write they and Iames the younger were the sonnes of Mary Cleophas and Alpheus Of the first which is Simon called by Luke Zelotes and by Matthew and Marke Simon the Canaanite Dorotheus maks this short story that he preached Christ throughout Mauritania and Affrick the lesse at length was crucified at Britannia where he was buried but others affirme him to be that Disciple which was called Cleophas and was one of the two that Christ met going to Emaus and according to Dorotheus one of the 70 Disciples who succeeded his brother Iames in the Bishoprick of Ierusalem After he had preached Christ in divers places being 120 yeares of age he was by some Hereticks accused to be lineally descended of the stock of David a Christian unto Atticus the Consull under Trajan the Emperour for which he was cruelly scourged so that his persecutors wondred that a man so old could endure so much torment and at last was crucified And so according to the opinion of some he dyed at Bethania neer Ierusalem and not in this Isle of Britan as others would have it neither as others that say he and his brother Iudas were slaine together by a tumult of people in Suanyr a City of Persidis For Iude whom S. Matthew cals Lebbeus whose surname was Thaddeus and S. Marke termes him only Thaddeus wrote the Epistle which beares his name where he termes himselfe as Luke in his Gospell and Acts of the Apostles doth the Brother of Iames. But whether hee was that Thaddeus which S. Thomas sent to cure King Agbarus I am not able to determine yet it is very likely that it was this Judas For the learned do write that he preached to the Edesseans and throughout Mesopotamia and was slaine at Berytus where in the time of Agbarus King of Edessa he was honourably buried But whether this be true or false I only take it as a historicall description of this starre as I doe of the rest and leave the further search thereof to the learned concluding with the collect for the day saying Almighty God which hast builded thy congregation upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the head Corner stone grant me so to be joyned together in unity of Spirit by their doctrine that I may be made a holy temple acceptable unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. S. Matthias WHile Christ was in his ministeriall Office Iudas Iscariot Simons sonne seemed to beare the lustre of an Apostolick starre followed Christ was numbred with the twelve and was intrusted with the bag of which he was so good a steward and saving a husband that he was very unwilling that any thing should fall out or passe beside the same for any charitable or pious use as appeares plainly by the text Iohn 12. and so covetous was he of money that he betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver And Christ knew what he said when he uttâ—red those words that he had chosen twelve and one was a devill for it is reported of this Iudas that he slew his father maried with his mother and betrayed his Master and in the end hanged himselfe and falling downe his bowels gushed out But he ought to have no place in this Apostolick Zodiake except as an Airy Comet or signe of wonderment and caution to feare us from following his steps Therefore instead of him Matthias one of the 70 Disciples was chosen by lot cast betweene him and Ioseph called Barsabas whose surname was Iustus This Apostle first preached the Gospel in Macedonia then in Aethiopia about the haven called Hyssus and the River Phasis unto barbarous nations and ravenous of flesh He dyed at Sebastopolis where he was also buried neer the Temple of Sol. But others write that he afterwards came into Iudaea where the Iewes stoned him and beheaded him with an axe after the Roman manner Therefore I conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which in the place of the traitor Iudas didst choose thy faithfull servant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apostles grant that thy Church being alway preserved from false Apostles may be ordered and guided by faithfull and true Pastors through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen S. Stephen HAving thus briefly described the lustre of the twelve Apostles and three prime starres annexed unto them I should in the last place shew the lustre of three other famous lights that bare them company And the first is the Protomartyr S. Stephen who was ordeined the first of the seven approved men that were chosen Deacons for they through prayer and imposition of the Apostles hands for the publick administration of the Church affaires were joyned with Stephen and he as the ringleader of all the rest as soone as hee was ordeined as though he was appointed for this purpose was stoned unto death of them that slew the Lord. And for this cause as the first triumphing martyr of Christ according to his name he beareth a Crowne A Crowne of grace full of faith and power and filled with the Holy Ghost A Crowne of Martyrdome and in the midst of a showre of stones grace broke out of his lips in a heavenly