I'm currently working on an essay for Evangelical Church history on the topic, 'Is it defensible to argue that Jonathan Edwards invented youth ministry?'

I have no idea what I think about that yet, but one of the themes that has come up in some of my very early reasoning is the idea that the Puritans had that they were a kind of 'New-Israel' and so it was important that they, and their children, lived holy lives otherwise God might punish them just as he had once punished sinful Israel.

Ok, now here's my question, that is totally unrelated to the topic, but one that's been bouncing round my head for a while.  Now that we are living in the New Covenant... Now that we are under Grace... In what sense would God act towards his people like that?  In what sense is it possible for his people to fall away in such a manner?

Answer my questions super smart blog readers and put my mind at easy so I can get back to this essay question!