GOD’S AWFUL JUDGMENT IN THE BREAKING AND WITHERING OF THE STRONG RODS OF A COMMUNITY°

IN THIS MESSAGE, JONATHON EDWARDS, GIVES A VISION OF WHAT A RIGHTEOUS STATESMAN SHOULD STRIVE TO BE THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES, AND AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE, APPLIES IT TO HIS UNCLE JOHN STODDARD, WHOSE FATHER WAS THE WELL KNOWN SOLOMON STODDARD, HIS WIFE’S FATHER, WHOSE CHURCH, JONATHON BECAME THE PASTOR OF AFTER SOLOMON STODDARD’S DEATH. THIS MESSAGE WAS PREACHED JUST 2 YEARS BEFORE HE WAS DISMISSED FROM HIS GRANDFATHER’S CHURCH FOR HE OPPOSED THE HALF WAY COVENANT IMPOSED BY HIS GRANDFATHER, ALONG WITH A SERIES OF SERMONS ENTITLED ‘RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS’ WHICH, IN DETAIL PORTRAYED ALL THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF AFFECTIONS OR SIGNS WE CAN HAVE, MAKING US THINK WE ARE A CHRISTIAN WHEN IN REALITY WE ARE NOT, BECAUSE SATAN IS THE ULTIMATE COUNTERFEITER, AND OUR HEART IS DESPERATELY WICKED, AND DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND THUS THESE MESSAGES COULD NOT HELP, BUT TO MAKE SOME UNCOMFORTABLE IN HIS CONGREGATION. THESE SERMONS WERE PUBLISHED IN A BOOK IN 1746. THE GREAT BONDAGE OF THE WILL RELIGIOUS AWAKING WAS IGNITED IN HIS CHURCH IN 1734, BUT BY THE 1740’S SATAN WAS SOWING MANY TARES AMONGST THE WHEAT AND THUS IT WAS HARD TO TELL THE TRUE CHRISTIANS FROM THE FALSE: THUS RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS WAS WRITTEN TO HELP THE COLONISTS TO HAVE DISCERNMENT FOR TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE AT ALL TIMES. JONATHON EDWARD’S DISMISSAL WAS NOT AN EASY THING FOR HE HAD 11 CHILDREN. BUT JESUS WARNS US OF HOW CONTROVERSIAL TRUE SPIRITUAL WARFARE REALLY IS AS OPPOSED TO THE FALSE FREEWILL CHURCH WHERE WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR OWN SALVATION AS OPPOSED TO THE BONDAGE OF THE WILL DOCTRINE, WHICH IS BASED ON PREDESTINATION. JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES IN MATTHEW 10: [2] Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;[3] Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;[4] Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.[5] These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:[6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 16] Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.[17] But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;[18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.[21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.[22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.[23] But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.[24] The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.FORMER MR. MORALITY WRITES IN ROMANS 8: [33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's ELECT? It is God that justifieth. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquers…, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.