Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

Inference V.

IF God create and inspire the reasonable ••••ul immediate∣ly, this should instruct and incise all Christian Parents, to pray earnestly for their Children, not only when they are born in∣to the world; but when they are first conceived in the Womb.

It is of great concernment both to us, and our Children, not only to receive them from the womb, with bodies perfectly and comely fashioned; but also with such Souls inspired into them, whereby they may glorifie God to all Eternity. 'Tis natural to Parents to desire to have their children full and perfect in all their bodily members, and it would be a grievous affliction, to see them come into the world defective, monstrous, and mis-shapen births; should a Leg, an Arm, an Eye be wanting, such a defect would make their lives miserable, and the Parents uncomfortable. But how few are concerned, with what Souls they are born into the world! Good God! (saith * 1.1 Musculus) how few shall we find, who are equally sollici∣tous to have such children as may live piously and honestly, as they are to leave them Inheritances, upon which they may live splendidly and bravely? It pleaseth us to see our own Image stampt upon their bodies; but O! how few pray, even whilst they are in the womb, that their Souls may in due time bear the image of the heavenly, and not animate and use the members of their bodies, as wea∣pons of unrighteousness against the God that formed them?

Certainly, except they be quickned with such Souls, as may in this world, be united with Christ, better had it been for them, that they had perished in the Womb, whilst they were pure Embryoes, and had never come into the number and account of Men and Women: for such Embryoes go for nothing in the world, having only the Rudiments and rough draughts of bodies, never animated and informed by a reasonable Soul: Iob 3.11, 12. But as soon as such a Soul enters into them, though for never so little a time, it entails Eternity upon them. We also know, that as soon as ever God breathes or infuses their Souls into them, sin presently enters, and death by sin, and that by us, as the next Instruments of conveying it to them: Which should have the efficacy of a mighty Argument with us, to lay our prayers and tears for mercy, in the very foun∣dation of that union.

Think on this particularly, you that are Mothers of chil∣dren, when you find the fruit of the Womb quickned within you; that you then bear a creature within you of more value than all this visible world, a creature, upon whom, from that very moment, an eternity of happiness or misery is entailed, and therefore it concerns you, to travel, as in pain for their souls, before you feel the sorrows and pangs of travel for their bodies. O! what a pity is it, that a part of your selves should eternally perish! That so rare and excellent a creature as that you bear, should be cast away for ever, for want of a new Creation super∣added to that it hath already! O! let your cries and prayers for them, anticipate your kisses and embraces of them. If you be faithful and successful herein, then happy is the Womb that bears them; if not, happy had it been for them, that the knees had prevented them, and the breasts they have sucked. O! you cannot begin your suits for mercy too early for them, nor continue them too long, though your prayers measure all the time betwixt their Conception and their Death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉 quàm pauco•• re••erias qui tam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quomodo p••è & honestè 〈…〉〈…〉, quàm c••rant ut amplam relinquant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haereditatem, quâ post 〈◊〉〈◊〉 i••lor••••. splendidè, & ot••••se de∣l••••ientur? Mu••••. in 8 Gen.