It is certain the _Devils_ knew what the meaning of that Promise was, and who was to be the _Seed of the Woman_, namely, the incarnate _Son of God_, and that it was a second Blow to the whole infernal Body; but as if they had resolved to let that alone, _Satan_ went on with his Business; and as he had introduc'd Crime into the common Parent of Mankind, and thereby secured the Contamination of Blood, and the Descent or Propagation of the corrupt Seed, he had nothing to do but to assist Nature in time to come, to carry on its own Rebellion, and act it self in the Breasts of _Eve_'s tainted Posterity; and that indeed has been the Devil's Business ever since his first Victory upon the Kind, to this Day.
His Success in this Part has been such, that we see upon innumerable Occasions a general Defection has follow'd; a kind of a Taint upon Nature, _call it what you will_, a Blast upon the Race of Mankind; and were it not for one thing, he had ruined the whole Family; _I say_, were it not for one thing, namely, a selected Company or Number, which his Maker has resolv'd he shall not be able to corrupt, or if he does, the sending the promis'd Seed shall recover back again from him, by the Power of irresistible Grace; which Number thus selected or elected, call it which we will, are still to supply the Vacancies in Heaven, which _Satan_'s Defection left open; and what was before fill'd up with created Seraphs, is now to be restor'd by recover'd Saints, by whom infinite Glory is to accrue to the Kingdom of the Redeemer.
This glorious Establishment has robb'd Satan of all the Joy of his Victory, and left him just where he was, defeated and disappointed; nor does the Possession of all the Myriads of the Sons of Perdition, who yet some are of the Opinion will be snatch'd from him too at last; I say, the Possession of all these makes no amends to him, for he is such a _Devil_ in his Nature, that the Envy at those he cannot seduce, eats out all the Satisfaction of the Mischief he has done in seducing all the rest; but _I must not preach_, so I return to things as much needful to know, tho' less solemn.
_Of the Progress of Satan in carrying on his Conquest over Mankind, from the Fall of_ Eve _to the Deluge._