prayer for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge And a Crowne of glory having in this life time received the first fruits of a glorified body his face did shine as it had beene the face of an Angell and the first fruits of a glorified soule in the vision of the blessed Trinity for he saw the glory of God and Iesus standing at his right hand Wherefore I will pray to God to fill me with the Spirit of grace that I may love mine enemies and pray for them that persecute and despitefully use me after the example of this blessed Martyr that having received a Crown of grace here on earth in this life I may for ever weare a Crowne of glory in the Kingdome of Heaven Amen S. Paul ALthough our Astronomers in their Almanacks note not this Saint in golden or red letters as they doe the former and although our Church hath not expresly observed a festivall day to be kept holy in memory of him yet I hold it not fit that I should exclude him out of this starry heaven for he was as glorious a light as ever shined in the Firmament of the Church and as himselfe confesseth was not inferiour to the chiefe of the Apostles neither hath our Church quite excluded him out of her Liturgie for there is an Epistle and Gospell with a Collect appointed for this day And to shew that he was a chosen vessell a glorious starre he was called to his Apostleship after a wonderfull manner for he was cast downe to the earth and a light shone about him and he heard a voice from Heaven became three dayes blind till Ananias laid his hand upon him He was as himselfe relates of the Tribe of Benjamin and as others report he was borne in a
therein the solemne offices and services performed by the Priests and Levites in the middle Temple and the beauteous lustre of Sanctum Sanctorum So likewise this worke or building hath a porch or door which is this briefe Survey of this Annuall World for I have set it here in this place as a Preface or Introduction to the following Meditations wherein you may take a short view of this outward square court in briefe descriptions of the foure Seasons of the yeare and foure Elements which are as the foure corners thereof The first is the Spring and Aire the second Summer and Fire the third Autumne Earth and the last is Winter and Water As the four sides of the court you shall finde foure pleasant Meditations The first is of a Flower opening with the Sunne Christ which is a Meditation on the Purification of the Virgin Mary The second is a Tree set with the Sun Christ which is a meditation on Palme-sunday on the third side you shall finde a Rainbow as on the South which is a meditation on Great Britains Feast the fifth of November and on the last side you shall behold the Aequator or Aequinoctiall line as on the North which is a meditation on the Annuntiation of the Virgin Mary After you have taken a view of this outward court you may behold the glory of the true High Priest Christ Jesus in the inner Temple First how he prepares an Immaculate Lambe his innocent selfe to become a Man for a Sacrifice for the sinnes of the people on Christmasse day under the Metaphor of the Sunne Then how he sprinckles the precious blood of the Covenant on New yeares day under the Metaphor of the Moon Then how he dresses and trims the Sacrifice on Ashwednesday under the Metaphor of Mars After how he layes the Lambe thus prepared on the Altar of the Crosse on Good friday under the Metaphor of Saturne Then how he distributes or communicates the Sacrifice to the people on Easterday under the Metaphor of Jupiter Then how the sweet incense therof ascends up to heaven on Ascension day in the Metaphor of Mercury And lastly how the fire from heaven consumes the Sacrifice on Whitsunday in the Metaphor of Venus After you have seene the priest execute his Office you may behold the Glory of Sanctum Sanctorum where first you may take a view of the Ark wherein the Law of God was put the precious Manna kept and Aarons flourishing Rod preserved on All-Saints day under the Metaphor of the starry heaven And as there were three things in the Arke so Astrologers note three things in the starry firmament First the North-pole which I name the East-pole on the Epiphany Then the South-pole which I fix on Innocents day and lastly the Zodiake with which I encompasse all the particular Saints dayes in the yeare Then you may behold the glorious Cherubins that looke toward the Mercy-seat on the Feast of Saint Michael the Arch-Angell in the Metaphor of the Christalline heaven And last of all you may have a glimpse of the glorious Propitiatory or Oracle from whence God revealed himselfe to the children of Israel on Trinity Sunday in the metaphor of Primum mobile Thus having seene the out side of this goodly Fabrick Now let me demonstrate the reasons which induced my fancy to cal this Book A description of an Annuall World And they are but two First because as the World is round so is the Yeare likewise Secondly as the World consists of the four Elements and the firmament of the heavens