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
the heavenly Ladder by which our God descended to the Earth Had she not been humbled to the Handmaide of the Lord she had never sung He hath done great things Virginity would not serve the turn despised humility is above magnified virginity S. Bernard was of that minde To virginity sayes he you are invited to humility you are compelled Of Virginity it is said Let him that is able receive this but of humility except you become as one of these little ones ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven without virginity you may be saved without humility you cannot And in this very point he concludes and is bold to say that without humility the virginity of the blessed Virgin Mary her selfe had never beene acceptable You saith he to the proud virgins of his time forget humility and glory in your virginity But Mary forgetting her virginity glories in her humility Be not proud of virginity for in the Parable of the Ten there was as many foolish as wise These six vertues were in her as six steps in Salomons Throne which once got over Salomon or rather a greater than Salomon reposed in it where after he was set he had the Duae Manus the supporters of each side the Throne the Father and the Holy Ghost that never left nor utterly faild him And at his descent the twelve Lions the twelve Apostles that shall hereafter sit on twelve Thrones themselves and judge the â—welve Tribes of Israel And as the Queene of Saba came to see and offer Gifts to Salomon sitting in his Throne So came the Easterne Sages to adore and offer to Christ sitting in his Throne even in the Lap of this blessed Virgin Mother where Salomon in all his royalty was not like him Such was this Paradise which God prepared to make our second Adam in Yet how gloriously soever she be compared the burden of her song is He hath respect to the humble and all that she professeth is that she is the Handmaid of the Lord. Now should I write the Story of her life according as it is related in the blessed Gospell or as I finde it written by other learned Authors I should only shew you a Map of misery and mirrour of patience As her very name if it be derived from Maâ—ah signifies a person that is oppressed with carefulnesse and griefe exposed to all misery and calamity and prest with continuall vexation and mourning so her whole life related by the learned demonstrates that she was continually molested and overwhelmed with penury â—xcessive travaile and unsupportable perplexities For though she came froÌ„ the noble stock of many famous Kings of Israel and Juda being the daughter of Eliakim of the house of David yet by reason of the mutation of worldly felicity shee was possessed with no great wealth And so according to her estate a man of mean condition Ioseph a Carpenter of the same lineage of the Tribe of Iuda the son of Iacob who was the brother of Heli whose wife the said Iacob according to the Leviticall Law after his said brothers decease maried so raising up seed unto his brother Ioseph the sonne of Heli according to Saint Lukes Gospell made choice of her for his spouse And their poverty is more evident in that they were not of ability when they were called to the generall taxation to get roome in an Inne but faine to take up their lodging in a poore cold and comfortlesse manger For her laborious travell first she went to Jerusalem being threescore and foure miles from Nazareth to which place of necessity she was to passe over diverse high and steepe hils as Mount Gilboa whereon King Saul kild himselfe Mount Gerizim and Hebal upon which the blessings and curses were denounced and Mount Ephraim upon which Ehud kild Eglon King of the Moabites Then when her Childe was two yeares old with whom she and Ioseph to accomplish the Word of the Lord Hosea 11. 1. and for feare of Herods cruelty were constrained to flye into Aegypt and continued all the dayes of Herods cruell reigne at Hermopolis one of the chiefe Cities of Aegypt three hundred and foure miles from Jerusalem to which place of necessity they were to passe thorow a barren and unfruitfull wildernesse full of rocks and sands destitute of waters and subject to many dangers inhabited by a rude and barbarous people called Saracens who take their beginning from Ishmael and as he so they are very cunning in shooting and hunting and live upon robbery and spoile In so much as Merchants at this day are constrained to go in great companies lest they should be endangered by them and savage beasts which abound in those places And by reason of the windes and sands they are enforced to guide their journey by the Compasse as men do that saile by Sea Yet thorow this wildernesse did Ioseph and Mary passe with the Childe Jesus out of Judea into Aegypt where they were in danger of theeves subject to be smothered by the sands constrained to travell over high rocks and mountaines and to rest in feare of Lions Beares and other beasts of prey that greatly abound there besides other discommodities were incident unto them as want of meat drink and other necessaries there being little water to be found there After when they came from thence to Nazareth she with Ioseph went every yeare to the Passeover at Jerusalem for the space of fourteene yeares together about which time Ioseph dyed when Christ was sixteene yeares old and her selfe thirty And as I finde related during her pilgrimage in this world which was nine and fifty yeares she travelled 3506. miles besides petty journeyes not worth relation And last of all for her perplexity and vexation of spirit behold and see if the prophesie of Simeon was not fully accomplished in her that a sword should passe thorow her soule Besides the miseries which she sustained in her travell into Aegypt as is above specified when she had carefully brought up her Son for the space of twelve years by remissenesse and neglect she with Ioseph thought him lost and were faine to seek him three daies sorrowing After losing her loving Associate yet I beleeve without any caâ—nall knowledge in the prime of her dayes it was no small vexâ—tion to her minde But last of all when her blessed Sonne was to sustaine the wrath of God and punishment for the sinnâ— of man to see him reviled by the accursed Priests Scribes and Pharisees nailed to the crosse by the mercilesse Jewes and his side pierced with a Speare by the cruell Souldier sorrow and griefe did even cut her heart a sunder but that she was armed with invincible patience and comforted by her Son and Saviours glorious Resurrection and Ascention And so from the Passion of Christ to her death which was twelve yeares she lived with the beloved Disciple S. Iohn the Evangelist in Ierusalem and was buried in the Garden called Gethsemane Thus having described the beautifull lustre
