THE KING'S REQVEST OR DAVID'S DESIRE A Sermon preached at the last generall Fast holden at Yorke the 21. of Aprill last By PHINEES HODSON Doctour of Diuinity and Chancellour of the Metropoliticall Church of St. Peter-Yorke LONDON Printed by THO. HARPER for Edward Blount and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard 1628. PSAL. 27.4 One thing haue J desired of the Lord which I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple IN this Psalme you haue the Prophet keeping an Audit and taking a reckoning of the treasures of his heart the receipts were many and great Mat. 12.35 which like so many Riuers from that great Ocean of Gods mercy made glad his heart that was a man after Gods heart 1. Sam. 13.14 For the receipts you shall finde them acknowledged in all his accounts To seeke no further an infinite treasure greater then Solomons is mentioned in the first verse of this Psalme the Lord is his light his strength his saluation My text disburseth that treasure in thankfull deuotion One thing c. And we haue reason to take our rise hence to begin at thankes for we haue receiued much And to receiue much and restore nothing is a shame It 's a shame not to giue where there 's cause a double shame not to restore and shame seldome goes alone but is accompanied either with sorrow or paine or both at least attended There being no burthen that loades more then a benefit and burthens if they bee heauy are both sorrowfull and painfull Indeed aske a naturall man what is the greatest burthen and he will tell you sorrow Aske a spirituall man and he will say Sinne. Sorrow loades man But Sinne loades man and God himselfe yea and tyers him too Thou hast made me to serue with thy sinnes a meane office to put God to and wearied me with thy transgressions Is 43.24 But aske the morall man what is the greatest burthen and he will tell you a benefit The Prophet David had experience of all these He complaines of his sonne and great was his sorrow that he that came out of his owne bowels sought his life But he roares for his sinne And when these tempests were ouerblowne he was not quiet in the calme but was after a serious meditation put to his Quid retribuam What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all the benefits that hee hath done vnto me And this in effect is his labour now there he consulted Quid retribuam here hee resolued One thing haue I desired c. For in the three first verses before my Text hee made a discouery of Gods mercy and bounty In my Text hee vowes his seruice as the tribute of his dutie For though it be Vnum petij he went not onely to pray but to offer sacrifices of ioy and to sing and praise the Lord verse 6. For thankfulnesse is Debitum morale and the Ciuilians say Naturaliter obligamur à dante So that as it is a heauy thing to beare either in body or conscience so are not they released that are released The very act of deliuery drawing on a third burthen how to be thankfull which vnlesse we take vp a worse than either of the other will happen vnto vs. Therefore in the nine leapers that returned not to giue thanks to take vp this burthen Luc. 17. Vlcus ingratitudinis was said one more loathsome then they leprosie the had for they were Mundi cute but not Corde Christ had giuen them faire skins but they had made themselues foule hearts But a good man is euer thankfull If Elisha haue house-roome with the Shunamite before hee take his leaue What shall we do for thee 2 K. 4.13 And if Ionathan be dead David will enquire for some of Sauls kindred to gratifie them for his friend Ionathans sake 2 Sam. 9.3 yea vnthankfull Absalom will condemne ingrate Hushai though himselfe gaine by it is this thy kindnesse to thy friend 2 Sam. 16.17 yea the Deuill himselfe damnes it Iob. 1.9 and cons him not thank that leanes to one that supports him Doth Iob serue God for nothing And as the thing is odious for In hac contumelia omnis contumelia so is the name he is a Nabal a foole 1 Sam. 25.25 a title in these times more contemptible than a knaue when the world is more ashamed of infirmities then crimes and it is greater reproach to be esteemed shallow then wicked And as both the thing and the name is odious so it is vnprofitable For as it 's true He that smoothers one iniury drawes on a second So he that vnthankfully smoothers a benefit loseth a second And againe as he that quits one wrong preuents many So he that quits a benefit inuites many For Nunquam cessabit decursus gratiarum à Deo nisi prius cesset recursus gratiarum ab homine The showres of Gods graces will neuer leaue falling vpon vs so long as wee send back but the fruit of thankfullnesse to him Then before we aske new blessings let vs bee thankfull for the old Eighty eight and powder treason we haue within many of our memories beene deliuered both from destruction by water and fire Some of vs euen of late from famine and many of vs from the pestilence Wee of this Citie so preserued from it as it hath not beene suffered in that common calamity to come neare our dwellings And now Lord make vs thankfull and in mercy not in wrath preserue vs from the sword It were a secret worth our discouery what 's the motiue to Gods patience towards vs that all our neighbour countryes should bee in blood and worse and the sword of the deuourer should not be able to touch vs. I say in blood and worse For God hath a