First of all , the Sons of men are compared to the Trees of the Wood.

And then Secondly , The Son of God is compared to the Apple-tree among those Trees , in the midst of those Trees .

First , The Sons of men are compared to the Trees of the Wood , Trees of the Forest : And this holds forth the state and condition of men by Nature ; Every man by nature is a wild Tree , he is not in Gods Garden , but is cast out into the open Field , it 's a Tree of the Forest , not a Tree of the Orchard . We speak of the corrupted nature of man , what man is since the fall of Adam : For when God made him at first , he planted him in Paradise , and he was the chiefest Tree there , brought forth most excellent and delightful fruit unto God , but you know how Adam degenerated , he turned a wild Tree , and brought forth sowre Fruit ; and therefore God pluckt him up by the Roots , and threw him out of Paradise ; so that he and all his posterity after him were for ever after Trees of the Wood , and Trees of the Forest ; he brings forth nothing but wild Fruit , till such time as the Lord is pleased to take poor creatures and ingraft them again upon Jesus Christ , who is the Root of Jesse , that they may bring forth better fruit unto him .

Now I shall shew wherein this comparison holds : Every man by Nature is a wild Tree , a Tree of the Wood , a Tree of the Forest .

1. First of all , He either brings forth no fruit , or else he brings forth sowre fruit ; he is an unfruitful creature ; Israel is an empty Vine , God complains : And so it 's true of every man by Nature , he is an empty Vine ; he is an unfruitful Tree ; if he brings forth any fruit , it 's wild fruit , it 's sowre fruit ; as is spoken of in Deut. 32. 32. which doth well resemble the condition of all men by Nature . Their Vine is a Vine of Sodom , they are of the field of Gomorrha . Here 's the fruit that every mans Nature brings forth ; It 's a Vine of Sodom , and a field of Gomorrha ; sowre fruit , and bitter fruit , and cursed fruit . This is the fruit that man by Nature brings forth .

2. Again , Secondly , The Trees of the Wood or Forest , so long as they remain there , they are unprofitable ; they are not of that use which the Trees of the Orchard , or the Trees of the Garden are , they are not only useful for their fruit , but they are a great Ornament to a mans ground or house ; and they are also a defence to a mans house . A Tree nigh at home , at the house side keeps off many a Blast , and many a Storm ; and such are the Trees that are of Christs planting : Oh they are a Beauty , they are an Ornament . The Godly man is an Ornament to the place where he grows ; The Godly man is a defence to the place where he grows ; he keeps off many a storm and Judgement from the place where he lives ; and others fare the better for his sake . But now the Trees of the Wood , they are altogether unuseful , they serve for nothing but to shelter the Serpents , and to shelter the wild Beasts , and this is the condition of every natural man . Oh what Serpents , and what wild Beasts , what base lusts , and what hideous Monsters are sheltered in the heart of a Natural man , that is a stranger to Christ ?

3. Again , Thirdly , The Trees that are in the Wood or Forest , they grow in Wildernesses , and have none to look after them , there 's none prune them , there 's none to hedge them , they lye open to all dangers , to the Horns and to the Teeth of the wild Beasts , that will easily knock off all their Budds and Springs , break and eat off their bark , and keep them from growing , and the like : And truly this is the condition of every Natural man ; he is as a Tree in the Forest , as a Tree in the Wilderness ; there is none to look after him , there is none to prune him , and to take away unfruitful branches , that he may bring forth fruit to God , God doth not look after the Trees in the Forest : It 's true , Christ is the Fathers Husbandman , and he doth cut off unfruitful Branches ; he cuts off unfruitful Trees that bring forth untimely fruit . But he doth this to such as are in his Garden , to such as are in his Christ . Thus the Father takes a special care of his . The Lord makes a round hedge about his people ; he 'l keep all hurtful things from them . See what is said to Job : The Devil confesses the goodness of God unto his people in this respect , Job 1. 10. Hast not thou made a hedge about him , and about his house , and about all that he hath on every side ? It 's a most certain truth , that God hath made a hedge about his people , a hedge about him , a hedge about his person , a hedge about his house ; that is , a hedge about his family , a hedge about his Friends and Relations , a hedge about his people . There is a three-fold hedge that God makes about his , that are of his planting : But now it 's not so of the Trees in the Forest , of the Trees in the Wilderness , there 's no hedge made about them , they lie open to a thousand dangers ; they lie open to the furious assaults of Satan , and to the prevalency of all Temptations , lie open to dangers from all the Creatures , there 's no hedge about them : God hath not made a League with the Beasts in the Field for them . Here is the misery of a man out of Christ , it is set forth by a Tree that is in the Wilderness , a Tree that grows in the Wood : And therefore a word of Application to this particular .

