98. =God's Awful Judgment.= The manuscript of this sermon is dated, "On
occasion of the death of Col. Stoddard June 1748." It consists of
fifty-two pages of the usual size of Edwards's manuscript sermons, but
with the unusual feature of being written in double columns. The paper
used was partly that of letters addressed to Edwards, the writing being in
places across the address, and the stamp marks being removed;
partly--about twenty pages--pieces of fine, soft paper, deep cut around
the upper edges, believed to be scraps of the paper used by Mrs. Edwards
and her daughters in making fans. The sermon is evidently written at high
pressure, with few corrections and fairly fully. The title-page of the
first edition reads as follows: "A Strong Rod broken and withered. A
Sermon Preached in Northampton, in 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 in Boston June 19. 1748. in
the 67th Year of his Age. By Jonathan Edwards A.M. Pastor of the first
Church in Northampton. Dan. iv. 35--He doth according to his Will in the
Army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the Earth; and none can stay
his Hand, or say unto Him, What dost thou? Boston Printed by Rogers and
Fowle for J. Edwards in Cornhill 1748."
Colonel Stoddard was the eighth child and fourth son of the Rev. Solomon
Stoddard, and therefore Edwards's uncle on his mother's side. He was a man
of great prominence in all the leading affairs of the town, the county,
and the colony. "His life," says Trumbull (_History of Northampton_, Vol.
II, p. 172), "was the connecting link between the two series of great
leaders who controlled the affairs of Western Massachusetts for nearly a
century and three-quarters. His predecessors were John Pynchon of
Springfield and Samuel Partridge of Hatfield; following him came Joseph
Hawley and Caleb Strong of Northampton, and these five men were the
leaders in the Colony, the Province and the State." He was a stalwart
upholder of royalty and the royal prerogative, and for this reason had
many opponents; but the general esteem in which he was held is evidenced
by his many offices and by the fact that he was seventeen times reelected
the representative of the county to the General Court. He was a valued
friend of Governor Shirley, in connection with whom there is a
characteristic story of him. It is that he once called and asked to see
the Governor when the latter had a party dining with him, but declined the
servant's invitation to come in. The company were surprised and shocked at
what they regarded as an act of discourtesy to the chief magistrate. "What
is the gentleman's name?" asked the Governor. "I think," replied the
servant, "he told me his name was Stoddard." "Is it?" said the Governor.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, if it is Col. Stoddard, I must go to him." (From
_Dwight's Travels_, Vol. I, p. 332, quoted by Trumbull, _op. cit._ p.
173.) His death removed one of Edwards's strongest supporters and probably
contributed to the tragic issue of the great controversy in which the
preacher was now engaged. In this connection it is interesting to find
that Colonel Stoddard in 1736 helped to lay out the township of
Stockbridge and that he had much to do toward establishing the mission to
the Indians there, to the conduct of which Edwards was called after his
dismissal from Northampton. Edwards's sermon is an eulogy, but there is
every reason to suppose that it gives on the whole a just impression of
Stoddard's character, services, and attainments. On him, see further
Trumbull, _op. cit._ Vol. II, Chap. xiii.
116. =Present war.= King George's French and Indian War (1744-1748-9).
Colonel Stoddard, as commander of the Hampshire forces, directed the
military operations in that part of the country until his death. Major
Israel Williams of Hatfield, who later succeeded to the command, writing
under date of June 25, 1748, to Secretary Willard, says: "We are now like
sheep without a shepherd.... God has been pleased to take him (who was in
a great measure our wisdom and strength and glory) from us at a time when
we could least spare him." (Trumbull, _op. cit._ Vol. II, p. 158.)