Preached, 7th June, 1846.
* Rev. L. M’Pherson was one of the two ministers who protested against the Union of the Churches in Canada in 1875.
THESE words are spoken by the spouse—the Church—in commendation of her beloved—Christ. They set forth what He is compared with all other subjects, and what she found Him to be to herself. She goes to the forest for a similitude, where she finds one to her purpose. Here were lofty cedars, tall and stately firs, and many others, excellent of their kind, but among them was one superior to them all; this was the apple tree. It possessed attractions which none of the others had. One might stand and admire the stateliness and beauty of the others, but he would find them to be of little benefit to him. They were too tall to afford him that shade from the burning sun so grateful and so necessary in those countries. Besides, they bare no fruit on which he might feed. How delightful to one panting for breath under the scorching rays of the summer sun to discover amongst the trees of the forest a lowly tree spreading out her luxuriant boughs, forming a thick canopy which affords the most refreshing shade, and bearing abundance of the most delicious and wholesome fruit. How readily would he leave the tall and stately trees around and repair with joy to the lowly apple. Here he could find sweet shade and sweet food, and the fruit so near him that he might sit down and pluck it from the boughs which hung themselves on every side so low that the most feeble might enjoy it.
The angels are glorious and shining beings—excellent in themselves—but not to be compared with Christ. He possesses an excellence which none of them possess, and He is to the Christian what these could not be. Angels—those lofty spirits, pure and holy as they are—cannot afford the shade or the fruit which the sinner needs. Christ, although Himself the Lord of angels, yet humbled Himself so far as to become man—a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. He stooped so low as to meet our need, our wants. He took our nature upon Him, and thus brought Himself to our level. He brought His salvation within our reach. He is, besides, meek and lowly. Christ is also low in the eyes of the world, and none know how to esteem Him but the believer. To others He is as a root out of a dry place, in whom there is no comeliness to the carnal eye.
What could angels do for the soul when he felt the burden of sin, when pursued by the curse of the law, and trembling on the brink of hell? Could angels save him from going down to the pit? No. Although all their shoulders were united into one they could not bear him up. Neither can saints nor angels support the believer in his trials in this world. Often does his soul faint under the burden of trial from within and from without—from the devil, the world, and the flesh. The sun beats hard upon him, and he pants for breath and looks around him, but there is none that can help. The tall cedars and towering pines cannot afford him the shelter and the nourishment and strength he needs. Christian brethren may try to comfort him. They may endeavour to understand and explain his case, but still he pants, he hungers, he doubts, he fears, he cries, and mourns. None can do this but Christ. How joyful is he when he sits down under the shadow of the apple tree and eats its sweet fruit! Then, however highly the Christian may think of the people of God, Christ is in his estimation above them all. “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.”
The apple tree represents Christ in His mediatorial character. It was planted by the Father Himself. It came from heaven, and it fills heaven and earth. Christ was elected by the Father and constituted by Him as Mediator. Christ as Mediator affords both fruit and shade to the believing soul.
1. Shade.
1. Christ’s righteousness is the believer’s covering.
By nature he is exposed without any covering to the pure eye of Jehovah, who can see nothing in him but sin. His own filthy rags only render him more hateful to God. He cannot throw them off. He is condemned. Sinners cannot stand in the sight of God. His holiness, justice, and truth would burn them like a worm in the sun. Their being in God’s presence would annihilate them. Little do sinners think that without holiness they could not endure the sight of God. He would be to them a consuming fire. He would not require to put forth any effort to destroy. They could not live near Him. The bright shining of His glory would scorch them. O how sweet to the soul who has seen his own nakedness before God, to sit down under the shade of Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s righteousness is a shield to the believer from the wrath of God. The believer is covered by this tree; he conceals himself under it. His soul was once scorched and parched. He had no peace—”There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” All his efforts to help himself were of no avail. He could find no rest in his duties; however well performed God was displeased with them. The covering was too narrow to wrap himself in it, and the bed too short to stretch himself thereon. All his righteousness was but filthy rags after all; “filthy garments,” with which he could not stand accepted before God. (Zech. iii. 3.) God’s law was broken, and the sinner could never heal the breach. While he wore this garment he could never look up to God as his Father; guilt made him afraid. He would rather look in any other direction than to God. He found that he was born in sin, conceived in sin. What joy must the soul have felt when sitting down under the shadow of the apple tree! It was said, “Take away the filthy garments.” “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” (Zech. iii. 4.) How fair now does the soul appear when clothed with Christ’s righteousness! God looks upon him with delight. “He is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake.” When Christ found His spouse He found her a filthy slave, clothed in rags, but still He loved her. He wooed her, and at length won her heart. She then felt she was poor and naked, and unfit to appear in the King’s court. Christ clothed her with His own robe; He threw over her His skirt and covered her nakedness. Christ’s righteousness is a thick covering; not a ray of God’s wrath will ever pierce through it. It is a garment that will never grow old. O, sinner, will you not flee to the apple tree and hide yourself under it? This Man—Christ—”shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place; as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” (Isaiah xxxii. 2.)
