N04899:41
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.
We may see the Need of Government in Societies by what is visible in Families, those lesser Societies, of which all public Societies are constituted. How miserable would these little Societies be, if all left to themselves, without any Authority or Superiority in one above another, or any Head of Union and Influence among them? We may be convinced by what we see of the lamentable Consequences of the Want of a proper Exercise of Authority and Maintenance of Government in Families, that yet are not absolutely without all Authority. No less Need is there of Government in public Societies, but much more, as they are larger, a very few may possibly, without any Government, act by Concern, so as to concur in what shall be for the Welfare of the Whole; but this is not to be expected among a Multitude, constituted of many Thousands, of a great Variety of Tempers and different Interests.
We may see the Need of Government in Societies by what is visible in Families, those lesser Societies, of which all publick Societies are constituted. How miserable would these little Societies be, if all left to themselves, without any Authority or Superiority in one above another, or any Head of Union and Influence among them? We may be convinced by what we see of the lamentable Consequences of the Want of a proper Exercise of Authority and Maintenance of Government in Families, that yet are not absolutely without all Authority. No less Need is there of Government in publick Societies, but much more, as they are larger, a very few may possibly, without any Government, act by Concern, so as to concur in what shall be for the Welfare of the Whole; but this is not to be expected among a Multitude, constituted of many Thousands, of a great Variety of Tempers and different Interests.
As Government is absolutely necessary, so there is a Necessity of strong Rods in Order to it: the Business being such as requires Persons so qualified; no other being sufficient for, or well capable of the Government of public Societies: And therefore those public Societies are miserable that have not such strong Rods for Sceptres ⟨p. 17⟩to rule;