John Trapp on Song of Solomon 2:13

Verſ. 13. The Fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes, &c.] Theſe two trees put forth their fruits firſt; when other trees for moſt part,Poſt flores fructus, &c. Lib. 17. cap. 13 put forth firſt flowers, and then fruits in their ſeaſon. Pliny numbers the Fig-tree among the trees of quick Nature. And our Saviour, Luk. 21.29, 30. makes the ſhooting forth of the Fig-tree to bee a ſign of Summers approaching. When himſelf came hungry to that Fig-tree, Matth. 21.19. hee thought to have found ſomething on it more than leaves onely; for though the time of Figs was not yet, (that is, of ripe Figs) Mark 11.13. yet groſſuli, green Figs at leaſt hee looked for, thoſe untimely Figs that ſhee caſteth when ſhee is ſhaken of a mighty wind, [non-Latin text not transcribed] groſſus. Hinc ficus, & fig. Hinc puto Bethphage dictam quaſi locum groſſorum. Mercer. Unde pomum decerpſeris alterum protuberat. Rev. 6.13. his hunger would have made ſomewhat of them. It was at Bethphage (that houſe of green Figs, as the word ſignifieth) or near unto it, that hee curſed this barren Fig-tree, Mark 11.1, 13. and therefore curſed it, becauſe it anſwered not his expectation. It behoves us therefore not onely to make a flouriſh of goodly words (with Naphtali) but to bee fruitful boughs (with Joſeph) being filled with the fruits of Righteouſneſs, which are by Jeſus Chriſt unto the glory and praiſe of God, Phil. 1.11. Joſeph is a fruitful bough, Gen. 49.22. that is, of the Vine, ſaith the Chaldee Paraphraſt there. But it may bee Jacob meant it of the Aegyptian Fig-tree,Uno anno ſepties fructus ſufficit. whereof Solinus reporteth, that it beareth fruit ſeven times a year: pull off one Fig, and another preſently puts forth. Now if the Fig-tree ſlack not her duty, but laboureth quickly to bring forth her firſt-fruit, that ſo again and again ſhee may bee more fruitful: how much more ſhould wee haſten the fruits of holineſs, break off our ſins, and bee abrupt in our repentance, Dan. 4.27. cut the cart-ropes of vanity, and caſt away the deeds of darkneſs, Rom. 13.12. bring forth fruits meet for repentance, parallel to it, and tantamount: ſuch as were to bee ſeen in the penitent theef, that ſuffered with our Saviour? Aarons Rod was not ſooner changed from a withered ſtick into a flouriſhing tree, than hee was from a barren malefactor into a fruitful profeſſor; for ſee what a deal of fruit hee bears in an inſtant: hee confeſſeth his own ſin, rebuketh his companion, giveth a good teſtimony unto Chriſt, and praies that Chriſt would remember him when he came into his Kingdome. This incouragement among many other wee have, that Chriſt will bleſs our very budds, Iſa. 44.3. (ſee the Geneva Tranſlation) hee will taſte of our green Figs,Un[illegible: 1 letter] minutula. R. David. of our tender Grapes, which, if not yet of a good taſte, yet becauſe they give a good ſmell, as this Text hath it, they are well reſented; Chriſt when hee comes into his garden, takes all hee findes well aworth: Hee gathereth his myrrhe with his ſpice, hee eats not onely of his hony, but of his hony-comb, and drinks not onely of his Wine, but of his Milk, Cant. 5.1.