so doth the Yeare also consist of elements and celestiall bodies To shew that the world is round I shall only write what the Geographers who are the describers of the Earth say that the Earth and Waters make one entire Globe and what the Mathematicians or Astrologians who bend their study in the nature of celestiall bodies affirme That this Globe of Earth and Water is incompassed round about with the Elements of Aire and Fâ—re and that those elements are circled about with the seven Planets in seven severall Spheares and that those Planets are embraced with the starry Firmament and that included within the circuit of the Christallin Heaven which is comprehended in the Primum mobile or first moving heaven which three first are in three proper Orbs beyond which is Coelum Empyreum which they nor no man is able to describe And all these doe shew that the compasse of the world is round as a bowle or circle which is signified by the severall terms of Globes Sphears and Orbes And that the Yeare likewise is round the very name thereof doth import for the Latin name Annus signifies a Ring or Circle But besides the Name the Nature of the yeare doth shew its Annuall or circular Motion for times and seasons in the yeare swiftly whirle round about and still where it last ended there it begins againe As in a cart wheele the severall spokes follow one another in their round or winding motion that as that spoke which was but now upon thâ— earth is presently ascended up in the aire and so comes to the earth againe so the seasons of the yeare follow one another The Spring followes the Winter the Summer succeeds the Spring Autumne followes the Summer and so comes to be Winter againe Secondly as the world consists of foure Elements seven Planets the starry Firmament Christallin and first moving heaven so I have shewed and by the assistance of the Almighty I doe intend in this following treatise to make manifest that the seasons of the yeare may have an equivalent correspondence with the elements the dayes which our Church hath ordained to be solemnely kept in remembrance oâ— the meritorious acts of our Saviour may well be compared to the Planets and the particular Saints dayes and other Festivities to the other three celestiall Spheares Now I will conclude this Proeme with a prayer to God that it would please him so to assist direct and guide me in this worke and all other godly resolutions and enterprises that I shall take in hand that as the yeare keeps and continues in its annuall or circular course so I likewise may be never weary of well doing nor give over my heavenly race of piety but hold out to the end that still as I end so I may begin againe in new obedience and new wayes of godlinesse that so having lived the life of grace here on this globe of earth and water I may hereafter live the life of glory in that most glorious Orbe or Spheare of the highest heaven whose circumference is past all humane capacity Amen A briefe description of the foure Quarters of the Yeare AS in mans body there are foure humours Sanguine Choler Melâ—ncholy and Phlegme as all compounded bodies consist of foure elements Aire Fire Eaâ—th and Water so likewise in the yeare agreeable to these are foure seasons the Spring Summer Harvest and Winter or as the Earth is
of this pleasant Flower and felt the odoriferous savour of this heavenly Plant look on I pray you one slip more sprung from this fragrant Flower which I had almost forgot and that is her religious care and conformity to the Leviticall Law or decent order in the Church of God that then was viz. her circumcising her Son the eighth day her presenting him to the Lord and purifying her selfe as on this day according as God by Moses prescribed For as Christ had no originall sinne so he needed not to be circumcised as shal be shewed on Newyeares day so likewise the Virgin needed not this outward purifying which figured our cleansing from originall sin wherein the child conceived and born polluteth his Mother which was not so in this for both the conception and birth of Christ was supernaturall for she is said to have swadled the Childe beyond the ordinary strength of women who need a Midwife neither was she troubled with the usuall flux of other women in their Puerpery being free from the thing hereby signified viz. a sinfull child therefore the common opinion is that Christ came forth without any paine helpe or pollution the wombe of the Virgin remaining shut even as the Sun-beams pierceth the solid glasse without hurting it for she received no humane seed but was with childe by the Holy Ghost Now why this ceremony of sanctifying was used unto Christ by presenting him in the Temple and making an oblation for him is thus answered by â—unius That Christ was ever holy from eternity as he was God and from the very moment of his conception as he was Man wherefore he was not presented before the Father nor sanctified for himselfe but for us according to the ceremony of the Law Now such things as in the Scriptures are said