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 VVORLD, THE FLESH, THE DIVEL, assaile the hart, IESVS saues it for himself. (Book 2)

THE HYMNE.

MYne eyes are open now I see The nets & snares prepare for me The world, and flesh haue laid their baits T'allure my hart, the diuel waits. Vvhile pleasures of a moment [past E're th'are enioyd] entice: He last But first protectour, midst those ginnes, Midst snares, & tangling nets of sinnes Lies lurking: And when he'spies The bird ensnared, out he flies: OIESV, may my prayer be he••••••, Spread forth thy nets, I am thy bird To catch my hart, 'a Pitfal make Set lime-twigs, doe but touch & take.

THE INCENTIVE.

1. THe world, with silke & golden chaines, the diuel, with horrid and crooked irons, the flesh with libidinous flames of Hel, through force, through craft, through indu∣stry, here openly, and here couertly labour very busily to ensnare, and entrap man's hart. Vnlesse, good IESV, thou as from an ambush dost speedily reskue it, with thy succours, it is lost, it is vndone.

2. Looke, what the world sets forth to sale are al laid open, but the wines she carouseth in her golden cup lye hid the brimms are al bes∣meared with honny, the gal with in is it, that hurts, that kils. Happy he who by diuine power can wel ac∣quit himself of these snares, these nets.

3. And now behold how amou∣rously good IESVS. loues, embra∣ceth, puls this hart vnto himself, and hugs and clings it to his hart, Doe so good IESV; place my hart in thy Heauen; I say, with thy de∣lights and loue, fil, and ouerflow it.

THE PREAMBLE to the Meditation.

HElp here, O Lord of Saboth! Loe bring thy succours hither. The enemies invade thy Sanctuary to pollute the same; they seeke the sacred fires to extinguish them; they violate the Altar of Holocauste to ouerthrow 〈◊〉〈◊〉; they bring in strange and foraine incense, sacrilegiously to burne to their Numensa 1.1 Send downe thy auxiliary bands from heauen; the confederate host of An∣gels, those spirits, which weild and

brandish thine armes; els certainly al things wil demolish and vtterly perish: Traynes are set on euery side, nette and snares laid euery where. God gingerly and take heed if you be wise. Here the world that chea∣ting and perfidious Mounte-banck fete forth his wares, to sals, precious indeed and specious to the eye at first, but whem you heed them bit∣ter, alas meer trumpery and coun∣terfeit stuff. The purse this pedlery merchant shewes you, beleeue me, is puffed vp with wind rather then filled with coyne. The diadems glit∣tering al of gold, or rather glasse, amid the few and bastard gemm's, affright with thornes and briars. The cheynes of gold or iewels take which you wil, like iron fetters, ho∣nour not, but onerate, and straightly bind. What apparel? The Silk-wor∣mes excrements, with vs being rare,

and scarce, are therefore deare; for with the Thracians long a goe, these silks haue been but little worth; nor wil they like vs, if not wrought; or interwouen with gold and glitter here and there, with sparckling gemmes. But to what end? forsooth to shroud our nakednes and defor∣mity with a precious mantle. With these allurements then the world seekes to intice to it the hart, and to that end promises huge mountaynes of gold, but yet performes besides the blasts and fickle winds of words, euen iust nothing. For what law can he keep or true fidelity, that wants them both? It is much for it to afford one a vulgar fame, to puffe an empty breath of a little glory which by and by scarce sensible, it blowes another way. For as often as you purchase the grace, not of the vulgar only, but euen of Princes also

with the least offence it is suddainly snatched away from you and leaues you gaping after it, with a light smatch only.

Help, help againe O Heauen! Behold here a new enemy at hand the Stygian Dragon, as anciently as subtlily trayned vp in this field, that Serpent I meane now so long since cast downe to helb 1.2 from Heauen and that degree of dignity he aymed and aspired to. The De∣uil, I say, that Calumniatour, as∣sayes to rush into thy hold, and that he may hauock and disturb al things rangeth vp and downe like a fel Lyon in a horrible māner, that with his dreadful roaring if he crush not the hart altogeather, at least he may shake it shrewdly. Imagine him an Aspike, his throat to swel with poy∣son his tooth already fastened in the wound, the very venome now ready

to come forth, where the soule is as good as dead already. Conceiue him a Basiliske: this as king of ser∣pēts, is more pernitious then the rest, as he, which with the only eyes ins∣pireth death, like a theif enchāts the eares with a false whistle and gently distils into the hart a pest with al: When being gotten in soaking the humour thence he pines it vp, and kils it quite? Or shal I cal him a Cro∣cadille? You haue then a sworne ene∣my no lesse of our saluation then of the heauēly Court, for he faines our human teares, puts on our effects to deceiue the better. Nor doth Proteus so transforme himself into euery figure, as this pragmatike of the world turnes and winds himself euery way into each slight. Nor doth this warriour vse alwayes the same weapons or manner of fight for now he takes prosperity for armes, and

