Mr. "Ford in his praftical ure of oap· tilm. Book J I. Chap.'· SeCl:.t,1. the n: tl1re aod. very ~n_uge of tin, dn_\1 the ked~ of ..dl coa~tpr~on living in us in our v::ry wfJncy : \Vh1cn 1f ~ve ~ro~v) \VJJl grt)w wnh u;; , and wHhour prevtnting Grac; wil t cnmc to ti,I J ri~•n:'s, if we ever •<tajn ~nto pertccr ag~. In this rclprel: how O)o:1!d SJtun butdw I~ 1n us,mcvt mu<;., Tl:J~n m Us ~ and ac our very birch and du· rmg ou r iut:u~cy, do~~ilh us, :mddom:ne(r it in ~·.s, even os h~ plcafcrh ~ ) ·• So '''"!'. a' we-!ire in infancy, and n<:t adult, i fuppofing that w: live to th~ age when_:'·" m•y my>Yuf, ol me• ns , app.'<nted by God for Re~enerJtion, Juflilication, S111cbhcatton, i 1t IS very probable that w,, arc 111 a ilate ol m ture, ~nd vJ!Tals of Sa. tm, aswewereiu 1hc wumb. A hote Divine rhus ddivers himl:lf; IJ(now norca– fonto conclude, tb 11 G·d /b·l)uld b:rul{_bu arm nrdin.~ry ro,zd of b~(f ,wi;rri, grace i11 btf.lut~ age, uprm'"tlufJ tl1at live to,the ufe of me,t;u app.,inud t11 tb"".lt end, and I [upp,Jf { e).upt~ i''fl t )c c:.1fl of , ]uhn rl:c l),,pt~if , who y£>t m~y be l11o';cd up:M .11 Priviledt,ed by an cxtr .. ur~ · diJ!,u:v .zcr.:Jmzt; towit, tb.lt by tt. :uir .~culous i~Jhzli he mi,;ht bearlritutfi IQ Cbri/l, aJ hfJ t Hisopinion Forc~run;!fl' in tiJ&: TYomb, dJ weli .lf i4 tbr JVtld~.:rnefi) it C.:ZH b.lrdlybe affirud d~ rdctu~ is thac rhe in- concen:in.t.· t ar1'j one tbJt ever liv~d to V perfeCt 1t[t of r(afo,z , tint be w aJ jll)ii,i:•d a:1d. fiance ?f Je- f.m..:1i.{ied frrmr 1he n::v1ub, o,· .u~y rcrivd of i;t{<in~y rrlutjrievcr; 1t 1r bwe we a1~ Scripture– "mJ be~ng ·· . • p ll · · · · · . I h · • d '- b. I G d . ' j' -' f 4 n!Jifzpi from 1V•1rt a,. t ~~~ e.x c 1 lt. ,u~, zt w;! e d J!.cll11f t .. v:rJ' en 1 or w tc J _.. ,~ .1ppon~~f t:Je u e 01 rhe Womb; i$ rnuznf ~ fazna, t 1Y iJrjiut"Vl1f~f.nJl'·,t; ::,r.tcc rw of tbem, to th.Jji tb.tt lzve IJ en;.ry tb~m, Gvd buronly a w ould i;t .1 f;1 t ntal{_!: V11id JA,f fl~.vn l u(ti.tlltio;zJ; J~r wb.zt lit:cd of tb.m. nth.:n. tiJe e;uiJ of ~tting him. them muy be vtbcnvije alt.Ji,u:J l ) CJiife/}, g,r.lct it wrougbt i11 {om: vo:y e.Jrly, pa[ibl)! in ~ffi'~~. !or h•s t;';i/d b ,ud, bw ordiu~tily 'til 4'ar tb,y comew:der Catechizing. And 1t' tiois be fo, then Jer. 1 • 5• :iatan hceps ' "~ hold for thl>hrft huod,(z.;lrom our hrlt q•tekn1ug "'doe w 0 rr,b, ~nd dnnng our lnlmcy, tiil web,comc Jdulr. SECT. I I. Of tbc num:cr of Devils aJ•ul:i.zg at tb,., time. BUt how do the Devils affaul t, or tyrannize it inns at fuch a t ime ? I anfwer, they do"irq~,kdy, and ~' i;hodt rd iibnce. 1be jft'IIJt:!, armed mm~ :;JrJn, quiet v :Zecpr zbe b utfo , and tbe tbmg1 tb.u be p,1J-;-fJetb are iu peace. Poor CrcaruTL.; in thi.5 c,d, :uc: as Pri{oncrs, cunttnt . to "" tycd 111 the Fetters of fin; •nJ rhcrtfvre to w!tar purpofc lhould SHao ugc it in thctr Confcicnces' I know SJtl n is fubril , anJ more txadly watch.rh them t!rat are fprung of God ly Parent, : he obferves from time to timt how they bewail the fin of d1etr B.bes, and how they ~refs God with a Covenant of Grace, and how theyd:dicHc their Children 10 rhe Lord, and bow they prefenr them to God . in that Ordinance of BJptifm: and 'though for all this he hold> hi; Cla1m, an lleads them as C.1ptiv.s at his will; yet 1v, riJy believe, upon thck Obfervations, he looks very envioutly and mahcioutly upon luch Children; and if it were nor that God hcdg– cth them a&out with aWaJI oi holy and blc!fed A1>g< Is, he would do his utmolt to cur oil' their live• in their polluted llate ot mture, and immediately huny them to Hell, unto tbe Judgmem of tbe great D.ty• How(oever he matters not much, whiles he keeps po!fdlion : He knows well enough tlm tiJI they are atl:ual/y r<i,<neratcd, he is rheir LorJ ; he needs not plant any ot hi> ilronge!t Batteries, main temptations againtl them yet; aud therefore in th.c refpctl:, as a Keeper of fuch l'riloncrs, he may i1ctp fecurdy ; he commands with cafe, he keeps the houle quiet , and all are obeyfJnt to his will. SECT. II J. Of the ftateof Infant! dying at tfat time, ritloeri11tbeWomb, orintheit·lnfa;tcy. F this b< fo, then well may we [,y of our Infants dying at this tirne; Ob, that tbej 1 had nevrr bw: conceived! Oh, that tb.y h~d mvcr come ow uf tb1IYomb into the TYurld! pot fo neither; for amouglt Inlams, {ome are Eletl:, •nd fome are nor; ami Come are withir~a Covenant of Grace, and {ome are »Ot. 1. Some Infants are Eletl:. For the Cbildren not brir.g yet borH, neither baving d,ne any good or lvi/, that tbt pttrpofe of Godaccordin~ tu E/e{iion mi;;,bt Jiand, 1tot of wor!;f, but of him tha: caCctb, it walfaid, tbe Elder j!Ja/1 ferve the Ynuilger ; •I it is writleft, ]1• cob have! loved, butcfauhavc I bated. whcnJacob was but an Inbntiu r.re Womb, he
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=