to be sanctified are either sanctified indeed by Institution or Sacrament Indeed in their Nature or by declaration In Nature when by the grace of God things are made holy which were not so before by declaration when things before holy are manifested to be so Secondly by Institution things are sanctified by vertue of Gods command and promise of blessing as the Sabbath is sanctified Thirdly by Sacrament things are sanctified either absolutely or relatively that is both by signification and by the truth of the thing signified And thus Christ was sanctified though he be the truth of the Sacrament First because being Man he would obey the Law under which he was made Secondly that he might sanctifie the Law in his own Person By Institution he was sanctified for us we receiving the blessing through him as our first borne and Priest abrogating the Leviticall Priesthood And by manifestation he was sanctified when by observing this Law he was declared holy Wherefore this act of the Virgin being voluntary as I have shewed it was to shew her zeale and conformity to the decent orders of the Church of God To this might be added her constant course in keeping the Passeover every year which was a work of great labour travell But now these ceremoniall shadowes at the presence of the most glorious bright Sunne Christ Jesus vanishing away the Christian Church in all ages since hath in place or in stead of the Jewes Purification ordeined and instituted the purification of the heart by a true lively and justifying Faith and the purification of the life by unfeined and hearty repentance in that commendable and decent order of Churching women after their great deliverance from their pain and perill of child-birth enjoyneth them to bring not as then a lambe or two young pigeons but the sum of all Legall sacrifices hearty prayer and thanksgiving which consists not onely in the lippes but in the life and conversation Therefore every religious wise woman will not be so wedded to their own opinion or selfe conceit to think that it is any disparagement to her person be she never so great or a point of Popery to give publick praise to God in his Church but will be willing as Mary here was to conforme themselves to the godly discipline of the publick worship of God in his Church if ability of body hinder not as well as zealous in their own private devotions for they well know that one duty of Piety ought not to justle out another and that it is very requisite that our private and voluntary obsequies should give place to publick solemnities The sacrifice appointed for this solemnity makes this apparant for the Turtle and the Dove are boâ—h mourners or if you will both signifie the divine worship of God yet ought not the one to hinder the harmony of the other for the solitary Turtle and the associable Dove do both together set forth the secret tears and publick meetings of Gods people in divine worship for the Turtle signifies chastity and the Dove simplicity It being observed if the Turtle having once lost his mate he careth not for seeking any other and the simple and chaste conversation of the faithfull is an acceptable sacrifice of righteousnesse unto the Lord. Now they saith Calvin are deceived that think the Law of Purification to be but a politick law for God hereby would set before the Iewes eyes the corruption of their nature and the remedy of divine Grace did not appoint this only for the purifying of the wife as polluted towards her husband but this one law doth abundantly prove originall sin it being hereby intimated that the child commeth into the world so impure as that the very mother is polluted hereby The offering was for the redemption of the first-borne Levit 12. 6. And hereby it appeareth That Joseph and Mary were very poore otherwise they should have offered a lamb Whereas the child was before presented with gold it is not to bee thought that they brought him any great quantity but some little offering more for honour than for enriching It is to be considered wherefore a pair of Turtles or two Pigeons were now offered The Turtle is most in loquacitie among Birds and the Dove in mildnesse And such is Jesus become unto us being most milde And Christ as the Turtle by the voice of his Gospell and the sincere preaching thereof allureth the whole world unto him and filleth the Garden of his Church with his own melodies as it is seene at this day The voice of this Turtle is heard in our Land For the confirmation of the truth of Christs presentation in the Temple Saint Luke reports That after forty dayes from his Birth or two and thirty daies from the Circumcision His Mother brought him thither according to the Law of Moses and withall recounteth two strange things which happened at the same time to wit That two grave and reverend persons Simeon surnamed the Just and Anna the Prophetesse both of singular sanctity amongst the Jewes comming into the Temple at the very same time took notice of him and acknowledged him publikely for the Messias and Saviour of