2. Christ’s love is a shade to cover the believer.
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song ii. 4.) His love is strong as death, and many waters cannot quench, neither can the floods drown it. (Song viii. 6.) All the floods that roared against Christ and went over His soul could not drown it—the floods of ungodly men, floods from hell, and the floods of God’s wrath. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans viii. 35.) His love is unchangeable, and it is so great that it hides a multitude of sins. (1 Peter iv. 8.) Yea, all their sins, which is a great multitude. His love is always awake; it is an everlasting love. Those whom He loved, He loved unto the end. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Christ spreads the wings of His love over His people to shield them from the storm—all storms and dangers from heaven, earth, or hell. O, believing Christian and mourning Christian, Christ is spreading over you at this moment the wings of His love. His love will come between you and all danger.
3. His providence is a shield or covering with which the believer is shielded.
Believers seem sometimes as if Christ had no power on earth at all. He is the Ruler and Governor, and none can injure His people. The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. (Prov. xxi. 1.) Neither kings nor rulers can injure them or move against them without His permission. He giveth His angels charge concerning them. His angel encamps round about them. (Psalm xxxiv. 7.) The minutest circumstances of their condition in the world are ordered and adjusted by Him, and He will make all things work together for their good.
They that fear the Lord shall want no good thing. They need never be alarmed at anything which happens to them, let it be ever so adverse, since all comes from Him, and He intends it for some important good for them. How wretched must they be who would make all things depend on chance or accident! They are continually exposed without a protecting hand to accidents which they cannot foresee, and therefore cannot control. Not so the believer; his God is the Governor who notices and controls the least things as well as the greatest. At home and abroad—on sea and on land—among friends or among foes—in plenty or in poverty—in prosperity and in adversity—in health and in sickness—rejoicing or mourning—in life and in death—He is with them and will keep them. He is their Shepherd and will keep them from harm. “Behold, he that keeps Israel slumbers not nor sleeps.” The sun shall not smite them by day nor the moon by night. The Lord is their keeper: He is their shade on their right hand. The Lord shall preserve them from all evil: He shall preserve their soul, etc. (Psalm cxxi.) “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.” (Psalm cxxv.) “When the enemy shall come in as a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah lix. 19.) His providence rules over them in spiritual things.
2. Fruit. “His fruit was sweet to my taste.”
This tree is a fruitful tree, this that is spoken of (Rev. xxii. 2), which yielded twelve kinds of fruit, and twelve times in the year—every month—summer and winter, in the time of dark desertion as well as in the sunshine of spiritual prosperity. There is on this tree fruit to suit the believer at all seasons and on all occasions. It is the tree of life, and all its fruits are life-giving fruits, wholesome fruits. Adam shut the way upon himself and his posterity so that he could not come at the tree of life. The flaming sword guarded the way on every side; it turned every way. But Christ opened it up again. The sword of justice exhausted its fury upon Him, and it no longer stands in the way. Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, by which they and their posterity were poisoned, all seek after forbidden fruit; the taste is corrupted with the first poisoned fruit, so that they relish no other fruit but that which is deadly. They love to sit under the tree of death—the reptile whose poisonous breath causes death to all who go near it. Let us notice the fruit of the Apple tree.
1. Mediator—God-man.
This is a precious fruit to the soul in Christ. “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (I Tim. ii. 5.) He is the Mediator of the new covenant—the peacemaker. One who could lay His hand upon both and reconcile them. As such He is God-man; He is the Kinsman Redeemer. They are made heirs of Christ and heirs of God. From Him they receive that precious fruit of being brought in relation to God—their nature exalted to a union with the Divine nature. They are by this means brought nearer to God than the angels—they stand nearer the throne in heaven than they—they stand round about the throne—and they have a song to sing peculiar to themselves—it is salvation—a song which angels can only sing in the way of sympathy. Angels like to hear it sung, and try to sing with the redeemed, to strike in with them; but they cannot sing it like them, they cannot sing it for themselves. In His mediatorial character Christ unites the offices of prophet, priest, and king. These are sweet fruits to the believer:—
(1) Prophet:
to enlighten him; all his knowledge, light, and wisdom come from Him. The spiritual illumination of his understanding—this is a precious fruit.
(2) Priest:
to atone and intercede for him. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.”
(3) King:
to subdue, govern, and defend him. All these are precious fruits.
2. Pardon.
This is, of course, flowing, as all others also do, from His mediatorial character—sweet fruit this to the soul and the first which he can relish. This is the first thing which the awakened sinner feels he needs. O, how joyful would it be for him to know that his sins are all forgiven! The believer is permitted to take this fruit too. Let him not be afraid to take it—it is freely given to him of God. Christ is the propitiation for our sins. (1 John ii. 2.)
3. Reconciliation, and peace with God.
“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. v. 1.) O, how sweet to be at peace with God to the soul in whom the arrows of the Almighty have stuck fast; to the soul continually pursued and haunted with the fear of hell! Christ is our peace. He made peace. He is the Prince of peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” And being reconciled and at peace with God, they are accepted, their persons and services. They are always welcome to His presence—their prayers are heard and their suits granted.