plague both on this side and beyond death worse than death On this side captiuitie and idolatry Beyond it That fearfull and eternall separation of our bodies and soule from God From both which good Lord deliuer vs. And that he may deliuer vs let vs pray that hee would send such a gratious raine vpon his inheritance as may refresh it and open it so in thankfulnesse towards him as it may expect the later raine and not be deceiued These showres they were that made the Prophet Davids heart so fruitfull In the three first verses of this Psalme they fall vpon him In my Text the fruit of those showres returne to God In the first God is gratious vnto David In my Text David is thankfull vnto God The parts are three and those three are in a manner one For God David and the Temple make vp euery part And these three make vp the three parts For first you haue David praying for one thing There 's God David and the Temple For that one thing in the second place is the Temple of the Lord where he desires of God
for if wee looke vpon the number and strength of our aduersaries they are many more then his were reason we haue to beleeue that whensoeuer they attempt an inuasion they will in confidence of their forces come to eat vs vp rather than to fight The Pope the Emperor the King of Spaine France now And vast Germany that had wont to bee a Bulwark against the Turke and an out-worke for vs against the approach of the Spaniard Now in a manner rac't or rais'd against vs. And all these are but the heads of many confederacies able to furnish out great and terrible forces yea I would to God we had not cause to feare besides that of our sinnes a worme and a moath at home as dangerous as all these Against all which had we but Davids affection and resolution then should we bee confident that in the time of trouble he would hide vs in his Tabernacle for if we dwell there he will surely keepe vs safe Indeed States-men and Gouernours should not so farre tempt God as to neglect ordinary succours And his gracious maiesty hath by his Proclamation signified his care that way But how few doth that charge import Then whilst they prouide armes let vs goe to our prayers whilst they consult what 's fit let vs cast our selues downe before his foot-stoole and craue a blessing on their labours that he would giue them the spirit of wisdome to direct and the spirit of courage to execute that which shall tend to the glory of God and the good of this Church and commonwealth So shall you euen all you though decrepit old men though weake women be as the horsmen and Chariots of fire round about Elisha 2 K. 6. and thereby shall more be with vs then against vs. For compute I pray you the Citie so ancient Yorke so numerous in Parishes and people at these times of Parliament sends but two to consult and I wish you had so consulted of those two as might haue preuented that charge and combustion and fraction which since hath followed these two represent the desires of the whole Citie and by their act you are all bound So are there for this great and famous shire but two Knights and for the seuerall Burrough townes two Burgesses Take them together and often perhaps twenty thousand appeares for the rest If it should come to blowes and God knowes how soone that may be the ods will be lesse though great still Of all the men in this Kingdome not one of a thousand traind Of those that are traind all are not brought into the field Of those that are brought to the field in actions of greatest importance a number it may be halfe neuer come to strike stroke Of so many millions in the Kings Dominions not many thousands may come to beare the shocke and burthen of the day But by our vowes and prayers all the whole Kingdome may fight at once So many persons so many traind armed men so many soules so many souldiers Then if we cannot equall our aduersaries in number and strength of souldiers if we can but get the ods by our prayers what an aduantage shall we haue when for twenty aduising we shall haue many times twenty thousands praying to prosper their counsels when for one thousand fighting we shall haue many thousands of deuout soules like so many seuerall armies or troupes at least in seuerall congregations beseeching beseeching said I I said little Besieging God Manu facta with their praiers and offering violence for why not to God as to the Kingdome of God till he yeeld to goe forth with our armies and to giue vs strength and victory in the day of battell This was it that made King Dauid when hee seemed most weake to be most strong This was it that made him confident against their greatest assaults And if we all we that are neither for the head part nor for the hand part that are neither call'd to consult nor fit to fight would but seriously consider how by warring against our own corruptions rebellions against God how by approaching his Temple with our Petij we might make him our friend we should to our comfort find that there is no wisdome nor yet vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord Pr. 21.30 Nor can I direct you a better course then King David was in who when his enemies were most furious with most feruency importun'd God that being freed from his troubles he might haue liberty to dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of his life for thereby he was sure to make his peace you will