of Christ that he was suffred to leane on Christs bosome when he was at Supper He his brother and Peter were permitted to see Christs Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and they three were taken from the rest to behold his Agony in the Garden Wherefore the Mother of John dreaming that Christ should bee a temporall King presuming so much upon the love which shee saw in Christ towards her children boldly asked That they might have the greatest honour viz. one to sit at the right hand and the other at the left in his Kingdome Yet though this is noted by Saint Matthew to be the Mothers desire Saint Marke relating the same story Chap. 10. 35. saith That it was the desire of Iames and Iohn for which the other Disciples disdained them two to shew that it was their ambition to solicite their Mother to make such a petition which Gospell though it touched Saint Iohn who then lived and had the perusall thereof never denyed it nor took it il but approved that the other two Evangelists to be true so sincere simple and without all art of flattery or rhetorical amplification was all their writings that they do not spare Christ himselfe whom they adore and acknowledge to bee their God and Saviour but shew the infirmities of his flesh as he was a man as his hunger and thirst his being weary and how hee wept his passions of feare anger love c. therefore much lesse would they favour the Apostles or themselves And last of all Christ upon the Crosse to expresse the great love that hee bare this Apostle called the blessed Virgin his Mother and him her sonne And from that day to her death she lived with him Presently after the feast of Pentecost when hee with the rest had received the holy Ghost he with Peter was cast into prison for healing the cripple Acts 4. And a while after he with Peter was sent by the Apostles to preach the Word of God in Samaria Act. 8. Foure yeares after the death of the Virgin Mary he was present at the Apostolicall Councell in Jerusalem Now Iames his brother who was called the elder was beheaded two yeares before for this Councell was celebrated in the presence of Iames the younger Peter Iohn Paul and Barnabas c. about sixteen yeares after the Resurrection of Christ and fourteen after the Conversion of Paul Gal. 2. Act. 15. After the death of Paul he governed the Churches of Asia minor where he wrote his Gospell And in the 86. year of his age being cast into a vessell of boyling oyle and comming out unhurt by the command of Domitian the Emperour he was banished into the I le of Pathmos where he wrote his Revelation to the seven Churches in Asia It is related of him that hee turned certain peeces of wood into gold and stones by the sea side into Margrits to satisfie the desire of two whom he perswaded to renounce their riches and after they repenting that for worldly treasure they had lost heaven changed them into the same substance againe That he raised up a widow and a young man from death to life That he drunke poyson and it hurt him not and raised up two to life which had drunk the same before and that he called a young man to repentance that was captaine of theeves After the death of Domitian he came to Ephesus whâ—re as Saint Austin relates he caused his grave to be made and in the presence of divers went in alive and being no sooner in and to their seeming dead they covered him which kind of Rest saith he was rather tearmed a sleepe than death for that the earth of the grave bubbleth or boyleth up after the manner of a Well by reason of John resting therein and breathing a signe of his slumbering therein And thus he dyed when hee was as some relate an hundred and twenty years old others say ninety nine and some ninetie one the truth of all which I leave to the diligâ—nt search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Mercifull Lord I beseech thee to cast the bright beames of light upon thy Church that it being lightned by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint Iohn may attaine to thy everlasting Gifts through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Saint Peters day HAving made a briefe relation of the lives and deaths of the foure Evangelists who writ the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Now I should set forth the glorious lustre of those Stars which were equall and some before them in the order of Apostleship The first in order is Simon whose surname was Peter the son of Iona of Bethsaida in Galilee The order of his precedency is noted by three Evangelists in four places where all the Apostles are nominated viz. Matth. 