Christ Victorious Over the Powers of Darkness, Title page – Dedication
CHRIST Victorious over the Powers of Darkneſs, by the Light of His preached Goſpel.
A SERMON Preached in BOSTON, December 12. 1733. At the ORDINATION of the Reverend
Mr. Stephen Parker,
Mr. Ebenezer Hinſdell, and
Mr. Joſeph Seccombe,
Choſen by the Commiſſioners to the Honourable SOCIETY for Propagating Chriſtian Knowledge, at Edinburgh, to carry the Goſpel to the Aboriginal Natives on the Borders of New England.
By Joſeph Sewall, D. D. Paſtor to a Church of CHRIST in Boſton.
To which are annexed, A brief Account of the Honourable SOCIETY and of the preſent Miſſion, with an Abſtract of the Ordination Prayers, and the Charge given by the Reverend Dr. COLMAN.
And the Right Hand of Fellowſhip given by the Reverend Mr. PRINCE.
Pſalm ii. 8.
Ask of Me and I ſhall give Thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermoſt Parts of the Earth for thy Poſſeſſion.
BOSTON: Printed and Sold by S. KNEELAND & T. GREEN, in Queen-ſtreet. MDCCXXXIII.
To the Honourable and Reverend The SOCIETY for Propagating CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, at Edinburgh.
Moſt Honourable and Reverend,
YOUR Correſpondent Members in New England, by the Bleſſing of GOD on their Endeavours, according to the Truſt repoſed in Them, having ſeen the Solemn Ordination of Your Three Miſſionaries to the Natives on our Borders, approved and attended joyfully by the Churches of CHRIST here; were pleaſed to order the Sermon preached, together with the Charge given, and the Fellowſhip of the Churches teſtified on that Occaſion, to be printed; and that the Whole ſhould be humbly Dedicated to YOU in their Name.
In Obedience therefore to the Command of His Excellency our GOVERNOUR, and of the Gentlemen your Commiſſioners here, we have the Honour to preſent the following Sheets to Your Honourable Board; believing that notwithſtanding all the Defects which Perſons of your Learning will eaſily ſee in them, yet they will find a candid Acceptance with You: And that the Knowledge of this Beginning of your Miſſion will excite, as the Thanksgivings of Many to GOD, and their Prayers for the Progreſs of it under the Smiles of His Providence and Grace, ſo likewiſe the Charitable Contributions of Some for the more effectual Support of it in Times to come.
You have made us too much Parties in the glorious Deſign of your Incorporation, for Us to allow Our Selves to go into the Praiſes due to it, which muſt needs be in all the Churches of CHRIST, ſo long as the true Intention of the pious Donors is faithfully purſued, as we are confident it always will be by You, in the Propagation of the Principles of the Chriſtian Proteſtant Religion in Places that moſt need the Knowledge thereof, and among People that are indeed periſhing for want of it. Not to keep ſtrictly to theſe Rules were to proſtitute a very Sacred Truſt and Confidence repoſed in You, and to forfeit the Bleſſing of a Righteous Providence.
We thank GOD who has ſo far crown'd your ſincere Labour of Love with Succeſs in Your own Iſles and High-lands: And tho' Clouds and Darkneſs do very much incompaſs your preſent Excellent Attempt here in our Borders, by reaſon of the Prejudices of Popery ſown in the Minds of the Salvages by the Jeſuits and Friars who ſojourn among them; yet there is nothing too hard for GOD: Or if He deny the deſir'd Succeſs we truſt He will ſay, "You did well that it was in your Heart; and our Brethren here who are Companions with your Miſſionaries at Home in the Kingdom and Patience of JESUS CHRIST, will with them be precious in the Eyes of the LORD.
Our Days are happily fallen in thoſe Times whereof the DIVINE SPIRIT ſpake to the Prophet Daniel, when many ſhall run to and fro, and knowledge ſhall be increaſed. The BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE in theſe His Times is performing this by the Navigation of Great Britain, and other Kingdoms of Europe. For how eaſily and ſwiftly is the Knowledge of the True GOD, and of the Only SAVIOUR, communicated hereby from one End of the Earth to the other? And O that the Maritime Proteſtant Powers would more bring their Glory and Honour into the Adminiſtration of this Service! not only by granting their Letters Patents in Favour, of it to the Rich and Pious in their Dominions that are well diſpoſed toward it, but alſo by Opening of Their Own Treaſures for its Support! As David ſet his Affection to the Houſe of his GOD, and gave of His own proper Good, of Silver and Gold.
We are ſure that Empires and States, Provinces and Cities cannot better conſecrate a Part of their Riches unto CHRIST. And the Promiſe of the GREAT GOD which ſtands ſo near the Propheſy before mentioned from the Book of Daniel, is well worthy of the ambitious Regards of the many Noble and Mighty of this World; and ſhould inſpire Them as well as the Poor Miniſters and Miſſionaries in the Kingdom of our LORD JESUS: AND THEY THAT BE WISE SHALL SHINE AS THE FIRMAMENT, AND THEY THAT TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER. This gracious Promiſe is not ſo much to be underſtood (as a worthy Divine has long ſince obſerved, in his Dedication of his Theory of the Earth to the late Excellent Queen MARY) of the Illumination and Converſion of ſingle Souls, as of Nations and People; the turning the WORLD to Righteouſneſs. They that lead on that happy Work ſhall be diſtinguiſhed in Glory from the reſt of Mankind.
This is the proper Work of SOCIETIES and Combinations of Men, under the Countenance of Chriſtian PRINCES: And may the Illuſtrious Houſe of our KING bear away a glorious Part of the Recompences in the Day of CHRIST, that ſhall be to the Societies of his Subjects, who are by His Authority ſpreading the Knowledge of the Way of Salvation to the Ends of the Earth.
We need not ask your continued Prayers for Us while we are miniſtring under You, and much leſs a Remembrance at the Throne of Grace for Your Miſſionaries who are returned to their reſpective Poſts of Service; Nor ſhall we ceaſe to pray for the Honourable Society, that the ſpecial Direction of GOD may ever attend their Counſels, and His Bleſſing always crown their faithful Endeavours with great Succeſs.
We are moſt Honourable and Reverend In the Name of His Excellency and Your other Commiſſioners here, Your Obedient Humble Servants,
Benjamin Colman,
Joſeph Sewall.
BOSTON, N. E. Jan. 1. 1733.