confesse with God and then I say with men For when a mans wayes please the Lord hee will make his enemies to be at peace with him Pr. 16.7 and so hath he by this meanes peace both with God and men Dauid the King then appeares with his Petij he had reason for it he found comfort in it and hence is it that he is not ashamed to confesse it Many vnder the rod pray and forget Dauid did it and to encourage and draw on others tels of it Indeed it becomes Kings well to be Suiters to God And then doe they aduance their crownes highest when they cast them lowest at Gods feet In old Rome the way to Honors Temple was through the Temple of Vertue and the morall was good but it 's too generall for christians the way to honour now is by humilitie a vertue not knowne amongst the Heathens the first that admitted her was Religion and she alone keepes her this Dauid knew and thereby resolued that how high soeuer seated he must not be high minded but must by the gate of humilitie passe to heauen The King then you see is a beggar nor wants he his tongue for he doth petere Vnum petij And though a zealous affection be a continuall prayer Qua semper petitur quod semper optatur whereby we alwaies aske that wee alwaies wish and desire to haue Yet the better to stirre vp his deuotion and to impound his straying fancies from gadding abroad and that the reflection of his words might beat vpon his soule he doth not onely Optare with his heart but he doth Petere also with his tongue a point Aquinas obserued Omnis oratio debet esse vocalis euery compleat prayer ought to be vocall For God the Creator of both requires the seruice of the body as well as the soule He is not so far out of loue with Ceremonies as some men take him to be for all their quarrell at putting religion in a ceremony The tongue and the hand and the knee and the eye and the habit and the hat and the outward appearance will sometimes remooue a curse and bring a blessing when they want the heart as is plaine in the story of Ahab 1 King 21. In a word neuer man neglected the dutie of prayer that did not first neglect the ceremonies of that dutie From this root they grow vp
make moane for it Doubtlesse it 's paine and griefe to God to with-hold his mercies which he neuer doth but in mercy If he delay to satisfie his children euen that delay is another mercy For if Dauid had sped at first it had beene vnum but not primum or if primum not vnicum it had beene one amongst the rest not aboue the rest whereas the want made it his vnicum most deare vnto him Finiuit omnes cupiditates remanfit vna illa quam petijt he had quench't all other desires so as to delight in them this onely remained as the ioy of his heart and the longing of his soule Then Vis impetrare aliud noli petere vni suffice quia vnus tibi sufficiet Set thy heart onely vpon him that 's onely able to fill thy heart Vse other things thou mayest but lay thy rest vpon this to serue God To those that depend for comfort vpon any thing but this vnum we may say with the Prophet Isa 50.21 You haue kindled a fire and are compassed about with sparkes and may not tarry lest you burne But this vnum will vpon the point cure all exorbitancies and coole all distempers For either it is that or leades to that wherein all generations haue beene and shall be blessed Abels and Moses and Iohns Lambe were all one Lambe The womans seed and Abrahams and Dauids and the Virgins were all one seed Dauids stone that the builders refused Psal 118. Daniels stone cut without hands Dan. 2. Peters stone elect and pretious 1 Pet. 2.6 are all one stone Iacobs Shilo Isaies childe the Euangelists Iesus are all one Iesus without whom we see not Gods beautie And as Ioseph said Gen. 41. both Pharaohs dreames are one So may we say of Dauids vnum here and Christs vnum in Luke 10.42 al 's one and the same vnum Mary sate hearing and that was Christs vnum Dauid would be hearing for the soule sees by the eare and so would he behold the beauty of the Lord and that 's Dauids vnum This I gather a man is esteemed happy that hath that he loues Vere autem foelix est non si habet quod amat sed si amat quod amandum est For many are more miserable by enioying their desires then if they wanted them It being most true that it 's ill to loue worse to loue and enioy that which is ill And therefore God in mercy denies vs that wee loue when we loue that which is not good for vs and in iustice Dat amanti quod malè amat So God heard the Israelites for flesh but not Paul for remoouing stimulum carnis but illis dedit ad damnationem huic negauit ad sanitatem as S. Augustine saith in a temporall blessing he heard the Israelites to their damnation in a spirituall blessing he denied S. Paul to his saluation Then let euery man be carefull what he sets vp to himselfe for his vnum If it be such a thing as may be spared let him not ouer-carefully or greedily desire it If it be such as is approued as grace or some meanes of grace let him not for the want of it be deiected Let it still be his vnum let him not spare to aske it I say not three times but thirty times three times and either he shall speed of that he askes or he shall speed of that shall be aequiualent to it either the temptation shall be remoued or sufficient grace to ouercome it Then let Courtiers flatter to get fauour popular men dissemble to gaine opinion the ambitious labour to soare