4. Adoption.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, etc.” (1 John iii. 2.) They are brought into the family of God, and made His sons and daughters, and consequently heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. They have the spirit of His Son; they have the spirit of adoption whereby they cry, “Abba, Father.” The spirit of bondage, of slavish fear, is taken away. They are not servants but sons—the servant abideth not always in the house, “but the son abideth ever.” Sweet privilege! Which of you, my friends, can say, “Abba, Father?” Have you the Spirit of the Son, or are you afraid to say this? Very few there are who can say “Abba, Father.”
5. Sanctification.
Believers receive their sanctification from Christ. He is made of God unto them sanctification. (1 Cor. i. 30.) They are chosen in Him unto holiness—they, being united to Him, derive it from Him as their head of spiritual influence. All who are implanted in Him become like Him. This makes them meet for the inheritance of saints in light. This they need, and this is provided.
6. The Fruits of the Spirit.
“From me is thy fruit found.” (Hosea xiv. 8.) These are peculiarly valuable, and sweet to the taste. Let believers but sit down under the apple tree and then they may have their hearts’ desire of them. Let them seek them from Christ and not in themselves.
(1) Humility;
how becoming and also how sweet to the Christian. There is no fruit that grows on the tree more disagreeable to the world than humility: the Christian is never happy until he is humble. Christ was meek and lowly in spirit; He giveth grace to the humble. How difficult to learn the lesson; but O, how sweet the fruit when once learned! To the humble Christian nothing can come amiss; he is happy in all circumstances. How safe! “Be not high-minded, but fear.”
(2) Godly sorrow:
a valuable and sweet fruit to the new creature. “They shall look upon me, etc.” This fruit is excellent for cleansing out the bad and unhealthy humours of the soul.
(3) Repentance:
He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins. The Christian often laments his hard heart, his obstinate will, his impenitence; on this tree grows the cure; let him come and sit down under it and eat abundantly. In a word, all the fruits of the Spirit are here, for time would fail us if we should speak of meekness, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, love, faith, hope, perseverance, holy zeal, goodness, temperance, etc. Come, then, ye who are weary and heavy laden, and here you will find rest.
7. Afflictions.
These are all sanctified afflictions—covenant blessings these. “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” All who stand around the throne clothed in white with palms in their hands “are they who have come out of great tribulations.” Wherever they come from—east, west, north, or south—this is common to them all; none ever got there without tasting this fruit. Medicines are needful; some bitter drops are often added to the sweetest cup. They serve many good purposes, and are to the humbled soul great blessings and even sweet fruit; they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness in them that are exercised thereby. (Heb. xii. 11.) Unconverted sinner, you have afflictions too. Are you not conscious yourself that in bearing them you are alone? You have no comforter. They come to you as the bitter fruit of sin without being qualified with the virtues of Christ’s blood. To you they possess no healing quality; instead of being medicines they are poisons—they do you no good. If you die in your sins, they will prove to have been only foretastes of anguish and tribulation which shall have no end.
8. Promises of grace here and glory hereafter.
These are delicious fruits. They remind you of heaven. Like the grapes of Eshcol, they are fitted to cheer you up with a view of what grows on the other side Jordan—in the heavenly Canaan.
These, then, are some of the apples which grow on this goodly tree. In another place it is said to yield twelve kinds of fruit, signifying not a definite number but the great variety which it affords; and it bears fruit at all seasons of the year, for the young, for the middle aged, and for old people—for every age of the world, and for every state in which the Christian may be.
3. “I sat down under his shadow with great delight.”
Christ’s shade and fruit will not benefit unless the soul come to them and sit down. This implies the exercise of faith upon Christ by the Christian. Observe the phraseology. It implies that the soul is well pleased with the shade and fruit it has found, which is further acknowledged when she says, “His fruit was sweet to my taste.” It was just such as she wanted; it agreed with her taste. The fruit might be good and yet not agreeable to the taste—a taste must be imparted.
To sit down implies an intention to remain, which, when it is voluntary, shows that the person who sits down is well pleased. Her sitting down implies resting; she had need of rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. xi. 28.) Christ is as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. (Isaiah xxxii. 2.) The believing soul who comes to Christ need never go away again. He may sit down—take up his abode—under this tree. It will never fail. No winter will strip it of its fruit or leaves; it bears at all seasons. Whatever stage the believer arrives at here, he only stays but to draw breath and refresh himself. The sweetest repast is sometimes scarcely spread when the table is drawn and he must leave. His loins are always girt and his staff always in his hand as a pilgrim. He eats his meals as it were with haste, and standing. He is not allowed to sit down at all; this is not his rest. But not so with regard to coming to Christ—once there he need never depart. Nay, indeed, once in Christ and the believer never more is separated from Him. He has found a resting place not for a day, a month, or a year, but for ever.
Unconverted sinners, let me call upon you to come and hide yourselves under this Shadow, and eat of these fruits of the Tree of Life.