10. Mark 3. Luke 6. and Act. 1. But whether he were the first that was called to be an Apostle or no I cannot certainly determine for though Saint Matthew and Marke make relation that hee with his brother Andrew were first called yet Saint Iohn affirmes that two of Iohn's disciples followed Christ of which one was Andrew who went and told his brother Simon that he had found the Messias But whether he were first or second that was called to the Apostleship I leave to the learned The Evangelists make more mention of him than of any one Apostle besides as first they shew that Christ comming to his house healed his wives mother of a fever Then they shew how ready he was to walke on the sea at the command of Christ and yet because of a little tempest his strong courage failed him and he ready to sincke Then againe his noble confession that hee made of Christ for which Christ so highly commended him but presently after they shew his carnall feare for which Christ checked him Then they shew Christs love to him in making choise of him and the two sonnes of Zebedeus to be spectators of his glorious transfiguration and bitter agony in the Garden and in the first they say hee spake hee knew not what being overcome with joy and in the second they shew his carelesnesse for which Christ checked him by name because hee could not watch one houre Then they shew how inquisitive he was to aske questions how oft shall I forgive my brother in one place dost thou wash my feet in another and what shall this man doe in a third c. And last of al before his PassioÌ„ they declare his strong resolution Though all men foâ—sake thee yet will not I. And yet presently after they shew how basely hee denied his Lord Christ All the particular relations that the Evangelists make of this Apostle are so many that it would make a little volume to make rehearâ—all of them And I have intended brevitâ— Therefore will I make a short story of his life after the Passion of Christ as it is related in the Acts and other Authors After the
downe head-long saying let us stone Iames Iustus and they began to throw stones at him for after his fall he was not fully dead but remembring himselfe fell on his knees saying I beseech thee Lord God and Father forgive them for they wot not what they doe And as they were a stoning him one of the Priests the son of Rechab the son of Charabim whose testimony is in Ieremy the Prophet cryed out cease what doe you this Just man prayeth for you And one of them that were present taking a Fullers club with which they pounce and purge their cloathes struck Iustus on the head and brained him and so he suffered martyrdome whom they buried in that place His Pillar or Picture as yet remaineth hard by the Temple graven thus This man was a true witnesse both to the Jewes and Gentiles that Iesus was Christ And Vespasianus immediately having over-runne Judea subdued the Jews And these things saith Iosephus happened unto the Jewes in way of revenging the death of Iames the Iust which was the brother of Iesus whom they call Christ for the Jews slew him when he was a very just man With whom I conclude this dayes Meditation with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty God whom truely to know is everlasting life grant mee perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way the truth and the life as thou hast taught Saint Philip and other Apostles through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Saint Bartholomew THree Evangelists in their nomination of all the Apostles note S. Bâ—rtholomew the sixth only S. Luke in the Acts names him the seventh and Thomas the sixth Therefore I in this place will follow both and swimme with the streame and against it for with the Gospellers I set him on the sixth Apostolicall day but with S. Luke I remember him as the seventh Apostle By some he is thought to be Nathaneel because as I said before he is three times named with Philip who first called Nathaneel unto Christ others say that he was Nephew to the King of Syria and shew some reason for it But whether he was the one or the other or neither It is reported that hee suffred martyrdome as well as the rest of the Apostles and preached the Word of God to the barbarous Indians where he continued a long time and translated the Gospel of Saint Matthew into their language Where it was preserved many yeares yet having sincerely preached the Word of God and wrought many miraculous works among them was at the last as some relate beaten to death with cudgels others say that hee was crucified and flein alive and some affirme that hee was beheaded at the command of Polemus King of India But these differences are thus reconciled The first day of this Apostles martyrdome he was beaten with cudgels the next day he was crucified and fleine alive as hee was fastned to the crosse and last of all while breath remained he was beheaded But because the Spirit of God by the Evangelists doth only name him with the rest of the Apostles without any other addition or story And for that Mr. Austins sun hath so learnedly shined on this day I am inforced to conclude with the Collect for the day saying O Almighty and everlasting God which hast given grace to thy Apostle Bartholomew truely to beleeve and preach thy Word Grant I beseech thee unto thy Church both to love that hee beleeved and to preach that hee taught through Christ our Lord. Amen Saint THOMAS THe eighth Apostolicall Star by Marke and Luke so