VI. Presumptuous and Unwarrantable _Trials_ of the Blessed God, are some of those things whereinto the Devil would fain hook us with his _Temptations_. This was that which the Devil would have brought our Lord unto, even, _A tempting of the Lord our God_. It is the charge of our God upon us, in _Deut. 6.16._ _Thou shalt not Tempt the Lord thy God._ But that which the Devil _Tries_, is, to put us upon _Trying_ in a sinful way, whether God be such a God as indeed he is. 'Tis true as to 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 selves, those _Excellencies_ which really we never were owners of; and _Boast of a false Gift_. He would have us moreover to Thirst after Applause among others that may see Our _Excellencies_! and be impatient if we are not accounted _some-body_. He would have us furthermore, to aspire after such a _Figure_, as God has never yet seen fitting for us; and croud into some _High Chair_ that becomes us not. Thus would the Devil Elevate us into the _Air_, above our Neighbours; and why so? 'Tis that we may be punished with such _Falls_, as may make us cry out with _David_, _O my Bones are broken with my Falls!_ The Devil can't endure to see men lying in the _Dust_; because there is no falling thence. He is a _Fallen Spirit_ himself, and it pleases him to see the _Falls_ of men.