Perhaps no one has influenced more evangelists and missionaries than David Brainerd –
One biographer writes,
Brainerd was born on April 20, 1718 in Haddam, Connecticut. That year John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards turned 14. Benjamin Franklin turned 12 and George Whitefield 3. The Great Awakening was just over the horizon and Brainerd would live through both waves of it in the mid thirties and early forties, then die of tuberculosis in Jonathan Edwards’ house at the age of 29 on October 9, 1747.
Brainerd was a man of intense devotion to Jesus Christ, with a passion for reaching Native Americans with the gospel. Here are several extracts from his diary…
(I know blogs longer than a few sentences are not often read. I hope you’ll take a moment and read these reflections of Brainerd. You will be stretched, challenged, inspired and deepened.)
“Lord’s day, April 18–Retired early this morning into the woods for prayer; had the assistance of God’s Spirit, and faith…, and was enabled to plead with fervency for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom in the world, and to intercede for dear absent friends. At noon, God enabled me to wrestle with Him, and to feel, as I trust, the power of divine love in prayer. At night, saw myself infinitely indebted to God, and had a view of my shortcomings; it seemed to me that I had done as it were nothing for God, and that I never had lived for HIm but a few hours of my life.”
“Saturday, October 18, in my morning devotions, my soul was exceedingly melted, and I bitterly mourned over my exceeding sinfulness and vileness. I never before had felt so pungent and deep a sense of the odious nature of my sin as at this time. My soul was then unusually carried forth in love to God, and had a lively sense of God’s love to me; and this love and hope, at that time, cast out fear. Both morning and evening I spent some time in self-examination, to find the truth of grace, as also my fitness to approach to God at His table the next day; and through infinite mercy found the Holy Spirit influencing my soul with love to God, as a witness within myself.”
“The Sabbath evening, July 12, 1739 I was walking again in the same solitary place, where I was brought to see myself lost and helpless, as was before mentioned; and here, in a mournful melancholy state, was attempting to pray; but found no heart to engage in that or any other duty; my former concern and exercise and religious affections were now gone. I thought, the Spirit of God had quite left me; but still was not distressed; yet disconsolate as if there was nothing in heaven or earth could make me happy.
And having been thus endeavouring to pray, though being, as I thought very stupid and senseless, for near half and hour, and by this time the sun was about half an hour high, as I remember, then, as I was walking in a dark thick grove, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul.”
“It was a new apprehension or view that I had of God, such as I never had before, not anything which had the least resemblance of it. I stood still, and wondered, and admired. I knew that I never had seen before anything comparable to it for excellency and beauty; it was widely different from all the conceptions that ever I had had of God or things divine. . . .
My soul rejoiced with joy unpspeakable to see such a God, such a glorious divine Being; and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that He should be God over all, for ever and ever. My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, loveliness, greatness and other perfections of God that I was even swallowed up in Him; at least to that degree, that I had no thought, as I remember at first, about my own salvation, and scarce reflected there was such a creature as myself.”
Posted by svshaw 
Posted by svshaw 