gloriously shines in Mr. Austins Meditations that I am perswaded my dim taper can give but little light Yet what I find by the Church Historians concerning him I wil adventure to set down here in this place for his immortall memory as I have done in the rest of the Apostles leaving the further consideration thereof unto others It is reported by Eusebius and others that this Apostle after the Ascension of Christ sent his Brother Thaddeus one of the seventy disciples unto Agbarus King of Edessa according as Christ by his letter had promised the said King Where the said Thaddeus cured the King of his disease and many of the people of their infirmities working many great signes and wonders and converting many from their Idolatry to the knowledge of Christ And this Apostle as Dorotheus witnesseth preached the Gospell of the Lord to the Parthians Medes and Persians Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magicians And after much labour in his ministeriall office was slaine by an Idoll Priest with a dart which they call a speare or javelin But as others say at the Heathen Kings commandement foure souldiers run him thorow with darts at Callamina a City in India where hee was honourably buried Concerning his incredulity it is divinely commented on by Master Austin Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty and everlasting God which for more confirmation of the Faith didst suffer thy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sons Resurrection grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to beleeve in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith in thy sight may never be reproved And that for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all honour c. Saint JAMES THe ninth Apostle is S. James Alpheus and because I will not alter the name I will fix Saint James the son of Zebedeus a fisherman and Brother of Iohn in this place Hee it was that with Peter and his Brother the beloved Disciple had the prerogative to see the glorious Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the bitter agony of our blessed Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemani had not drowsinesse and sleep withheld them and under Claudius the Emperor an Dom. 36. as I receive it from the Ancient Herod Agrippa being then King of Iudaea who persecuting the Church of God beheaded James with the sword Of this Apostle I read this story That the man that accused him when hee saw that Iames would willingly suffer martyrdome was therwith so moved that he voluntarily confessed himselfe to bee a Christian for which hee was adjudged to be slaine with the Apostle and by the way going to receive the crowne of their martyrdome he requested the Apostle to pardon him who after hee had pawsed a little upon the matter turning unto him answered Peace be unto thee brother and kissed him So they were both beheaded together And this is all the description that I can finde of this Apostolicall Star Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Grant O most mercifull God that as thine holy Apostle S. Iames leaving his father and all that hee had without delay was obedient to the calling of thy Sonne Jesus Christ and followed him so I forsaking all worldly and carnall affections may be evermore ready to follow thy Commandements S. Simon and Iude. THese are the holy brethren the Gemini in this Apostolicall Zodiak for as some
in the hearts of the faithfull and consuming all our spirituall sacrifices who this day diddest descend and appeare in the likenesse of fiery tongues be a fire in my heart and tongue that I may be fervent in my meditations and prayers and zealous in the profession and defence of thy truth Inlighten the darknesse of my understanding inflame the coldnesse of my affections purge out the drosse of my corruptions direct me in all affaires of this life assist me in all exercises of devotion strengthen me in all assaults of temptations comfort me in all miseries of affliction seale all the gracious promises of thy Gospell unto me and seale me unto the day of redemption So be it Amen Into my minde descend O Dove gall purge cleane out of me With silver wings raise me above my Saviour Christ to see The STARRY HEAVEN OR a Meditation on All-Saints-day IN the generall survey of this work I compared this latter part to the beauty of Sanctum Sanctoâ—um in Solomons Temple for as King Solomon set the Arke of the covenant in that place which Ark was covered with the propitiatory or Mercy-seat and made two Cherubims in the said roome so I likewise in this work have placed the resemblance of the Arke as on this day the Cherubins on S. Michael the Archangell and the propitiatory on Trinity Sunday But properly this Metaphor belongs to the middle part which treats of the meritorious actions of our blessed Saviour For he and he only is the Holy of Holies and Saints as Stars receive and derive all the light of sanctity that is in them from Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse Therefore seeing I have raised