A Golden Chain

¹The slumbering and dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified, & many through ignorance take the one for the other. But they may be severed and discerned thus. First, let the believing Christian examine himself, whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods judgements and pressed down with the burden of his sin before he came to that quietness: for then he may be in good hope, that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace, because God hath promised, ^fThat he will dwell with the humble and contrite, to revive and quicken them. But if he have always had that peace from the beginning of his days, he may easily deceive himself, by taking the numbness and security of a defiled conscience, for the true peace of conscience. Secondly, let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth. ^gFor if it come from any thing else but from the certainty of the remission of sin, it is no true peace: as many, flattering themselves in sin, & dreaming of a pardon, are thereupon quieted, and the devil is ready enough to put this into their minds: but this can be no true peace. Thirdly, let him examine himself, if he have a care to keep a good conscience: which if he have, he hath also received from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience. ^hFor if God bestow upon any man a gift concerning his salvation, he giveth him also a care to keep it.

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