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.

O Holsome streames of Siloe a 1.1 Whereof the blind no sooner drinke, but they presently recouer the Light of their eyes! O powerful waters of Iordan, where in Naaman plunging himself, his flesh became imediately like the flesh of a little Child, and so was cleane!b 1.2 O profoūd Spring which streaming downe in the midst of Paradise,c 1.3 thence diuides it-self into foure heads, so many riuers, wherewith it washeth a great part of the earth. The one called Phison▪ which passeth by the Region Heulach, with a most commodious riuer, for the vse of mortals, washes and waters al the parts of the world. The other G••hon, passeth along by Ethiopia. The third Tigris, that rapid and violēt streame, with scours the Assyriā▪ The fourth Euphrates, so renowned in the monu∣ments of sacred Writ. And oh! to

me sweet waters of Iacobs wel! with one draught whereof the poore Samaritan womand 1.4 felt the thirst; and head of concupiscence slacked and quenched in her, which til that tyme no springs, nor yet whole flouds, could take away quite, or so much as refresh or diminish neuer so little. Nor can I choose but ad∣mire thee, O prodigious springs, which with an endles streame sprungst from the iaw bone, with whose Herculean strength, Sampson, as armed with a triple knotted club foyled and vanquished a thousand Philistins.e 1.5 Lastly, O thou most blessed Spring, at whose waters, those so happy flames of nuptial affects, betwixt Isaac and Rebecca f 1.6 were anciently kinled!

But, O miraculous things behold here from the bottome of the hart, an endles spring to arise, plenteou∣sly

watering with seauen channels the vniuersal face of the earth. Behold there that master, pipe, more large and ample then the rest, from whose head as it were eternal waters flow into the other six. But ••ix thine eyes especially vpon IESVS who keeping in the center of the hart, in prodigal and profuse vrnes or cesterns distributes whole flouds of graces. Hence mayst thou dis∣cerne the primary springs of iustifi∣cation, to breake forth, thence more copious streames of conseruation to flow, and of the other side, the flux or flow of graces to swel againe and grow into a vast sea of waters. These are dealt to such as first begin, those are offred them who walke the way of perfection, others with ful channel are powred forth to such as climbing the ••u∣blime mount of vertue are got to

the top. Casting thine eyes here also behold how in these streames of limpid, veynes, certaine little Ethiops (who I know not) are wash∣ed, with the ministery of Angels, and how bring cleansed, from the coale-black race of crowes they are transmitted into the candid family of doues. Come h•• ther then you dry & thirstie soules, flock you hither: Why drinke you so long of those bloudy streames of Egypt? Why carouse you so those muddy marish waters of the durty Babylon? Why prize you those false bewitching cups of the world, to with, that C••cean hag? Here maist thou rather, o thou foole, drinke thy belly-ful of endlesse liuing waters; and wash if thou wilt, and rinsh thy whole mouth; with which draught thou maist put off the old man, quench, thy thirst, take courage lastly deriue

thee a whole streame of water Sprin∣ging to eternal life (a)g 1.7 Wherefore doe thou wash me Lord from mine iniquity, which vow was familiar with Dauid.h 1.8 Wash I pray and first my wil, alas! defiled with the filth of extrauagant and wandring affe∣ctions; and especially with the sordid dust of self loue. Wash my mind also, and with al wipe away al darknes of ignorance and errour from it. Wash likwise my hands, ah! (how I blush for them) so fowly dight with crimes. Wash my mouth; how I blush againe! how slow, infa∣mous, impudent Wash my tongue I euen tremble to say it) so intoxi∣cated with the poyson of scurrility and calumny. Wash my palat, alas! with sootist relishes corrupted. Wash mine eies, ouer-cast with the noxious colours of wrath and melancholy humours: myne eares, enchanted

with the enticīg charmes of witches, Syrens: my feet also soyled with the dust and mire of lewd concupiscēce: my hayr, and lastly cogitations, for these also are in foule plight: so is there nothing in me that is not impure and il affected. Ah! I dye of thirst, and desire of thy loue! Oh quench and extinguish the thirst, the heat of my dying hart! O eter∣nal loue! inexhaustible Spring! But your, thrice happy Cittizens of hea∣uen, o glorious Angels, who as cer∣taine riuers flow from this foun∣taine of al good, receiue and shut vp first with ful minds the whole spring it-self, them in the open lakes of your harts, plunge this my dry and thirsty hart, drowne it in the ocean of loue. So I coniure your by that very loue, which is the immense spring and fountaine it-self, from whence you haue taken both your

nature and spirit, of whose draught you stil liue, and shal liue, as long as Eternity lasts: very happy and blessed.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Iohn. 9.
• b 1.2

  4. Reg. 5.
• c 1.3

  Gen. 2.
• d 1.4

  Ioan. 4.
• e 1.5

  I••dic. 15.
• f 1.6

  Gen. 24.
• g 1.7

  Iohn. 4.
• h 1.8

  Psal. 50.