N04899:12
A strong rod broken and withered. A sermon preached at Northampton, on the Lord's…A strong rod broken and withered. A sermon preach'd at Northampton, on the Lord's…
A strong rod broken and withered. A sermon preached at Northampton, on the Lord's Day, June 26. 1748. On the death of the Honourable John Stoddard, Esq; often a member of His Majesty's Council, for many years chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Hampshire, judge of the probate of wills, and chief colonel of the regiment, &c. : Who died at Boston June 19. 1748. in the 67th year of his age. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; [Three lines from Daniel]A strong rod broken and withered. A sermon preach'd at Northampton, on the Lord's Day, June 26. 1748. On the death of the Honourable John Stoddard, Esq; often a member of His Majesty's Council, for many years chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Hampshire, judge of the probate of wills, and chief colonel of the regiment, &c. : Who died at Boston June 19. 1748. in the 67th year of his age. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; [Three lines from Daniel]
Boston: printed by Rogers and Fowle for J. Edwards, 1748
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. What is meant by her strong Rods, viz. Her wise, able and well qualified Magistrates or Rulers. That the Rulers or Magistrates are intended is manifest by ver. 11. And she had strong Rods for the Sceptres of them that bear ⟨p. 6⟩Rule. And by Rods that were STRONG must be meant such Rulers as were well qualified for Magistracy, such as had great Abilities and other Qualifications fitting them for the Business of Rule. They were wont to choose a Rod or Staff of the strongest and hardest Sort of Wood that could be found, for the Mace or Sceptre of a Prince; such an one only being counted fit for such an Use; and this generally was overlaid with Gold.
2. What is meant by her strong Rods, viz. Her wise, able and well qualified Magistrates or Rulers. That the Rulers or Magistrates are intended is manifest by ver. 11. And she had strong Rods for the Scepters of them that bear ⟨p. 6⟩Rule. And by Rods that were STRONG must be meant such Rulers as were well qualified for Magistracy, such as had great Abilities and other Qualifications fitting them for the Business of Rule. They were wont to chuse a Rod or Staff of the strongest and hardest Sort of Wood that could be found, for the Mace or Scepter of a Prince; such an one only being counted fit for such an Use; and this generally was overlaid with Gold.
It is very remarkable that such a strong Rod should grow out of a weak Vine: But so it had been in Israel,through GOD's extraordinary Blessing, in Times past. Though the Nation is spoken of here, and frequently elsewhere, as weak and helpless in itself, and entirely dependent as a Vine, that is the weakest of all Trees, that can't support it self by its own Strength, and never stands but as it leans on or hangs by something else that is stronger than itself; yet GOD had caused many of her Sons to be strong Rods fit for Sceptres; he had raised up in Israel many able and excellent Princes and Magistrates in Days past, that had done worthily in their Day.