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

IESVS THE SONNE OF DAVID, PLAYES ON the harp in the hart, vvhile the Angels sing. (Book 14)

THE HYMNE.

VVhen IESVS doth my hart insp••re, As Orpheus, with his tuned lire, The trees with power attractiue drew, My hart deep rooted (where it grew In baren soyle without content) So powerfully he drawes, that rent From thence, it followes him, takes root, And so self-loue, which had set foot Is banished farre, who charm'd before My hart deluded. Euermore IESV be al in al, my part, My God, musitian to my hart, And harmony, which solace brings Ah touch my hart, & tune it's strings.

THE INCENTIVE.

1. IF IESVS touch alone and mooue affects, which are the strings of our hart, good God! how sweet, how diuine a musike he ma∣kes therein. But if self-loue once play the Harper, and medle with the quil, and touch the springs but neuer so litle, ah me! it is a hellish horrour, and no musike.

2. When IESVS with a soft modulation steals into my hart there is streight such a sweetnes in the marrow and bovvels, as al things satisfy and please alike; life, death, prosperity, aduersity: You vvould verily say my miseries were charmed by IESVS and his Angels.

3. Touch but the harp, litle Dauid, giue it a lick vvith the quil, tvvang that only, I say, tvvang the

domestical harp but neuer so ligh••ly, whereon thy Gransier Dauid playd so long a goe, and it is enough. It was it dispersed the horrid clouds of sadnes and melancholy, & draue away the wicked Genius. O God, when I heare this Dauid both father and sonne of the Royal Psalmist, playing on his harp, how my hart iumps the while, yea how ready it is to leap out of it-self.

THE PREAMBLE to the Meditation.

THe heauenly Dauid in the midst of the Hale of the hart, with nimble fingers, tickles the harp, to the musical numbers. Come hither Angels, then come you deare soules to IESVS, come you al: Cleare vp your voyces, and tune them to the pulse, and harmony of this harp.

This sound, beleeue me, wil banish Sathan, and throughly purge away melancholy, that grateful seat of the wicked Genius.

But why the harp (most sweet IESVS) rather then another? Yet should I thinke thou takest it not by chaunce: Vnles perhaps it be that the forme and sound of this Instrument. Ah! thou wouldst pre∣sent that figure which in mount Cal∣uary thou actedst so long a goe; play∣ing the Chorus of that sad Tragedy, in the publike Theater of Heauen & earth, in view of al? Ah, now I re∣member how thine armes and feet were then stretched forth on the ten∣tours, as in the harp the strings are wont. How stiff were then the ner∣ues and sinewes of the whole body: But here loue playes the harper, and yealds so forth a sound most like the harp, reaching farr and wide, as

farre I say, as the highest, midle, & nether orb extend heauen, earth, & hel. Sathan felt thee harper, and maugre al his power was constrey∣ned to compresse his foaming anger, and bridle his implicable fury. Death lurking at the gates of hel, felt the fatal point of his dart (being no lesse then sinne) to be sudenly reba∣ted. But with vs now at the sound of his harp, the rocks being riu'd & split, began to fly asunder, harts harder then adamants to soften, wicked men touched with the prick of conscience to confesse their cri∣mes, to knock their breast, the pro∣per seat of the penitent mind, and to giue forth these words, most ful of compunction, Truly the Sonne of God was here.a 1.1

Yea the sound went vp to Heauen also; and sudenly stayed so the hand of the diuine Nemesis, menacing

eternal ruine and calamity to men, and now ready stretched forth to make a ful reuenge of al, as that by and by the same being voluntarily vnarmed, and now as the case were altered quite hath giuen place to mercy, which hitherto had layne hid.

But why doe I cal these things to memory? who knowes my hony IESVS, whether, with this harp thou playest not some-what els? What? I know not Vnles perhaps with this sweet harmony of strings thou, wouldst signify the sweetest and sincerest pleasures, wherewith thou woest and courtst the harts of pious men. For who are able to ex∣presse with what deliciousnes of thy pleasing tunes thou recreatst now and then, and erectest minds afflicted with the irksomnes and tediousnes of a wretched and miserable life?

And for that we seely men, are alto∣gether vnable, goe on, o you Ange∣lical spirits, and here sing againe a new mottet of thanksgiuing in our behalfe.

But you get you hence and farr enough, you glosing dangers foule Sirens: Get you hence vncleane wi∣cked and deceiptful world: I hate your rimes, your idle sonnets; for your, musike lines are nets, your notes, snares, your voyce the foulers whistle. I curse and detest these cunnings tricks. Your bals and reuels are the Theaters of impudent & infamous scenes; I execrat and de∣test these Masks and mummeryes.

