Ultima, = the last things in reference to the first and middle things

First, a Year; in the Spring is the youthful spring of our age, in the Summer is the aged time of our youth; in the Autumn is ⟨p. 7⟩the high noon, or middle of our age, when the Sun (which is our soul) rules in the Equinoctial line of our life; in the Winter we grow old and cold, the nips of frost strip the tree of our life, we fall into the grave, and the earth that nourished us, will then consume us. See what is man! a Spring of tears, a Summers dust, an Autumns care, a Winters woe: Read but this map, and you need travel no further to enquire of life.

First, a Year; in the Spring is the youthfull spring of our age, in the Summer is the aged time of our youth; in the Autumn is ⟨p. 7⟩the high noon, or middle of our age, when the Sun (which is our soul) rules in the Equinoctiall line of our life; in the Winter we grow old and cold, the nips of frost strip the tree of our life, we fall into the grave, and the earth that nourished us, will then consume us. See what is man! a Spring of tears, a Summers dust, an Autumns care, a Winters wo: Read but this map, and you need travell no further to enquire of life.

The first quarter is our Spring, and that is full of sin and misery; the infant no sooner breathes, but he sucks the poison of his parents: in Adam all sinned, and since his time all were defiled by his sin. Is it not Natures rule, that every man begets one like himself? And is it not Gods rule, that every sinner begets another no better then himself? How may a foul vessel keep sweet water? or how may an earthy sinner beget an heavenly Saint? we are all in the same state of sin, and so we fall into the same plunge of sorrow: the child in his cradle sleeps not so secure, but now he wakes, and then he weeps, cold starves him hunger pines him, sores trouble him, sickness gripes him, there is some punishment, which without sin had never been inflicted. It is wonderful to consider, how Nature hath provided for all creatures, birds with feathers, beasts with hides, fishes with scales, all with some defence, only man is born stark naked, without either weapon in his hand, or the least thought of defence in his heart; birds can fly, beasts can go, fishes can swim, but infant-man, as he knows nothing, so neither is he able to do any thing: indeed he can weep as soon as born, but not laugh (as some observe) till forty days old: so ready are we born to woe, but so far from the least spark of joy. O mere madness of men, that from so poor, naked and base beginnings, can persuade our selves we are born to be proud!