this worke to this hight I will not fear to show that as Noahs Ark was a manifest symbole of the Church before and since the Law upon the troublesome waters of persecution and affliction so this Ark likewise may be a figure of Christs Church in the haven of prosperity and peace since the Gospell for first as the Law of God was put into the Ark for a memoriall of Gods covenant betweene him and the children of Israel so the Law or Gospell of Christ hath beene preserved in his Church for the confirmation of the faith and direction of the lives of us Christians Secondly as Manna was kept in the Ark for a remembrance of Gods mercy and power in preserving the lives of the Children of Israel forty years in the wildernesse with Angels food so likewise the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper as chosen Manna hath beene kept in Christs Church for the spirituall livelyhood of the worthy receiver for ever And lastly aâ— Aarons fruitfull rod was kept in the Arke for a testimony of the chosen Priesthood so the fruitfull examples of the Saints lives is annually kept in the Church as on this day which I compare to the starry firmament for as poore way faring men receive a great deale of comfort and direction in the light of the starres in a darke night when the Sunne and Moone are extinct so a poore Christian in the pilgrimage of this world receives a great deale of solace and jâ—y in the consideration of those glorious Saints that have walked in the said steps before him And therefore the Church knowing the power of examples upon mens nature that they are more apt to be led by example then by precept or reason and are more apt to follow a multitude in sinne then the light of any one Saint in vertue hath set this day apart to let us understand that it is better to follow one Noah in the race of righteousnesse then a whole world drowned in sin and wickednesse and that for our soules salvation it is better to be like one just Lot then a City full of wicked Sodomites but it is a very hard matter to walk uprightly in the midst of a crooked generation Now as the number of fixed Starâ—â—s are past all Arithmeticall expression so the totall of all the Saints that are and have beene in the Church of God are without number Yet as Astrologers note a certaine number of Stars for an uncertaine in affirming that there are 1205 in the Northerne Hemisphere the Zodiack and Southerne Constellations besides the Seven Planets so S. Iohn in his Revelations notes a certaine number of Saints for an uncertaine in saying that in every Tribe were sealed 12000 besides the 24 Elders and 4 Beasts which by expositors are the 24 writers of the Old Testament and the foure Evangelists writers of the New But it is not for their number but for their vertues that we commemorate their lives on this day Therefore I will pray to God that it would please him to grant that I may seriously call to minde and wisely consider on this day the sincerity of Abel in my sacrifice of Praise the piety of Enoch in my walking with God the righteousnesse of Noah the faith of Abraham the chastity of Ioseph the meeknesse of Moses the zeale of Phineas the patience of Iob the devotion of David the wisdome of Solomon all the rare graces of Gods Spirit in the holy Patriarchs in the sweet fellowship of the Prophets the constancy and fortitude of the Noble Army of Martyrs and all those imitable vertues in my blessed Saviour that I endeavouring my selfe to walke after their godly example in the Church militant upon earth may after this life ended together with them in the day of the resurrection reigne for ever in the kingdome of heaven which is the Church triumphant Amen The North Hemisphere OR a Meditation on Twelfe-day AS I am enforced to alter the name of the North pole on this day and call it the Easterne Hemisphere because the Magi came from the East and not from the North so I am compelled to write little of this dayes commemoration because it is so excellently performed by M. Austin in his divine Meditations But as in the North Hemisphere there are 21 Constellations and in every one of them a certaine number of Starres in all 332 so for ought I know being it is not set downe in the Gospell there might be 21 Wisemen as well as 3 12 or 14 as some conjecture which came to worship our blessed Saviour by every one of them a certain number of converted Saints brought into the Hemisphere of the Christian Church But because I am ignorant in all these things I conclude with this divine prayer saying Father of light who didst guide the Heathen Sages by a Starre to seek after and finde thy Sonne the true light which enlightneth every man that commeth into the world give me grace to give eare to the more sure word of prophecy in the Scripture till the day dawne and the day starre arise in my heart As thou calledst the Wisemen observers of the starres by a staâ—re the Shepheards lying abroad by an apparition in the fields Zachary the Priest by a vision in the Temple Peter the Fisher by a draught of