A manuall of devout meditations and exercises instructing how to pray mentally. Drawn for the most part, out of the spirituall exercises of S. Ignatius. Devided into three bookes. Written in Spanish by the R.F. Thomas de Villa Castin of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by H.M. of the same Society.

THE 4. POINT.

TO consider the great good which the Blessed Virgin did in the house of her Cosin, how much she did pro∣fit all those that liued therein with her heauenly discourses, and rare exam∣ples of Modesty, Humility, & Cha∣rity. For if her only sight and pre∣sence was cause of so many & so ex∣traordinary graces both in the Mo∣ther and the child, what would (as Saint Ambrose well noteth) the ••om∣pany & communication of so many dayes and months as she sta••ed with Saint Elizabeth, worke and eff••ct in them? How pious may we imagine their conuersation to haue beene? ho•• singular the exāples of vertue? how would they exhort one another to prayer, and to inward communi∣cation with Almighty God?

Ponder, that if by reason that the Arke of the Testament was three moneths in the house of Obededom God heaped vpon him and vpon all his family so great b••nefits▪ vvi••h how much more reason may we iu∣stly ••elieue that this diuine Arke of

the new T••stament (within which lesus Christ himselfe reposed) re∣mayning as many monethes in the house of Zachary & Elizabeth, would fill it with a thousand benedictions & heauenly fauours.

Gather hence a constant and an vndoubted hope, that whensoeuer thou shalt come to receaue Almighty God in the most Blessed Sacrament, with a liuely faith, though thou be so poore & miserable as thou art, he will replenish thy soule, in whi••h his diuine Maiesty desireth to make his habitation and aboad, vvit•• many celestiall benedictions and spir••tuall ••auours.