such like should all have been comprehended under that fearfull Chaos and so the Earth as it were opened should have sent forth such sulphur'd smoke furious flames and fearfull thunder as should by their diabolicall doomesday have destroyed and defaced in the twinkling of an eye not only our then living Princes and people but even our insensible Monuments reserved for future ages And so not only we but the memory of us and ours should have beene thus extinguished in an instant O Lord what wonderfull distractions and dismall confusion would have beene then in the Land when they who alone could set order in such a time were all on the sudden swept away when the blame of so horrible a Massacre should have beene laid upon the most zealous professors of the truth when the Popes Buls should have been fixed upon the Gates of our chiefest Cities exposing the lives and estates of all that had not the mark of the Beast in their forehead to spoile ruine and destruction How would Atheists Papists Banckrupts and all kind of male-contents have made havock of all things how would they have triumphed in the downefall and danced in the ashes of the Church and Common-wealth How soone would they have turned this most flourishing Island into a desert Our ancient River the river Thames into the dead Sea our land into Acheldama a field of blood our strongest Towers and most magnificent buildings into a Babel of confusion our chiefe Cities into Golgotha's places of dead mens sculs Cursed bee the wrath of all traiterous Papists for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell nay monstrous and prodigious to cut off the root and all the branches at one blow to remove and overthrow the foundation of Religion and Policy with one lift to offer up the royall stem and the flower of all the Nobility and Gentry the Lords Spirituall and Temporall the Bishops Earles Barons Judges Knights and Burgesses as a Holocaust or whole burnt offering to the Moloch of Rome O let it not be told in Gath nor published in Askalon lest the Heathen and Infidels abhor the name of our Nation that bred up such Vipers or blaspheme the holy profession of Christians for their sakes Or if the report of such a crying or rather thundring sinne cannot but be heard to the uttermost parts of the Earth let the authors and actors be descried to be no true beleevers but Hereticks and Miscreants no servants of Christ but factors for Antichrist and let the Turks Mores and Indians and all Pagans together with seduced Papists in the world know that thou O Lord whom we worship in spirit and truth didst miraculously detect and graciously prevent this bloody design intrapping the wicked devisers in the work of their own hands and taking the Incendiary in his own traine The waters saw thee O God the waters saw and swelled against the proud Spanish Fleet the winds saw thee O God the windes saw thee and furiously blustered at it and both windes and Seas obeyed thee in dissipating and overwhelming it in the narrow Seas And now the fire and Powder saw thee O God and it flew in the eyes and faces of them that would have put out all the eyes of this Island and defaced the whole beauty of this Kingdome for ever Death received the word and destruction observed Law confusion it selfe kept order in blowing up their estates and carrying up their quarters and fixing them for a terror to all Iesuited traitors over that house and in the very place which they would have with Gunpowder sent up all the principall Members of our body Politique every eye may now see that dreadfull judgement denounced in thy Word fallen upon the eyes that waited for the destruction of our Church and Commonwealth The young Ravens of the valley peck at them and the fowles of heaven have eaten them Thus hast thou hitherto fought for thine anointed and thy dearest Spouse and thou art still the same God with whom there are Issues even out of death it selfe Wherefore we beseech thee set our affiance in Thee and fashion our love more and more unto thee imprint the memory of this wonderfull deliverance in our hearts and the hearts of our seed with the point of a Diamond that the children that are yet unborn may in succeeding ages praise thee for it Give us a sight and sence of our crimson and skarlet sinnes that brought us so nâ—ere even to the brink of so bloody a destruction and utter desolation and open the eyes of the Seens of Israel that they may in this our day looke to those things that belong to our peace and prevent the danger and hinder the growth of that Romish weed which if it be not cut off by the execution of wholesome lawes in that kinde provided in time will overrunne the Garden of thy Spouse and destroy all her pleasant plants and flowers Stir them up seriously to consider that though the match by thy providence be taken out of the hand of the Traitors that the danger is not yet past but that they must follow the traine and search the lowest and darkest corners of the Vault and dig into the Barrels of Powder and finding that it was digged out of the rock and foundation of the Iesuits Trent faith that they ought to bend all their forces and by armes and lawes suppresse it and keepe out the grand enemy of the Truth and our peace that he never get footing in this Kingdome Let no such mysts of faire glosses and pretences be cast before their eyes but that they may cleerly see that the Bishop of Rome is the Engineer of these workes Iesuiticall doctrines and perswasions are the traine disloyall hearts the Vaults seditious councels practises the Powder and idolatrous blinde zeale is the fire that hath heretofore and is alwayes ready to set all Kingdomes and States professing the truth of the Gospell in a combustion Discover O Lord more and more the man of sin and make him seeme as odious to us as he is abominable in thy sight Alter their temper or spew them out of this kingdome who are neither hot nor cold among us O let the joyfull Mattens on our fifth of November and the dolefull even-song on theirs convince all enemies of the truth that thou mightily supportest the frame and fabrick of our Sion but hast pulled downe the floore and wilt in due time the wals of their Babylon So let thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee be as the Bunne that goeth forth in his full strength Amen A description of the Aequator Or A Meditation on the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary AS opposite to the foregoing Rainbow you may behold the Aequinoctiall which I have placed as in the North side of this Court. Now the Reasons why I name this dayes commemoration a description of the Aequator are first because as the Aequator or Aequinoctiall is a line drawne in