Vse . Beloved , This lets us see the necessity of being planted into Christ by faith . We are all of the wild Olive , and the wild Vine ; and therefore there is a necessity , that every man should seek after his transplanting into Christ . Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up by the Roots ! You that are out of Christ , be willing to be pluckt up by the Roots , that you may be planted into Christ . There is some rooting that every natural man hath which he is loth to be pluckt from : One man is rooted into the World , and another is rooted in his lusts , and another is rooted in himself , in his own righteousness , in his own works , in his own strength , in his own performances . Oh that the Lord would make you willing to be pluckt up from all that Root , that in which you have any thing besides Christ : Here is the great difficulty , to bring off the wills of men . Men cry out many times , Oh it is a hard matter , Oh it 's an impossible thing , that ever they should be pluckt up from such Rooting : That they have such lusts , Trees which are of twenty , thirty , forty years growth ; and all that time rooting deeper and deeper : Is it possible that such should be plucked up by the Roots , and planted into Christ ?

My Brethren , it 's possible if men were willing to be pluckt up , the Lord would soon accomplish it . You know what Christ said to his Disciples ; that if they had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed , they should say to this Cedar , be removed into the Sea , and it should be so . Why , the Lord can make poor Creatures to do that which is impossible for sense and reason to think may be done : Oh what is it that the Lord can't do ! There is no Oake , there is no Cedar , so strong and so tall , and so deeply rooted , but the Lord can say , Be thou removed , be thou plucked up by the Roots : There is no Tree so barren , there is no Soul grows in such a barren Soyl , but the Lord can say , Be thou plucked up , and be thou rooted in that fruitful Soyl. Oh that the Lord would make the hearts of men willing to be pluckt up by the Roots , from that rooting which they have in sin , or which they have in themselves , that so they may be planted in a better soyl , and rooted in the Lord Jesus . Do but remember this , that you may see what a necessity there is that every man should seek after their planting in Christ . Why , so long as you are out of Christ , you are wild Trees , so long as you are out of Christ , you bring forth no fruit ; you bring forth no good fruit . Our Saviour makes it an impossible thing , in Mat. 7. 17. Even so every good Tree bringeth forth good fruit , but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil fruit : It 's impossible that ever the fruit should be good so long as the Tree is evil . Now so long as a Man is out of Christ , he is an evil Tree , he is a wild Tree , a Tree of the Wood , a Tree of the Forest , not a Tree of the Garden . Oh that men would be made good , that their Trees might bring forth good fruit . Truly it 's in vain to teach men to bring forth good fruit , until such time as the Tree be made good . If the Tree were made good , and ingrafted into Christ , it 's impossible that that good Tree should bring forth evil fruit . Oh know you that have Interest in Christ , that all the fruit that you bring forth out of Christ is lost ; I say , Men and Women , they lose all their fruit ; It 's such as the Lord can't accept of , such as the Lord doth not delight in . The Lord could not endure that fruit that Israel brought forth , in the first of Isaiah , they were a burden to him , their fruit he was weary of ; they and all the fruit that they brought forth to God were cast out . What a pitiful thing is it that a man should lose all his fruit , all his Labour , and all his pains ? Yea truly , till a man be in Christ all is lost . You know the young man in the Gospel , that came to Christ , he had a great deal of good Moral fruit , he had kept all the Commandments , he said , from his youth , and yet all that fruit was lost , it withered and fell off before it was ripe , it rotted and perished , it was never gathered by Christ , his Soul did never eat of it , it was no delight to him ; And why ? because though the Tree had a great deal of seeming good fruit on it , yet it was an evil Tree , it was a wild Tree .

