Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood, so is my beloved among §. 5 the Sons, I sate 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 Lilly 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 eminent 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. 1. 6. 38. 7. or the Sons of Adam, the best of his off-spring, the Leaders of those companies, which v. 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 Forrest, 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 Joh. 6. 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 ⟨p. 45⟩none. Besides he aboundeth in precious and pleasant Graces, whereof I may ^keat, 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 needful 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 ^gHunger after: in him is that water of life, which who so ^hDrinketh of, shall thirst no more. Oh how sweet are the fruits of Christ's mediation to the faith of his Saints. He that can find no relief in Mercy, Pardon, Grace, Acceptation with God, Holiness, Sanctification, &c. is an utter stranger to these things,