aloft and when they are vp to keepe themselues on wing the lasciuious drinke of stollen waters as being the sweetest whatsoeuer they cost them though body and soule and all yea let all men set themselues to their seuerall delights Dauid you see desires but one thing and that one thing without exception that he may behold the beauty of the Lord. But because Gods beauty is not euery where to be found or seene Dauid takes a sure course and desires to dwell where God dwels God dwels in Zion Psal 9. And if he may dwell there he shall surely see him and his beauty too for out of Zion God shineth Psal 50.2 And this was it that made his loue so great to the Temple euen because his honour dwelt there that appeares not onely himselfe in beauty but makes euery place beautifull where he is for in the Verse before named Out of Zion which is the perfection of beauty God hath shined So that whether you looke vpon the Lord or the house of the Lord there 's nothing but beauty in his eie Hence is it that what he thought he cannot conceale But tells vs sometimes how amiable it is in it selfe Sometimes how pleasing to him Euen so pleasing as he had rather be a doore-keeper in Gods house then enioy any other honour Here indeed was his heart Gods house was his vnum wherein he found all other comforts Yea if any affection be more violent in a man then other here he findes matter for it How haue men beene transported with that which they call beauty And this Dauid as you heard found in the Temple yea many times the fancies of men make those appeare beautifull that are not and as the Philosopher obserued that Honor non est in honorato sed in honorante So may we truely that beauty many times is not in amata but in amante for it 's his affection makes her seeme so But Dauid iustifies his affection to be well plac't for the Mistres of his thoughts the Temple is the perfection of beauty No more maruell then if the Prophet were in loue for indeed so he was and as at another time he professed My heart is fixed my heart is fixed So might he now say My heart is stricken my heart is stricken and I am sicke of loue whereof if any shall doubt looke vpon him as he discouers himselfe in Psal 84. where you shall finde him in the exaltation of loues iealousie And of whome surely hee seemes to me to enuy the liberty and estate of Birds in respect of that he was in when he could not come at the Temple The Sparrow and the Swallow had built their nests euen by thine Altars saith Dauid but his soule longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord. He that before had been the subiect of mens songs Saul hath slaine his thousand but Dauid his ten thousand and had all the honour and content which a kingdome and the grace and speciall fauour of God could cast vpon him is now brought so low in his owne estimation that the poore birds cannot build their nests but he must emulate their felicity as if vpon that condition hee could haue beene a bird so he might haue bred about the Temple So that when he can he frequents it when he cannot hee desires it and as a boone the granting whereof had bin the summe of all
blisse he requires but this one thing and while he obtains it he looks and holds vp his hands towards it Psal 28. And as the woman by touching Christ got vertue out of him so doth he as after the Prophet Daniel Dan. 6. by setting his face to that quarter where the Temple stood fetch force of affection and zeale in his prayers to God and in a holy dotage I speake it with reuerence ouer the Temple as ouer some chast Virgin whom he had chosen for his Spowse he longeth and fainteth for her and that so impotently as if all that were neare her though vnreasonable creatures exceeded him in the truth of all reall perfect contentment Might he then haue the liberty that Sparrowes and Swallowes haue how would he vse it surely euen as the Birds doe The Sparrowes-house should be his and hee would build him a neast with the Swallow For he would not call in but dwell there God saith my habitation is in Zion and Dauid prayes that his habitation may be there too So that vnlesse God depart from his Sanctuary Ezek. 8. Dauid will dwell in it It was said of the Centurion Christus non intravit tectum sed cor So may we say of Dauid Christus intrauit cor Davidis and that made him so desirous Habitare in tecto Dei Foxes to their holes Lions to their dennes Birds to their nests Fishes to the Sea Beasts to the fields Children to their mothers Schollars to their studies Tradsmen to their shops Merchants to their ships Wantons to their chambers Rich men to their chests where their treasures and their heartes are all men to their delights Dauid would bee at the Temple This is the obiect of his thoughts the Theater of his delight the ioy of his heart the Center about which all his desires were turned for he would not dwell there but as if it were the body and the soule hee would neuer part for there hee would be all the dayes of his life He had sought it with importunity and if hee may speed he and the Temple will neuer be seuer'd He that so importunately desir'd it had experience how pleasing a thing it would bee to enioy it how grieuous to want it Carnall men cannot relish spirituall contentments they are foolishnesse vnto them till they be throughly acquainted with them For this is the difference betwixt heauenly earthly