David Brainerd (1718 - 1747) was a young missionary to the Indians whose efforts were manifestly and gloriously blessed by God to an unusual degree. Dying at the early age of twenty-nine from tuberculosis, he suffered severe medical affliction throughout most of his life, including those years in which his ministry so gloriously and efficaciously flourished. Few saints have been used of God so mightily in such a short space of time. It would be difficult to pin down how many souls were led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as a result of David Brainerd's life, for not only were many American Indians from many different tribes converted, and thus many of their descendents, but a great many of Brainerd's countrymen were likewise pointed to the Lord Jesus through his impeccable life. In addition, Brainerd had a profound effect on many of the men of the Great Awakening, such as Edwards, Tennant, Pemberton, