Clavis cantici, or, An exposition of the Song of Solomon

The third particular commended, is vers. 2. and it's her teeth, which have a fourfold commendation given them. The teeth properly taken, are useful for furthering the nourishment of the body, they being the instruments that fit meat for digestion; and what comeliness is in them, is not every way obvious, they are not seen or discerned in their proportionableness or disproportionableness, but by the motion of the lips, otherwise they are hid by them. 2. Again in Scripture they are used to evidence and signify these three things, 1. They are used to signify the nature and disposition of a person, as good or evil; Hence evil men are said to have lions teeth, and that their teeth are as spears, Psal. 57. 4. And that beast, Dan. 7. 5, 7. is said to have three ribs in his teeth, pointing out it's cruel disposition. 2. They evidence good or ill food, that the person feeds on. 3. A healthful or unhealthful ⟨p. 205⟩complexion, which depends much on the former: Hence Judah's good portion and healthfulness is set out by this, Gen. 49. 12. His teeth shall be white with milk. According to the first, by teeth in the new man may be understood two things; first, •aith, believing being often compared to eating, because it furthers the souls nourishment, and is the mean by which the soul lives on it's spiritual food. This saith, 1. That the inner man must have food, as the natural body hath, for it's sustaining. 2. That the believer actually eats, and makes use of that food, he hath teeth for that end, and should not only look on Christ, but feed on him. Secondly, Meditation also may be here understood, that serving much to the feeding and filling of the soul, as Psal. 63. 6, 7. My soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness, how? While I meditate on thee on my bed, and think of thee in the night watches; Meditation is as it were […] soul's ruminating and chewing it's cud, feeding upon, and digesting what is understood and eaten, as the clean beasts did; which may be one reason why her teeth are in the first part of their commendation, compared to a flock of sheep, which were among the number of clean beasts by reason of this property: Meditation is exceedingly useful for a believers life, and they who are strangers to it, are not like Christ's sheep.