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

Six times, saith a^* Modern: seven times, saith^* Bernard, did Christ shed his blood for us; and (to reduce them into order) the first was at his Circumcision, when his name Jesus was given him, which was so named of the Angel, before he was conceived in the womb; ³and was this without Mystery? no (saith Bernard) for by the effusion of his blood he was to be our Jesus, our Saviour. Blessed Jesus! how ready art thou for the Sacrifice? What? but eight days old, and then to shed thy blood for the salvation of our souls? Maturum hoc Martyrium, here is a mature Martyrdom indeed. It is a superstition took up with the Egyptians and Arabians, ⁴that Circumcision should fright away devils: and the Jews have a conceit not much unlike: for when the child is Circumcised, one stands by which a vessel full of dust into which they cast the Praepuce: the meaning of it is, that whereas it was the curse of the Serpent, Dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: ⁵they suppose therefore the Praepuce (or fore skin) being cast into the dust, the Devil by that Covenant eats his own meat, and so departs from the child. But howsoever they err, of this we are sure, that Christ delivered his flesh as a bait to Satan, held him fast with the hook of his Divinity through the shedding of his blood; this blood was it first shed at his Circumcision; and we cannot imagine it a little pain, seeing the flesh was cut with a sharp stone which made Zipporah to cry out against Moses, Surely a bloody ⟨p. 179⟩husband art thou to me: what a love is this, that Christ newly born should so early shed his blood? ⁶but all was for our sakes, for the salvation of our souls.

Sixe times, saith a^*