The devout hart or Royal throne of the pacifical Salomon. Composed by F. St. Luzuic S.I. Translated out of Latin into English. Enlarged with incentiue by F. St. Binet of the same S. and now enriched with hymnes by a new hand

VII. MEDITATION.

The preparatory Prayer.

Actiones nostras, &c.

THE PRELVDE.

IN the midst of the Temple, was placed a huge brazen vessel, wh̄ece many channels yssued forth, apt to communicate their waters, for the vse of Preists and Leuits, where with they washed themselues when they went to sacrifice.a 1.1

Weigh the munificence of God, who thought it not enough, for de∣claration of his famous and good wil towards vs, to water the hart of man with his owne bloud, vnles he left vs also a fountaine famous for

seauen channels, from whence the guifts of graces might plentifully & prodigally flow into our minds, to wit seauen Sacraments instituted to this end, to wash vs, to expiate our sinnes, and to wipe al steynes from the hart.

2. Point. Consider the grace, which flowes from the fountaines of the Sacraments, to be a golden water, which turnes al it touches, into gold; and that so powrefully and diuine∣ly, as there is not the least action of our life (so it be sprinckled with the liquour of diuine grace) which we ought not to make more recko∣ning of, then of al the treasures and riches of the world; as meritorious and worthy of eternal happines.

3. Point. Consider now, how al graces, & merits depend of the only Sonne of God, and thence ••re deri∣ued by certaine pipes or aqueducts

as from the rock or head of these li∣uing waters: Wherefore we are most studiously to receiue and keep this liquour of grace; least any whit thereof should breake from the bancks of our hart; nor is any oc∣casion of heaping merits to be omit∣ted, which we greedily reach or catch not at.

THE COLLOQVY TO the wounds of our Sauiour.

MY soule, O God, hath thirsted after thee;a 1.2 vnles thou re∣plenish it with heaūely waters, who shal recreate or refresh it? My soule is blacker then a coale;b 1.3 who shal wash it whiter then snow,c 1.4 vnles thou powrest forth thy grace into it, which clearer then any chry∣stal, fals from the streames of thy side, hands, and feet? Oh sacred

springs of Syloed 1.5 infusing light to the blind! Oh Springs of Elun, which refreshed the heat of the peo∣ple of Israele 1.6 dying nigh with thirst, amid those parched sands of that vast desert! Oh rockf 1.7 smit cruelly with the tongue and hand of the Sinagogue! a rock, I say, not exhaling flames of fire, but powring out aboundant streames and flouds of benedictions; which with a con∣tinued course, accompanyed the pilgrime people into Palestine. Oh you holsome Iourdan waters of Naa∣man g 1.8 flow with a copious chan∣nel into my hart, that no locks or sluce at any tyme may hinder your course. But your, O you heauenly Ministers of God and mans salua∣tion diue and plunge in this foun∣taine placed in the midst of the house of God, those Ethiops our minds, I say, so vgly and defor∣med

with the wretched colour of vices; that by your meanes, being rised and cleansed once they may issue forth like doues. Amen.

Pater. Ave.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Exod. 3.
• a 1.2

  Psal. 62.
• b 1.3

  Thren. 4.
• c 1.4

  Psal. 50.
• d 1.5

  Ioan 9.
• e 1.6

  Exod. 15.
• f 1.7

  Exod. 17.
• g 1.8

  4. Reg. 5.