Nay , Let men consider further , what a fearful word was spoken against such wild Trees , as bring forth no fruit to God , or such fruit as is sowre , as his Soul can have no pleasure nor delight in ; it was a dreadful Word spoken by Daniel , which was spoken concerning the great Tree ; see Dan. 4. 14. Hew down the Tree , and cut off the Branches , and scatter the Leaves , and the fruit . Why , this was spoken of the mighty Tree , which reached up to Heaven , a Tree that did fill the whole Earth with its outward Glory ; and yet of this very Tree , God said , Hew it down , and it was hewn down . Oh that men would remember , there is no outward priviledge , that can exempt a man from the stroak of the Lord . He can breath upon the tallest Cedars , and the greatest Oaks ; if the Lord blow upon them , they shall wither as the Grass in the Field : Now is the Ax laid to the root of the Tree , saith John the Baptist , in Mat. 3. 10. Therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit , is hewn down and cast into the Fire . Now that the Gospel is preached , now that Christ himself is come to offer terms of peace unto him , now that God from Heaven hath declared his willingness to pluck men out of the cursed Soyl of Nature , and to implant them into his Son ; now , now , if men submit not unto Christ , if they continue obstinate , hew them down and make them fewel for unquenchable Fire . Oh now see then how it concerns every man to seek to be implanted into Christ . It 's not a leaning upon Christ that will serve mens turns , but there must be a planting into Christ , a rooting in Christ : the Apricock doth lean upon the wall , but it 's not rooted into the wall , it hath not its life from the wall , but it 's rooted in the Ground . And so many a poor creature may pretend , he is leaning upon Christ , and in the mean time he is rooted in the World , in his filthiness , in his base lusts and corruptions , this man is not rooted into Christ : So much to that first Similitude . Thus you see that the Sons of men are compared to the Trees in the Wood , to the Trees in the Forest ; As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood , so is my Beloved among the Sons .

The Son of God ( I shall speak but a Word to that ) he is compared unto the Apple-tree in the midst of the Trees in the Wood , or of the Forest .

But why is the Son of God set forth here by the Apple-tree ? There are many Trees that are of more worth than the Apple-tree ; why not the Cedar ? and why not the Oak ? Why set forth here by the Apple-tree ?

First of all , Christ is set forth by the Apple-tree for the fruitfulness of this Tree . It 's a fruit-bearing Tree ; it brings forth abundance of useful fruit ; and therefore Christ is usually set forth by this Tree rather than others . It 's a very fit Simile to set forth Christ by the Apple-tree ; Christ was a fruit-bearing Tree . Oh what abundance of pleasant delightful fruit did Jesus Christ bring forth ! Such as did rejoyce the Soul of God his Father , and of men and Angels . He was fruitful all his days ; he continually brought forth fruit , all the time of his being upon Earth , all the time that he was planted by the Father , in the Nursery here in this world . He was fruitful even upon his first planting here , he made it his meat and his drink to do the will of his Father . He was never well but when he was bearing some fruit . The fruit that Christ bare when he was upon Earth , it shall last to Eternity ; It 's that which the Saints shall feed upon for ever and ever . The fruit that the Apple-tree bears , it 's both an Ornament to it self , and it 's exceeding beautiful , and beneficial unto others ; and therefore still fit is it to set forth this Simile , for it 's a fruit-bearing Tree , a beautiful sight , a delightful sight : The Lord Jesus he was laden with fruit , every Branch and every Bough full of fruit . It 's said , We saw his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son , full of Grace and truth . So Christ he is full of Grace and Truth ; and this is the Glory of the only begotten Son , being full of Grace and full of Truth . And then he is of benefit to others . The fruit of this Tree is exceeding beneficial to others . How many are fed , and nourished and refreshed by the fruit of the Apple-tree ? It 's a Tree that man could not spare of all the Trees that God hath planted . The fruit this Tree brings forth , it serves both for Meat and Drink ; it will both satisfie the Appetite , and quench the thirst also , which many other fruits will not do . Thus still this holds forth Christ , who is compleat nourishment to his people , he is meat indeed , and he is drink indeed ; he satisfies the hungry Soul with good things , he quenches the thirst of the poor , dry and parched Soul . There is a drink that is made of Apples , which is very useful ( we know ) for the quenching of thirst , for the allaying of heat : Such is that refreshment that Christ gives out unto his people ; he is content that his very heart blood should be squeezed out , that so his people might drink of it , that they might be refreshed , cooled and revived , that all the heat of his Fathers wrath might be allayed in them . This is the will of Christ , this is a Similitude that Christ is held forth by , like unto an Apple-Tree .

