As the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time

As the first ripe in the Fig-tree at her first time.

There's a great deal of elegancy in these expressions. The Fig-tree bears twice in the year, and here it is, The first of the first time. Their Fathers were as delightful as Grapes in the wilderness, and as the Figs, the first Figs in her first time.

Now we know that we prize fruit that is first ripe, as Cherries when they are first of all come, when they come it may be two or three into the Market, and Pease, and such kind of things when they are the first ripe of all, how they are prized? You shall have many will give any price for them. We say when Cherries come at first, that they are Ladies meat, or Longing meat: Now the Lord is pleased to condescend so much to express his love to his people, as the love of a longing woman to Cherries or other fruit, when they come first of all; as a woman has a longing after things when they come and are first ripe; says God, Never did woman long after any fruit when it was first ripe more than my soul has longed after you to do you good, I have taken as much pleasure in you as ever woman could take when she had her longing in the most dainty first ripe things: This is the meaning of the Holy Ghost here, to show the love of God to his Saints. Many expressions we have in Scripture, as in (Jeremiah 12:10) they are called his Pleasant Portion, and the dearly Beloved of God's Soul (Jeremiah 12:7), and the peculiar Treasure of God (Exodus 19:5), and here there are two as elegant expressions, as Grapes in the Wilderness, and as the first ripe of the Figs in the first time: Thus is God's exceeding goodness to us, though we be sapless in our selves, and have nothing in us to procure delight, yet God in his own free grace is willing to express himself thus to his People. Oh! what delight should we have in God who takes such delight in his Servants? And this expression of God we think may very well hint to us a meditation concerning the delight that God has in young ones that do begin to give up themselves to him, the Lord loves the first fruits, and the first ripe of things: in (Micah 7:1), Wo is me, for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits, as the Grape gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat; My soul desired the first ripe fruits. So it's true, by way of allusion at least, we may apply it, the Soul of God is a longer, God is a longer; To what? To the first ripe fruits, to the first of your years, to you that are young ones: We prize highly Nettle buds when they bud out first; Oh! so graciousness when it buds out in youth at first, Oh how pleasing is it to God! In (Exodus 23:19) God would have the first of the first fruits, he would not only have of the first fruits, but the first of the first. God stands much about the first still. And in (Leviticus 2:14) there you read, that the Lord is so eager to have the first things? (as a longing woman) that he will not stay till they be ripe, he will have the green ears of Corn dried in the fire; as many women that long they will not stay until the thing be ripe, but if they can have it ripened by any art, though not by the way of Nature they will seek to have it ripened so, and then they must needs have it; so says God, my longing is so after the first of things that I will not stay till they be fully ripe, but the Corn, though it be green ears, if they may be dried by the fire, I'll have them then. And so in (Canticles 2:12) The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, the Fig tree puts forth her green Figs; and in (Canticles 6:11) I went down into the Garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the Vine flourished, and the Pomegranates budded. Oh! the Lord looks up and down in Congregations that are as the Gardens of God to see such: and so in (Canticles 7:12) Let us get up early to the Vineyards, let us see if the Vine flourish, whether the tender Grape appear, and the Pomegranates bud forth; there will I give you my Loves. Oh let us go and see whether the tender Grape appear, or the Pomegranate bud; there will I give you my Loves. Where God does see grace beginning and budding in young ones, there God manifests himself; there will I give my Loves. And this only by occasion of God's expressing himself like a longer after the first things. Oh! give God his longing you that are young ones, and begin to be godly betimes, you satisfy the heart of God as the first fruits satisfy a longing woman. It follows: