the promise of everlasting blessedness, as the Scripture does
[3.] Thirdly, Promises may, and doubtless often are, choice cordials to many precious souls, who perhaps have lost the sense and feeling of divine favor. Promises are waters of life to many precious sons of Zion. They are a heavenly fire at which they can sit down and warm themselves when they cannot blow their own spark into a flame, and when all candlelight, torchlight, and starlight fails them. When all other comforts can yield a perplexed, distressed soul no comfort, yet then the promises will prove full breasts of consolation to the distressed soul.
These things being promised, see now what gift of God there is in you who brings you within the compass of the promise of everlasting happiness and blessedness; and to help you a little in this, I shall put you in mind of these following particulars.
1. The first gift. FAITH is a gift of God which brings the soul within the promise of everlasting blessedness, as the Scripture does everywhere evidence: "He who believes shall be saved;" "he who believes shall not come into condemnation;" "he shall not perish;" "he shall have eternal life," etc. [Mark 16:16; John 3:15-16, etc.; John 1:12] Now believing is nothing else but the accepting of Christ for your Lord and Savior, as he is offered to you in the gospel; and this accepting is principally, though not only, the act of your will. Just so, that if you are sincerely and cordially willing to have Christ upon his own terms, upon gospel terms, that is, to save you and rule you, to redeem you and to reign over you—then you are a believer. Your sincere willingness to believe is your faith; and this gift brings you within the compass of the promise of eternal happiness and blessedness.
Christian reader, in the following discourse you will find the nature, the properties, and the excellencies of a sound saving faith clearly and largely laid open before you; and therefore I shall say no more to it in this place—but refer you to what follows.