VVAR VVJTH ') DEVILS. The Second Book. CHAP. I. SECT. I. •• Of the thtJe when Devils begin their Filjl Ajfa11ltt. T HE lirll P<ricd, whereifl Sat•n firll beging to affault the Elect, it is fr0m tl-1eir quickning in the Womb, and during their Infancy, till they becomeadult. Come then, ~nd firll kam we his metheds; and fe· condly, praedfe we thofe duties that concern u's in our wrcllling with him in thcle refpects. I~ '· r. For Snm; lidl affanlts .; cettain it is, that then he begins, when we beein lirll to live, and move;' and have our being: are we flOt by nature in S1tans pow·ef'? is not the D;vil then faid to rule in us, when the Soul and Body do firll meet, and are both defiled by fin ? As it is faid of the Dur,on, that be jlo?d before the Woma11 Rcvcl.u.4. wbicb waJ rta~· to be dtlivered, to dcvmr her Child as foon as it rvas born : So may we fly of every Child, as foon as it isquickned in the Womb, that the Great Red Dragon, the Devi1 7 !lands ready to devo•r it. Aad upon this fuppofition, even in Augujtini~; rime, there were ExoiClfms ufeJ at the Bapofm of Infants, by wP,tch rhey figmfied tluttheChild was under the Power and Dominion of Satan: weufenot this Ceremony now, though it be rery anciet-lt ; we defire rather to content our fclves with the iirnplicity of the Gofpcl in all the lnfiirutionsand Ordinances ofJefu\ Chrift; but this difcovers the antient rrurh of Satans affaults, '\lld King.Iom over Children by nature, even in the womb. TJebo!d, I was jhapenin iniquity, and in jilt did nry Mother conceive Pfal.sr•s• me, faith Dlv1d· r. I was jhapen ia i1tiqui1y; in the very forming of the parts of his boJy, and difpofing it for Animation there was !In, though not explititely and for. mall y, yet iiJitially, inchoatively, and imperfectly, becaufe the body was m ~cndency to make up man. 2• And in fi>t did my M•11her conceive me: lt is in the H'ebrew, my Mother did warm me, .,. >ro~trijh me :· wioich relates uot fo much to the actual ~onception, as t0 the time that hi; Mother did bear, and wum him in the womb. The i-nference fiom the Text is this, that fo foon as that m~fs of the body is enlivened, and animated , fo ioon is original fin in a man; and when otig'tnal fin, like • Leprofie, fpreads it felf over tl:e whole man , the Devil alfo doth feize upon him as his own : ~o that as" man is faid rodwell in his own houfe, it is his home; he may do there '"bat be will , fuch a Ri5ht aud Cbim bath the Devil to a man by nature ; he dwells in him, reigns in him, and lelds him "Ptive at his will. But if thul it be with'", whiles we are in the womb, is it not otherwife in our birth, and i" onr infancy, till we becomeadult ? I anfw_er. r. So long as we are in nature it is all one : no fooner are we born, but we are A· theifrs, Jdolatcrs, Blafphemers; Sabbath-breakers, Murtherers, Adulterers Thieves, hlfi: Wim~rr:es, Covetous; not by actual tr~nfgrdli'on, but,by an habitual dfrp!\Gtion :· as we ardatd to be noen, becau{c we have tnus the hUlge of rlla11, and feeds of huma- · nity, thougb w: never did any manly action, !eeing nothing Is wanting bm growth aud matwmy: la by as .good right we are called ii"nners ot all'l\inds, becaufe we have the
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