o
the ways of Obedience, our God says unto us, _Prove me, in those ways;
Try, whether I won't be as good as my Word._ But then there are ways of
_Presumption_, wherein the Devil would have us to trie, what a God it
is, _With whom we have to do_. The Devil would have us to trie the
Purpose of God, about our selves or others; but how? By going to the
_Devil_ himself; by Consulting _Astrologers_, or _Fortune Tellers_; or
perhaps by letting the Bible fall open, to see what is the first
Sentence we light upon. The Devil would have us trie the Mercy of God,
but how? By running into _Dangers_, which we have no call unto. He would
have us trie the Power of God; but how? By looking for good things,
without the use of Means for the getting of them. He would have us trie
the Justice of God; but how? By venturing upon Sin in a _Corner_, with
an Imagination that God will never bring us out. He would have us trie
the Promise of God; but how? By _Limiting_ the Lord, unto such or such a
way of manifesting Himself, or else believing of nothing at all. He
would have us trie the Threatning of God; but how? By going on
impenitently in those things, for which the _Wrath of God comes upon the
Children of Disobedience_. Thus would the Devil have us to affront the
Majesty of Heaven every day.

VII. The _Temptations_ of the Devil, aim at puffing and bloating of us
up, with _Pride_; as much perhaps as any one iniquity. The Devil would
have had Our Lord make a _Vain glorious_ Discovery of himself unto the
World, by _Flying in the air_, so as no mortal can. _Hoc Ithacus
velit_--the Devil would have us to soar aloft, and not only to be above
other men, but also to _know_ that we are so, _Pride_ is the Devils own
sin; and he affects especially to be, _The King over the Children of
Pride_, it is a caution in _1 Tim. 3.6._ A Pastor must not be _A Novice_;
_Lest being lifted up with Pride, He fall into the condemnation of the
Devil._ (_Summo ac Pio cum Tremore Hunc Textum Legamus nos Ministri
Juvenes!_) Accordingly, the Devil would have us to be inordinately taken
and moved with what _Excellencies_ our God has bestowed upon us. If our
_Estates_ rise, he would have us rise in our Spirits too. If we have
been blessed with Beauty, with Breeding, with Honour, with Success, with
Attire, with Spiritual Priviledges, or with Praise-worthy Performances;
Now says the Devil, _Think thy self better than other Men._ Yea, the
Devil would have us arrogate unto our se