they ever glorifie God by flying about his Throne and crying day and night holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath yet since his delight is in mercy which is above all his workes they glorifie him most when they reveale his care of us In being his ministers for our preservation from the face of ourenemies Therefore howsoever we are unsure of their substance forme number or influences David hath assured us that they are ministring spirits for our good where he saith God hath given his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our waies And S. Paul confirmes it in the first to the Hebrewes But how these heavenly souldiers take charge of all Gods chosen in generall and of every Saint in particular I referre them to the learned such as is M. Austins Essay of telar Angels upon this day from whom I borrow what I have here writ and conclude as he desâ—anâ—s saying As God in Seraphin loveth in Cherubin discerneth in Thrones judgeth in dominations sheweth Majesty in Principalities governeth in Powers is omnipotent in vertues doth miracles in Archangels revealeth and in Angels assisteth so let us strive by assisting our brethren and protecting the feeble and indigent to become like Angels Let us by learning divine and high mysteries and revealing them to our brethren for their edification become like Archangels And since Miracles Omnipotence Government Majesty Judgement and discerning are chiefly Gods Let us above all seeke to get ardent love and affection the vertue that shall last remaine and the property of the highest order whence all the rest are inspired that in fiery zeale and love to the glory of God we may not onely burne our selves but both by our writings and discourses and all our actions inflame our brethren and therein being neerest joyned unto God become like the bright fiery Seraphins flaming continually in pure and ardent affection about his Throne and next unto him above all other inferiour orders And so we shall be sure to have all the rest attend upon us But this vertue of love onely the God of love can grant neither can he give it unlesse he give himself for he is love Which we beseech him grant us for the love of him that for love of us gives us all these protections and mercies together with himselfe Amen Trinity Sunday NOw I come to the conclusion of the whol matter for on this day I should shew you a glimps of the Propitiatory or Oracle from whence God hath revealed himselfe in the Trinity of the Persons and unity of Essence The Majesty of God the Father the Wisdome of God the Sonne and the Love of God the Holy Ghost But I am as insufficient for such a work as I am to lade all the water out of the Sea with a spoone for this is the mystery of all mysteries a hidden secret and better apprehended by faith than demonstrated by reason Then why should I strive by base comparisons of one Sunne yet three effects of Light Heat and Motion of one man consisting of a body soule and spirit or of one soule in three principall faculties Understanding Wil and Memory to shew that which is evident by Scripture that there are three Persons in the God head and yet but one Essence That there is an infinite power in the Father an infinite Action in the Holy Ghost and an infinite Subject in the glorious Son and yet all three make but one infinite Being This Tri-unity is so plainely and excellently laid downe in the Athâ—nasian Creed that I shall not need though I could further to dilate Therefore I will conclude all with hearty thankesgiving to this ever blessed and glorious Triunity for all favours from time to time bestowed upon me for temporall blessings as health wealth and liberty for preservation from many eminent dangers that I might have falne into if not defended by his mighty power for spirituall favours of Election Redemption Sanctification and hope of Glory for the inablement of his holy Spirit in mee in the accomplishment of this work and I pray God grant it may be to his glory my soules comfort and good of others Amen O thou glorious Lord God who art the true Primum mobile which movest all things by thy power but art in thy selfe immoveable move my heart towards thee stir up my drowsie soule in good desires touch my lips that my tongue may speak of thy praise direct my hand that I may write to thy Glory make my feet swift to run in the wayes of thy Commandements open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law O thou that art the Alpha and Omega let thy praise and glory be still the beginning and end of all my actions And grant that as I doe acknowledge the mystery of the Trinity of three glorious persons so I may ever be willing and ready to worship the Vnity of thy Infinite Essence though Jesus Christ FINIS
poison from the sweetest flowers But Bees draw Honey out of driest bowers I meane from bitterest things the honey flie Doth sucke much sweet Spiders in Roses lie Therefore though prying criticks prate their sill And thinke by envious words good deeds to spill And Momus-like to mocke to flout and jeere At me with envie ' cause I doe appeare In simple plainnesse yet I hope to be By wise Mecoenas lik't who out of me Though in my selfe I barren am and bare Will araw delicious and delightfull fare But what need I to feare detractors bent To none of those I hope I shall be sent Because my Authour will not have me prest In any print but what his Pen hath drest Except he be inforced thereunto Then what he would not that he must needs doe For he thinkes me unworthy to be showne To none but such as are ingenious knowne Cause as a Nosegay for his private use From famous Gardens he did me produce To give sweet sent and beautifie each part Of this rough worke and his affected heart And therefore if in Print you doe me see Blame not my Authour nor put fault in me The Pourtraiture of a Pious Man BEhold a Godly man that hath in heart True saving Faith Also in ev'ry part Of his affections is true and sincere Voide of hypocrisie and slavish feare From out his mouth doth gracious words proceed His eyes doe chiefly heav'nly objects heed His hands