pleasures In earthly pleasures you shall euer find it true that Vilescit adeptum quod accendit desideratum Those things we hotly pursue before wee get them sped once we contemne and Qui satietati occurrit satietatem incurrit we are satiated with that which we tooke as a medicine against satietie But it 's not so with spirituall pleasures Before we haue them wee neglect them Get them once and we loue them a-life so that temporall pleasures are slightly regarded after spirituall before we enioy them Before we enioy temporall pleasures wee are madded not after after we haue tasted spirituall pleasures wee more pursue them not before This of the Prophet was a spirituall contentment and a contentment it must needs be to behold beauty and a spirituall contentment to behold the beauty of the Lord therefore would he keepe it all the dayes of his life And well was this added to behold the beauty of the Lord for there are many that dwell there and yet neuer behold his beauty whilst they are there As forward they seeme as Dauid to come to the Temple but that 's the end of their Petij they desire to be seene there they care not to see God when they are seene there for many come for many respects and for the most part they finde that they come for He that comes not to see the beauty of the Lord shall neuer be cheer'd with the sight of it Some come to gaze some to walke some to meet their acquaintance some for fashions sake some for feare of law the gospell cannot draw them some to spy a fault some to pick a quarrell and some perhaps for worse I haue heard trauellers say that in Italy many loose matches are made there But Dauid farre otherwise comes to behold the beauty of of the Lord. And this is the last part but the first spheare by vertue whereof all the rest moue and as the Iewes spoil'd themselues of their garments to entertaine Christ Matth. 21. so doth King Dauid here spoyle himselfe of all the desires of his heart of all the contentments of his life for this one boone that he may behold the beauty of the Lord. Some translate it Voluntatem so the old translation and it may beare it well enough but then it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good will of God the beames of which beauty we may behold by that light in the first to the Ephesians at the fift verse Who hath predestinated vs to be the adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will and well might this be his meaning for it followes in the ninth verse of this Psalme O God of my saluation for therein is the good pleasure of his will manifested vnto vs to this are we adopted to this predestinated that we may be saued in which forme whosoeuer beholds God will not long for another beauty Others translate it Voluptatem delectationem amoenitatem pulchritudinem all things much set by and yet to be set by as of no estimation not once to be lookt vpon in respect of that which Dauid beheld for he that made the eye shall not he see and he that made beauty shall not he be beautifull I but smoake goes out at his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth Ps 18.8 The Mountaines tremble for him and the Hils melt and the earth is burnt vp at his sight Nah. 1. how then saw Dauid beauty in his face True But as wee read in the ninty Psalme as a man feareth saith Dauid so is Gods displeasure so may I say as a man beleeues loueth so is Gods good pleasure Voluntas Domini hence our Sauiour according to your faith be it vnto you Matth. 9.29 and according to your loue so is Gods beauty for iust as we stand affected to God doe we behold God reflecting vpon vs Ille placet Deo cui Deus placet he pleaseth God that 's pleas'd with God This beauty and this pleasure and delight which the Apostle Saint Paul tooke in God was it that made him esteeme all things dung in respect of him so was he taken with this beauty This was it that made our Prophet breake out in the 42. Psalme As the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water when he is pursued by the hunters and is ready to fall downe as a prey before the dogs by reason of his thirst so my soule panteth for thee O Lord to appeare in thy presence yea this beauty was it that moou'd him to make that challenge and protestation Whom haue I in
heauen but thee and I desire nothing in the earth with thee Ps 73. Not onely nothing aboue him but nothing with him His flesh may faile so may his heart yet so long as he may looke vpon this beauty Thou art saith he to God the strengh of my heart and my portion for euer the 26. verse Yea from the sight of this beauty was it that the Apostles flesh did in a sort faile that it did not faile for he desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ and the Church in the Cant. was so farre rapt in this contemplation of this admirable heauenly beauty which she saw in our blessed Sauiour that impatient of delay and as she after professeth sick of loue Cant. 2. she requests in the first of Cant. