, and to be all in him who is fulness and sweetness itself.

VI. The fixth and laft thing propofed, was, To-deduce fome inferences for the application. And, in general, from the church's practice here, after her commending of this Apple-tree, as matchlefs, her fitting down under his fhadow, faying upon the matter, I am an experimental witnefs of his fingular and matchless excellency; my experience is an orator to let forth what Chrift is, we may fee,

1. That a commendation of Chrift and an improvement of him fhould go together. For, Chrift will accept of no commendation, or fair language, as a proof of fincerity and uprightnefs, unlefs it be attended with an improvement and ufe-making of him. Chrift is not only fair and beautiful, but alfo full and bountiful; and therefore he wants not only to be commended but improven, that men may come to him for life, John.y. 20. And unless they come and tafte and fee that he is good, Pfalm xxxiv. 8. he values not, but defpifes their flattering him with their mouth, Pfalm lxxviii. 34. He wants not only that you speak good of him, but that you make ufe of the good that is in him.-Know alfo that right improvement of Chrift rifes from a due fight and efteem of him as fingular and matchlefs: they that come and fee, will come and fhare; "We beheld his glory, full of grace and truth :" then it follows," Out of his fulness have all we received," John xiv. 16. The knowledge of Chrift draws men to improve him; and the improvement of him draws forth commendation of him thefe mutually influence one-another. Chrift is none of these who, the more they are known, the lefs

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