discharge his stewardships reckoning right His feet to walke in godly waies delight Heâ—'s mindfull of his death therefore his daies He takes account of how and in what waies He spends his time least that his godly light Should faintly blaze or be extinguisht quite And people doe delight to see his waies So full of good deeds to Gods glorious praise Yet is he humble for the good that he Doth doe he knowes to be a Gift most free Of Gods meere love and therefore doth despise The world the flesh and devill so the prize Of heav'nly blisse hâ— gaines that 's the Reward God gives the Saints for he doth most regard The pensive heart whose hope in Heav'n doth rest Thus is the man that 's truely Godly blest A preparatory prayer O Holy and everliving Lord God Infinite in Essence Glorious in Majesty terrible in Judgement and wonderfull in all thy waies how dare I a worme and no man of shallow judgment dull invention and brain-sick wit being as an Aery meteor in respect of those glorious starres men full-growne deepe judgements quicke inventions and ripe wits presume to write or speake of such holy mysteries in such unusuall tearmes as I here take in hand Certainely I must acknowledge it is thy onely worke in me and nothing in my unlearned selfe that hath induced me to undertake such a hard taske Therefore as thou hast thus graciously begun this worke in me so I hope and pray thou wilt magnifie thy power in my weakenesse and so strengthen and enable mee in the performance hereof that those who are more learned seeing and perusing this imperfect worke of mine may be induced to enforâ—e all their knowledge and skill to frame a more excellent worke to the praise of thy Name the â—difying of thy Church and salvation and consolation of thy chosen O Lord I pray Thee pardon and forgive aswell the errors and faults that I have committed in this Booke as all the grievous sinnes I have heretofore committed against thee from time to time in thought word and deed Give me I humbly beseech thee a true sight and feeling of them that the consideration therof may drive me to a serious hearty and timely Repentance for them O Lord increase my faith make it lively and operative in good workes for that purpose perfect thy love in me and my love to thy members make me now and ever thankefull for all blessings spirituall and temporall continually bestowed upon me and that for Jesus Christ his sake thy onely Sonne my alone Saviour to whome with Thee holy Father and thy blessed Spirit three Persons and one God be ascribed and given as most due is by me and all creatures all honour glory praise adoration obedience and thankesgiving from everlasting to everlasting Amen Let the words of my mouth and the Meditations of my heart be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Salomons Temple The figure of the Heauens and Elements 10 The first moveable Heavene 9 The Christaâ—ine Heaven 8 Leo * 4 ♋ Cancer * ♊ Gemini * 2 ♉ taurus * 1 ♈ Aries * 12 ♓ Pisâ—e * 11 â™’ Aqâ—*ar 10 ♑ Capri * 9 â™ Sagita * 8 â™ Scorp * 7 ♎ libra * 6 â™ virgo * 5 7 ♄ Saturne could and dry malevolent Lead 6 ♃ Iupiter hott and moyst Benevolent Tynne 5 ♂ Mars hott and dry Malevolent Iron 4 ☉ The sonne hott and dry Benevolent Gould 3 ♀ Venus Could and moist Benevolent copper 2 ☿ Mercury such as he is ioyned with Quick silver 1 ☾ The Moone could and moist Benevolent silver EARTH A generall Survey of this Annuall World THis insuing discourse may not unfitly bee compared unto the Temple of the Lord which King Solomon builded and would very well beseem the head and hand of such a workeman for finishing thereof for if he that was wisest that ever was or shall be did not disdaine to write of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hisop on the wal would never have thought it any disparagement to and for ought I know did write of all the works of God from the base Centre of this earthly Tabernâ—cle to the highest Mansion of the heavenly Spheares For I doe ingenuously confesse and humbly acknowledge that this worke rather requires the skilfull Pensill of a rare Apelles to draw to the life or the learned quill of an eloquent Cicero to demonstrate to the full than my unworthy illiterate Pen or dul invention to describe Yet having by Gods enablement upon my weak endevours framed this rare structure in my minde I could not rest satisfied till I had writ what I had so rudely formed And so I have beene bold to compare it to King Solomons Temple for as in that rare Fabrick there were three courts the Outward Middle and Sanctum Sanctorum so likewise in this worke I doe observe three kindes or Species of Meditations The first as the outward Court are Meditations of the foure seasons of the Yeare the foure Elements and their effects The second as the middle Temple are Meditations of the seven Planets on those dayes that commemorate the meritorious workes of our Saviour Christ And the third as Sanctum Sanctorum are Meditations of the starry Christalline and first moving heaven on divers festivall dayes in the yeare Now as in Solomons Temple there was a porch or gate where being entred you might discerne the spaciousnesse of the outward court and the decent behaviour of the people attending upon the royall High Priest
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
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
