in which we are engaged, and not without fome hope of fuccefs.

I NEED not ask your prayers for the miffionaries gone forth on the service of Chrift to people of a strange speech, and rude manners ; or for your commiffioners, as they are, in this bufinefs, your fervants for Chrift's fake: And God forbid, that they should cease praying for you, that your wife and faithful endeavours to promote chriftian knowledge and virtue may be bleffed yet more abundantly, to the

honor

honor of God,and the good of men, even to the ends of the earth.

I am,

with great respect,

your most obedient,

and humble fervant,

Charles Chauncy.

In the name, and at the defire, of the correfpondent members in the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, NEW-ENGLAND.

Bofton, September 7. 1762.

AN ORDINATION SERMON.

GENESIS XXII. 18.

"AND in thy feed fhall all nations of the earth be bleffed.

T

HESE words, with the immediately foregoing ones, exhibit an account of the promife which God made, more than three thousand years ago, to the memorable Patriarch, who is fet forth as a pattern of faith to all after-generations of men: And it fummarily contains the whole fcheme of the divine conduct, respecting both the nation of the Jews, and the other nations of the earth.

IT is obviously divifible into two parts. The former relates to Abraham himself, and his natural pofterity thro' Ifaac and Jacob; and may juftly be efteemed the true basis of the Jewish church, and of all the means, privileges, dignities and prerogatives, they were favoured with,diftinguishing them from every other people. The latter refpects the nations in common; pointing our view toChrist, and to the enlargement of God's kingdom under his administration, when there Thould be no more any difference between

Jew and Greek," but all kindreds, languages and people under the whole heaven, upon their faith in the promised feed, should make one body, be fellowheirs, and partakers in common of the fame gofpel-falvation.

THIS latter part of the promife, which concerns the nations of the world in general, is comprehended in the words I have felected to employ our thoughts at this time," In thy feed fhall all nations "of the earth be bleffed." An interefting promife! No one in the facred books is more fo. It was accordingly, upon feveral occafions befides that in my context, expressly made to Abraham by name;

and

and afterwards, in like explicit form, renewed both to Ifaac and Jacob: Nor is there a promise of God more frequently refered to by the infpired writers. This is the promife, in fpecial, which the apostle Paul so often takes rife from in his reasonings, particularly, in favor of the Gentile nations,

WHAT I have in view, at prefent, is to let you into a clear conception of the meaning, importance and extent of this divine promife; the doing of which will very obviously prepare the way for the reflections that are proper upon fuch an occafion as this.

THE following things then are to be confidered and explained, the feed in whom this promife is made ; the juft import of the bleffing promised; and finally, the extent of the object of the promise.

As to the first of these particulars, the feed in whom the promife is made, 'tis evident we are to understand by it, not the posterity of Abraham in general, either by Ifaac or Jacob; but a SINGLE PERSON proceeding from him thro' them. The word "feed" is not used here as a B 2

name