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

THE PREAMBLE to the Meditation.

THe tyme wil come, o delight of my soule, O Spouse of bloud,a 1.1 when mount Caluery shal be thine Accademy, thy diuine hu∣manity, thy booke; for woden Chair, the hard Crosse, where this volumne shal be laid vpon, for points, stripes, Lashes for commaes, for Auditary of so diuine a Maister, the wicked Iewes. Al men shal read in that book, and if they mark, vnderstand, how potent thou art, who canst so aptly linck togeather, things by nature so farre distant from each other; life with death, folly with wisdome, pouerty with riche, strength, with weakenes, gal with hony, high with low. Here the disciples of the. Crosse shal learn;

with what pretty slight of thy wis∣dome, the most tender wormeb 1.2 of thy humanity hanging on the line and hooke of the Crosse hath drawne out of the bowels of mens harts, that horrid and cruel fish Leuiathanc 1.3 and crushed his head: with how vnvsual an instrument, the engine of thy humility, thou ouer-threwest that mad Tower of Babel, brakest with thy meekenes the adamantin hart of the Iewes, how with thy admirable sweetnes and affability, like that worme (which seemed a prodigy to Ionas) d 1.4 thou didst so smit the root of that flowrishing iuy, as suddenly al the leaues withered, that is the cere∣monyes of the ancient Sacrifices were abolished, Altars demolished, the preistly and regal power of the Iewes, the splendour of that flou∣rishing nation, in times past, withe∣red

like a tree strooken and blasted from heauen. Lastly in this open and vnfolded book, al posterity shal acknowledge what were those an∣cient mercies, of thine,e 1.5 hidden hitherto in the immense treasures of thy bowels, and euen the Gentiles themselues whom the diuine good∣nes might seeme to haue cast off for so many Ages past, shal now behold the most abstruse secrets of the highest things, hidden heretofore. But now, [most louing Doctour) doe I see another. Schoole set open to thee, the spacious Galery of man's hart, a noble Lyceum, wherein thou Lord and Maister teachest the soule, thy disciple within and instru∣ctest her with the precepts of thy most holy wil. Speake therefore, I beseech thee Lord, the eares of my hart are open, speake O loue of my hart, for thy words are sweeter then

the hony, and the hony comb:f 1.6 milk and holy vnder thy tongue, the hony∣comb distilleth from thy lips.g 1.7 Oh fiery words of loue! Strong, effica∣tious, endles, thundring words, which impetuously throw al things to the ground, ruine Ceders, fetch vp mountaines by the root, reare the lowly hil lying in the plaines strengthen collapsed minds, dash and crush the proud: Lastly; words of a most indulgent Parent, teaching his dearest child al manner of hol∣some precepts. Lend thine eares then my hart; God is he that speaks. Heare my Child (for so IESVS aduyses from the pulpit of the hart) doe thou giue thy self to me: Let me be thy possession, thy nurse, thy food, for nothing can satiate thyne appetite without me. My Child, throw away those leekes and garlik of Egypt, turne thy face from the

stincking waters of pleasure, and put thy mouth rather to my side, the wine-cellar of graces, whence at ease thou maist draw and deriue to thy self most soueraigne and in∣comparable ioyes: For sake thy self and thou shalt find me; leaue the vayne contentments, of the senses, and thou shalt purchase to thy self the solid & sincere delights of Hea∣uē. Learne of me, child, not to build thee worlds, or frame new Heauens, nor to worke wounders,h 1.8 but learne that I am me••k & humble of hart. i 1.9 Be alwayes mindful of benefits bestowed vpon thee; for nothing so exhausts the riuers of diuine grace, as the blasting vice, of an vngrateful mind. Be present to thy self follow thine owne affairs, square al thy actions to the exact rule of reason, and perswade thy self this, and haue it alwayes in thine eyes, that thine;

and the felicity of al rests in me the only soueraigne good.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Exod. 4.
• b 1.2

  2. Reg. 23.
• c 1.3

  Iob. 40.
• d 1.4

  Ion. 4.
• e 1.5

  Psal. 88.
• f 1.6

  Psal. 18.
• g 1.7

  Cant. 4.
• h 1.8

  Aug. serm. 10. de serm. Dom.
• i 1.9

  Mat. 11.