2. Then Secondly , For the shadow that this Tree casts , that also is held forth in the Text , I sat under his shadow with great delight , and his fruit was sweet to my taste . There are some Trees that bear fruit , but cast no great shadow ; other Trees cast a shadow , that bear no fruit that is desirable . Ay , but both these meet in Christ ; he is as the Apple-tree that brings forth fruit , and also casts a comfortable shadow . This makes the fruit more delightful , when a man can stand under the shadow and gather the fruit of the Tree ; it makes the fruit exceeding pleasant to him , he is not scorched with the Sun whilst he gathers it . Oh there is a sweet shadow , a sweet comfortable and refreshing shadow , which the Lord Jesus doth cast over his people , whilst they pluck that fruit , and eat of that fruit which grows upon him . But then ,

3. Again , Thirdly , His fruit is commended for the Smell of it , in Cant. 7. 8. Now also thy Breasts shall be as a cluster of the Vine , and the smell of thy Nose like Apples . That is , that very breath that comes from thee , all thy breathings they are sweet and comfortable , they have a sweet savour in them ; thy breathings after God and Christ they are full of Grace ; and they are full of holiness . The Smell it 's like the smell of Apples : There are some Apples that are of a very fragrant smell , as your Pomecitrons and others , and some have thought them to be the Apples here meant in the Text ; and this doth well set forth the Lord Jesus , for that sweet and fragrant smell that he sends forth . Oh what a sweet savour was he unto God! And what a sweet savour is he unto man ! It 's said , he offered himself a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God : He carried his sacrifice as his fruit , and it was a sweet smelling savour unto God . And so Christ is a sweet smelling savour unto man also ; where there is any thing of Christ in a Creature , it makes that Creature sweet ; where there is any thing of Christ in an Ordinance , it makes that Ordinance smell sweet ; where there is any thing of Christ in a duty , it makes that duty smell sweet . Because of the sweet savour of thine Oyntment , it 's therefore the Virgins follow thee . It 's Christ that makes the Gospel of a sweet savour ; Christ in a person , or Christ in an Ordinance , or Christ in any condition makes that thing sweet .

4. And again , Fourthly , This Tree it 's a Common Tree , and therefore Christ would rather be resembled by this Tree than by any others , which are not so common , and are not so useful . There is almost no part in the World but hath some kind of Apple-trees . It 's a fruit more common than many others , that even the poorest may eat of it . And therefore the Lord Jesus he may be resembled by this Tree , to hold forth , that he is a common saviour , that he is free for all poor creatures to come unto , he is the Apple-tree in all parts of the World , that men in all places might come in and feed upon him and be satisfied . And therefore he is said to be A Fountain set open , in Zech. 13. A Fountain set open ; it shall not be sealed up , but a Fountain set open . The Gospel tenders Christ freely ; and in that respect is Christ compared to A fountain set open . He is also compared here to an Apple-tree for the commonness as well as for the usefulness of that fruit , that none might plead Ignorance , that they might not plead excuse , that none might say he was such a fruit as none could buy , that they could not come at . No , Christ would be resembled unto that which is common , that he might be held forth freely unto poor lost sinners under the Gospel .