sonne But what became of him after all these bloody Tragedies by him committed Eusebius out of Iosephus relates a most loathsome and shamefull disease of which hee most miserably dyed From which I observe that miserable and wretched is their condition that for obtaining of a little fading and transitory honour in this world which indeed is but the shadow of true honour trouble and perplex both their bodies and mindes while they live in this life loose the true substantiall and everlasting felicity in the world to come and sometimes receive double punishment both here on earth and hereafter in hell for ever as Herod and others But leaving him now I will once more take a view of these blessed innocents these Protomartyrs these first fruits of martyrdome these seeming Christs of the same age of Christ these that suffered for him while he was safe in his cradle or in his mothers armes The cause was his and these silent advocates make answer he was the agent and they the patient hee was sought for and they were found for his fact they were slaine he the Isaac that was intended for the sacrifice and these the innocent lambes that were sacrificed in his stead O Lord in what had these offended how had they broken thy statutes that could neither go nor speake their hearts had no knowledge to thinke their hands too feeble to work and their tongues unable to utter any thing that was ill Now they were bewailing the miseries that their originall sinne did expose them unto and thou by the hand of Herod sent the messenger of death to invite them to eternall joy Grant I beseech thee that as they were two yeares bewailing their miseries and thou thy selfe two dayes in the bed of the grave and in the third raisedst thy selfe and restoredst them to joy in the third yeare so I likewise having been in the bed of sin for the time past of my life bewailing my sin for the time to come may now live the life of grace and hereafter partake of eternall joyes in glory for ever Amen The Zodiake IN which Astrologers note 12. Constellations or houses for 280. Starres which they call the twelve signes And in the yeare we commemorate the lives and vertues of the twelve Apostles and with them the day Star Saint John the Baptist the evening Stars Saint Paul and Barnabas and three other Stars of like splendor Saint Marke Saint Luke and Saint Steven That the Saints and especially these spred the light of their heavenly doctrine over the whole world is evident by Dan. 12. 3. where the Prophet affirmes that they which be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars And they are not only stars which enlighten the spiritual Jerusalem the Spouse of the Lambe Christs Church on earth which Iohn in a vision saw come downe from heaven but precious stones are rare jewels to adorne and beautifie her as is excellently paraphrased upon the twelve foundations of that City which were the twelve Apostles in these words The first Apostle from the Indies gathered in all these green Iaspers who abode ever greene and unwithered from the true faith to found with these the first foundation of this heavenly habitacle another Apostle to make up the second course of this foundation brought in those celestiall Saphires who indued with heavenly hewes and qualities respected no earthly showes The third Apostle for the third course of this foundation gathered in from among the Aegyptians the victorious and fiery Chalcedonies even the zealous Professors and victorious Teachers of the Truth Some fourth Apostle to build the fourth foundation even from the Scythians and Bactrians brought in the greene and glancing Smaragdes even the flourishing unwithered and sincere Christians of those Countries For the fifth course of this foundation some Apostles gathered in from among the Arabians their meeke lowly and chast people comparable to the simple and chast nature of the Sardonyx The sixth Apostle gathered in these mollified people in whose soft hearts are engraven the seales of salvation even the continuall memory of Christs Passion represented by the bloody and fleshly colour of the Sardius The seventh Apostle for the seventh ground and foundation the wise and constant Chrysolites The eighth Apostle for his course and foundation gathered in all diligent Christians and peace-makers comparable to the precious Berill The ninth Apostle to found his course with gathered in the patient people and restrainers of their affections represented by the nature of the Topaze The tenth Apostle brought into the tenth course of this foundation the golden greene Chrysoprasus even those Christians that renouncing avarice glory in that golden Treasure of heaven that never withereth nor decayeth The eleventh Apostle to found his eleventh course gathered in the golden purple and princely Hyacinths even those magnificent and princely professors who being richly decored with spiritual blessings overcame all temptations Finally for the twelfth course and to compleat the foundation of this holy worke the last Apostle brought in even from Armenia the pure and temperate Amethysts to wit those Christians who detesting gluttony and drunkennesse are endued with Sobriety and temperance O Lord grant that in the day thou makest up thy Jewels I may be found a precious stone in this building having in this life shined as a wandring Star in grace I may for ever rest a fixed Star in glory Amen A short Meditation of the Feast of Saint Iohn Baptist THis glorious Starre was the first that appeared in the Evangelicall Hemisphere At the lustre whereof the shadow of the Law began to withdraw and vanish that the spirituall sense might appeare through the literall He concluded the Law and the Prophets and prepared the way for the Sunne of Righteousnesse the day spring from on high And now the letter of the Law spiritually understood is turned into Gospell yet the owle-eyed Jewes that loved darknesse better than light when Iohn shone in the Pulpit like a taper on a candlesticke could scarse endure him burning longer than a farthing candle an houre was the utmost of their patience This is that Star that gave an heroicall rise of jubilation in the wombe of his blessed Mother At the first approach of this Sun or at the first dawning of the day of Salvation as the glorious Sunne entred into the blessed Aequator the Virgin Mother and began to shew forth his spirituall rayes by heavenly ejaculations in Hymnes Psalmes and spirituall Songs from Mary the Mother of our Lord from Zacharias the father of his Harbenger and old Simeon that wayted for his Salvation This is that Elias that was to come the Prophet of the Highest and more than a Prophet so much the more that a greater than hee was not borne of a woman in naturall generation The voyce of the Cryer in the wildernesse such a voice as David speakes of in the 29. Psalme