now aduersity; nor leaues he any tyme or place for truce or respite. Help therefore, ô you Citizens of heauen, help I say! In this combat the Anihonyes, the Hilarions, and the rest of Moncks, most stout Cham∣pions, tremble, sweat, and chaunge ther colour; who surely were not ignorant of the forces of this Aduer∣sary. Is the Casket of the hart re∣pleat with celestial riches? with pride and presumption of mind he breakes it open, steales the treasure. Is the hart emptie and void of the riches of vertues and the ornaments of diuine graces? with despair he at∣tempts to perpetrate any horrible fact; and alwayes bends the artyl∣lery on that side he notes to be wea∣ker then the rest, where he batters sore and shakes the wal, while hap∣pily the soule attends the lesse or makes the lesse resistance. And

holdst thou thy peace yet, ō God of Hosts? nor sendst thou as yet, thy subsidiary spirits, with Michael their inuincible Captain, to appose a new and stand against this Pest, to chace, pursue, to put to flight, and then so bound to cast it into the inmost dun∣geon of Hel, where being once shut vp, there may appeare no way for it, to issue forth?

Ay me poore wretch! the exter∣nal forth thus foyled, the enemy begins to rage at home, the flesh re∣bels and proud for the good successe of the noble victoryes got vpon those stout aduersaryes of hers, tos∣seth the warlike fire-brands of con∣cupiscence, here the fires are more dreadful farre then were the Gre∣cians flames. Water, water, I cal for? Rayn down from Heauē whole clouds of graces, O the only prop, and stay of my hart, my God; quēch

with diuine showers, those fiery weapons, fordged with the hellish coales;c 1.3 wherewith this impu∣dent brat of Vulcan, Venus wicked imp, lasciuiously armed dares to assalt this hart; which thou thy self wouldest haue for Palace, Tower, and Temple.

II. MEDITATION.

The Preparatory Prayer.

Actiones nostras. &c.

FIRST POINT.

I Wil consider the largenes & am∣plenes of my hart which nothing can fil, neither the vastnes of the Heauens, the circuit of the earth, nor Angels, nor men, nor yet ri∣ches or delights, themselues and

that but he only is able to fil and b••esse it, who framed it for him∣self.

2. Point. Hence wil I gather the worthines and noblenes of my hart, while it contemnes al created things nor vseth them otherwise then as a foot-stoole or stayers, by setting foot where on it may mount to God himself. So from the odour and beauty of flowers, ascends it to the sweetnes and glory of the Creatour, from the light of the San-climbs it to the light increated, from the fra∣ming of the world, it findes out the influence of diuine loue into other things, and discouers therein a cer∣tain plenty and affluence of his guifts.

3. Point. I wil further weigh how great must the beauty of mans hart be, with whose loue al things are so enamoured, as vehemently to wish

haue some place, in the secret cabi∣net thereof. The world, that woes it with allurem̄ets of honours, riches, iewels, and with the same guile the flesh in presenting enticem̄ets, plea∣sures, feasts, banquets, good fellow∣ships, playes, reuels, singing and en∣chanting bewitches it wholy: The diuel, being pleased better to vse violence, seekes rather with engins, and frightful terrours to addresse his way. Now these three enemyes al conspire in one, and to worke more effectually their ends with a wicked treason of the fiue senses, by vndermining seeke to surprise it. To the eyes they streight obiect what soeuer is pleasant & beautiful to be∣hold; whether you would the deli∣ciousnes of flowers, or rather regard the lustre of Adamants & the rest of stones. To the eares, they apply their melodious ditties, both perilous

& lasciuious songs of Syrens. Odours & sweet perfumes are couveighed to the nostrils with ful sayles. For the palat the kitchings fume, dain∣tyes are dressed, and serued vp in ful dishes; wines are fetched from Cel∣lars, tēpered for the anciens Cōsuls, Albana Tiuoly, Romanesco, Falerna, and the like. And so likewise for the other senses delights are studiously sought for with al industry and art.

4. Point. IESVS on the contrary, to∣geather with the Angel Gardian, very seriously defendes the Tower of the hart; he there succours it with the singular assist̄ace of his diuine grace, this here, in pouring forth light amid the thicke obscureties therein, teacheth what to shun and what it is be done breakes the engins laid against it, repels the assaults of the world, detects the obscenes of the flesh.

THE COLLOQVY.

O MOST sweet IESV the loue of my hart which thou hast consecrated for thy self? Oh permit not in the wals of this Temple the abhominable figures of created things to be seen: barricado thy Tower beseiged of al sides by ene∣myes a 1.4 with the countermure of thy feare, defend it with the flames of loue. Thou easily detectest how false the things are which the world obiects before our eyes, while here the miserable hart discernes nor heeds the nets nor poison. Then help it I beseech thee, O Lord of Saboth, in these streights, and send thy war∣like squadrons, down from heauen, to its ayd.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Leuit. 10.
• b 1.2

  Isaye. 14.
• c 1.3

  Ephes. 6.
• a 1.4

  Ezech. 8.