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth And now saith Saint Augustine Aliud desidera si maius si melius si suavius inveneris if hauing felt such pleasure such delight if hauing seene such comelinesse such beauty as the good pleasure of the Lord manifested vnto thee in the forme of a Sauiour and bringing saluation vnto thy soule doth represent vnto thee goe to and loue something else if any thing be greater be better be sweeter Yet all this while we doe not see him face to face but once we shall and know him as wee are knowne In the meane time this is our comfort that as S. Augustine saith though we cannot so see him though there be not here Potestas videndi yet here there is Gratia promerendi ut videre possimus and though we see him not here in glory yet here wee see him in grace and no man beholds him face to face in the next world that by grace beholds not his beauty in this therefore our Prophet desires of God in the ninth verse of this Psalme that since he would so gladly behold his beauty it would please God not to hide his face from him Onely let me exhort you that while you seeke this beauty and make it your Primum you neglect not deceiuing your selues as a way to it to promooue the beauty of the Church and Common wealth which principally consists in order and vnitie For these two make decency which is beauty for that which is beautifull is decent and that which is decent is beautifull and neither of these can be without order and vnitie Hence the Apostle as if all beauty were in order Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. and last And indeed order and vnity which is nothing but explicite order are the outward beauty the beauty of the body of the Church the inward beauty or the soules is holinesse that 's it makes her all glorious within But that beauty wee cannot so well discerne as beleeue it 's onely seene of God because the residence of it is in the heart and vnlesse we in some measure pertake of that beauty and bee gracious by it in the eyes of God by being holy as he is holy he will neuer shew vs his owne beauty for they must be beautifull themselues in some measure that enioy such a beauty as his is therefore the spouse in the Cant. 8.6 would be set as a seale on Christs heart that if it were possible the print might not more resemble the seale then shee her Sauiour And indeed this is the prime feature that takes him this is that beauty that wounds his heart Cant. 4.9 when we thus looke vpon our Sauiour wee ouercome him Cant. 6.4 for this aboue all things makes his desire towards vs Cant. 7.10 and there 's no surer possession we can haue no greater conquest we can make then by possessing and speeding by the desire of those wee conquer and possesse Feare keepes good quarter but it 's onely by the rod remoue that and we recoile but desire yeelds all and alwaies If his desire be to vs we doe ouercome him and all his by that conquest all his blessings all his pleasures all his graces all his ioyes are enfeofed and estated vpon vs. Then get holinesse the beautie of holinesse 1 Chr. 16.29 for that 's it is so attractiue so strong so preualent But whilest you labour for this inward beautie you must take care likewise for the outward For though holinesse make her glorious within yet if we neglect vnity and order her cloathing will not not be as is fit for the Kings daughter and for his Spouse that is the chiefest of ten thousand of wrought gold and Needle-worke She may be beautifull and yet want her ornaments wherewith she should be dressed And I doubt not but when our Sauiour in the fourth of the Canticles brake out into that admiration of her Behold thou art faire my loue behold thou art faire thine eyes are like the Doues and so passeth to her haires and her teeth and her lips and her necke and her breasts hee tooke pleasure euen in these outward ornaments of Order and Vnity which are nothing else but vnanimity and vniformity And in expresse tearmes we haue order which is vniformity when he compares her teeth to a flocke of sheepe in good order the second verse of that Chapter there 's vniformity And when a multitude of men like haires on a Virgins head are well set the first verse and are all like one entire body there 's vnanimity When the Churches lips are like a thread of Scarlet there 's vniformity And when her talk is comly both in the third verse there 's vnanimity for where it 's crossing there 's no vnity This is her necke built for defence Let the holy Church of God be beautified and guarded with vnanimity and vniformity and they will be to her as a thousand Shields and as all the Targets of the strong men Cantic 4.4 I must confesse that of late whatsoeuer our inward beauty hath beene we haue wanted the outward both in Church and state And surely I see no great cause to hope for amends in the Church at least in these parts where with many nothing but singularity is accounted sanctity whilest men hold of this man and of that man of this Church and of that Church and yet by no reason by no authority can be brought to see that they are carnall though the Apostle concludes against them strongly as conuinced when one saith I am Pauls and another I am Apolloes 1 Corinth 3. are ye not carnall And for the State we cannot but acknowledge the diuisions in it whilest by the practises of some louers of themselues the Prince hath beene rent from the people and the people from the Prince as hath appeared by those distractions in the highest Court the onely meanes to ingratiate Prince and people one to another When the bed entertaines iarres betweene man and wife what shall reconcile them when the mercies of men are cruell what can soften them and when the house of Vnity and Order the Fountaine from whence it should flow and streame