The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England WitchesMather, Cotton
History
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England -- Early works to 1800
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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