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 PRELVDE.

Ovr bed flourisheth, saith the Spouse. a

1. Point. Consider IESVS to be truly a Nazarean, that is flowry or flourishing; for the loues to be con∣uersant with the sweet odours, and flowers of vertues. Wherefore I wil ponder, how grateful it is to him to repose and rest himself among the lillyes of purity and chastity; the ro∣ses of martyrdome and mortifica∣tion, the violets of humility and prayer; the Sunne-affecting mari∣golds, that is, the noble soules, and pliant to euery beck, of the diuine

wil; and other garden plots, of the rest of vertues, with whose loues, he is so taken, as that euery-where, at al occasions, he sents their odours and hunts after them.

2. Point. These flowers should ne∣uer fade, with any weather, not with the parching heate of the sunne, I say should not wither with the heat of carnal temptations, nor hang the head with the southerly wind of au∣stere sadnes; nor pinched vvith the cold and frozen blust••ring of the north, that is, not nipt or blasted with the euil breath of dulnes in spiritual things: but should rather be conti∣nually watered with the dew of ce∣lestial graces, and from the substance of the hart, deuo'yd of al corruption, draw and deriue their iuice & bloud, where by they might prosper and flourish euer••more.

3. Point. I vvil seeme to behold

the litle IESVS, sporting in this litle flovvry garden of the hart, pic∣king here and there, and plucking with his hand, now those flowers; the Angels remayning astonished at so great familiarity, and adoring the vvhile. But for me I wil resolue vvith my self, to keep especially the lilly of chastity inuiolable, vvithout the least staine or blemish of its candour.

Notes

• a

  Cant. 1.