Therefore, o my hart, listen I pray, and when thou hearest the voice of thy God, anon being struck as it were and smil, giue a sound with al, and attemper and ply thy voyce to his, make his wil and mine

to iump and sympathize together: take heed thou yealdst not a rustike musike; and a harsh vngrateful tone; sing to the numbers right, and dance with al whether aduersity maane thee, or prosperity play with thee. But especially lend thine empty ea∣res to the most sweet ditty of the diuine Harper: who sweetly allures thee a farre of, and neerer hand puls thee vvith the sound of his harp. Come, for so he sings, come my freind come and thou shalt be crowned with the head of Amana, with the top of Sanir and Hermon; from the lions dens, from the hils of Libbards.b 1.2 Take here the crowne of flowers, which thou hast wouen for thy self, fetched from the highest and steepest mountaines tops not with out much labour and sweat receiue the reward of the trauels and combats, which thou hast fought: the prize of the victory vvhich vvith

taming and binding the lyons and beares, those vnruly beasts of thy passions thou hast most gloriously purchased. This harmony of IESVS singing to the hart, my soule, vvil procure there light, and gentle sleeps and imbue the vvhole breast vvith the nectar of diuine consolations, that thou maist not feele the acer∣bity of molestations, vvhich are necessary to be drunke by mortals. Strike out therefore thy harp most strongly, my beloued, there shal no murmure at al obstreperate and dul thine eares; the closet of my hart is vvholy vacant, that naught might hinder the svveetnes of this harmo∣ny. And you againe good Angels, tune your voyces to the sound of this harp, and I the vvhile from my im∣most bovvels vvil sing these verse of the Psalmes I wil blesse the Lord at al times, his praise be alwayes in my mouth.

c 1.3 For he hath taken compassion on me of his great mercy, he hath blotted out my iniquities.d 1.4 He hath deliuered my soule from death.e 1.5 He hath crowned me in mercy and good workes, He hath replenished my soule in good things.f 1.6

XIIII. MEDITATION.

The preparatory Prayer.

Actiones nostras quesumus, &c.

FIRST POINCT.

COnsider how easy and expedit is the contemplation of spiri∣tual things, when IESVS borne of the true stock of Dauid, playes the harper, in the hart, and with the soūd of his diuine instrument driues

away the wicked spirit; euen as he∣retofore his great Grandsier Dauid, restrayned the intemperance of Saul. Attend besides how seriously the Angels accommodate their voyce to the sound of the harp; that euen looke what they see IESVS to doe for our good, they endeauour to doe also, studying to accommodate themselues to our occasions.

1. Point. Consider IESVS han∣ging and nayled on the Crosse see∣med to haue caryed the figure of a harp with him, which being playd on, gaue forth as it were seauen sounds, very ful of hidden mysteries and the first stroke truly of his my∣stical harpe was: Father forgiue them, for they know not what they doe.a 1.7 When he held vp and staid the ma∣king of the world from falling, being then on the point to demolish quite, and with it's ruine ready to

swallow the impious Parricides of God. But, o most vnlucky stroke? in the last streyne a string broke and snapt asunder, and the soule & body of the most blessed IESVS being dissolued, the whole harmony of Dauids harp was vtterly marr'd, which yet a litle after the parts being resumed and handsomely vnited to∣gether, so newly raysed againe sung forth a triumphal song.

3. Point. Consider when IESVS is present what great festiuityes are made, what diuine rayes doe shine, what plenty of graces are powred forth, and what true and solid plea∣sures abound: but in the contrary IESVS being absent what hydeous darknes ouer-casts the minds, whole squadrons of calamities, troubles, desperations, feares, mourning, te∣diousnes slouth, molestations, and what not? come rushing in by troops.

THE COLLOQVY.

SHal be directed to the Blessed Virgin, of whom, with the grea∣test endeauour of an earnest and sub∣misse mind that may be, I wil craue leaue that what she led before, I may sing after her: My soule doth ma∣gnify the Lord,a 1.8 especially since the benefits I receiued from her sonne are likwise infinit;b 1.9 & I wil fur∣ther inuite not onely the Angelical spirits to sing; but al created things whatsoeuer, with that Psalme of Dauid: Praise the Lord al you nations.

Pater. Aue.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Mat. 27
• b 1.2

  Cant. 4.
• c 1.3

  Psal. 33.
• d 1.4

  Psal. 50.
• e 1.5

  Psal. 55.
• f 1.6

  Psal. 102.
• a 1.7

  Luc. 23.
• a 1.8

  Luc. 1.
• b 1.9

  Psal. 116.