John Trapp on Song of Solomon 7:4

Verſ. 4. Thy neck is as a Tower of Ivory] Moſt ſmooth, white, and upright. Some do hereby underſtand Magiſtrates, that ſupport the State, as the neck doth the head. I bear up the pillars of it, ſaith David. Others will have the Miniſters meant, who being aloft in the Church, are to the ſame inſtead of watch-towers, or towers of defence. And eſpecially then when they are in their pulpits (called towers in the Hebrew, Neh. 8.4.) reading and expounding Gods law unto his people.

Thine eyes like the fiſh-pools in Heſhbon] Glazed with tears of compunction and compaſſion (Nam faciles motus mens generoſa capit) and well cleared to look into her own heart and life. Tears inſtead of gems, were the ornaments of Davids bed, ſaith Chryſoſtome: And ſurely that ſweet ſinger never ſang more melodiouſly, than when his heart was broken moſt penitentially, Pſal. 6. & 51. Thus birds in the ſpring ſing moſt ſweetly when it rains moſt ſadly: and tears of true contrition are pillulae lucis, pills made on purpoſe to clear the eye-ſight. When John wept, the ſealed book was ſet open to him, Lilium lachryma ſua ſeritur. Light is ſown for the righteous.

Thy noſe is as the tower of Lebanon, &c.] Si verborum faciem conſideremus, quid poterit magis dici ridiculum? ſaith Titleman upon the words. If we look upon the out-ſide onely of this text, what may ſeem to have been ſpoken more ridiculous? Is it ſo great a commendation to have a noſe like a tower? That which wee muſt here-hence learn, is, that ſeeing Chriſt is now riſen again, and aſcended up into heaven, wee ought to bear our noſes aloft, as it were: ſavouring things of the Spirit of Chriſt, diſcerning things that are excellent, and by a Spiritual ſagacity, aſpiring to eternity.

That looketh toward Damaſcus] The chief City of Syria, having its name from the bloody excurſions of theeves, as Peter Martyr thinketh: or elſe,Pet. Mart. in 1 Reg. 16. as others, from the blood of righteous Abel there ſpilled, whence the place was called Damſech, a bag of blood.