Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

I know that many of you may have already seen this text on my Facebook account, but I was really impacted by this song as I sang it with St. John's Episcopal Church Choir recently. Please notice with envy the age of the composer. Here is the piece as sung by the St. Olaf Choir, along with the text (if you're on Google Reader or other RSS feed, go to the actual blog at sabegalli.blogspot.com):

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
pub. 2009, Stanford Scriven (b. 1988)

The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit, and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the appletree.

His beauty doth all things excel:
By faith I know, but ne'er can tell,
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the appletree.

For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the appletree.

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the appletree.

I'm weary with my former toil,
Here I will sit and rest awhile.
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the appletree.

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Words: Anonymous; from Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs
Compiled by Joshua Smith, New Hampshire, 1784