DEVOTION TO THE HEART OF JEStJS. 517 



in thefe lafl days, to pour out all the treafures and abun- 

 dance of his love on thofe faithful fouls, who would 

 devote themfelves to a particular adoration of his 

 heart ; and commanded her to tell father La Colom- 

 biere, his fervant, that he fhould inftitute a yearly 

 feftival to his heart, propagate this devotion with all 

 his might, and announce to all fuch as fhould dedicate 

 themfelves to it^ the affurance of their predeftination 

 to eternal life. 



The jefuits difpofed themfelves with all zeal to obey 

 the ceieftial mandate. There appeared at once, in all 

 quarters of the world, and in all languages, an innu- 

 merable quantity of publications, manuals, copper 

 plates, and medals, with hearts which were decorated 

 w r ith crowns of thorns, with lambent flames, with 

 tranfpiercing fwords, or other fymbolical imprefTes. 

 They diftributed fcapularies, to be worn day and night 

 upon the breaft, and tickets to be fwallowed for dri- 

 ving out fevers. In all Spain there was not a nun who 

 had not a prefent, from the jefuits, of a heart cut out 

 •f red cloth, to be worn next the fkin. In every ca- 

 tholic city and town in all parts of the world, frater- 

 nities were eredled, paffion-maffes and nine-day devo- 

 tions were inftituted to the honour of the heart of Je- 

 fus, and panegyrical fermons delivered to exhort the 

 faithful to augment their zeal. The profelytes muft 

 vow, before the holy facrament of the altar, an eter- 

 nal fidelity to the heart of Jefus ; and every foul was 

 made refponfible for the increafe and growth of this 

 jnew devotion ; nay, the fliewing of a burning zeal for 

 making profelytes, was regarded as the peculiar cha- 

 racteriftic of the true worfhiper pf the heart. This 



l l 3 devotion 



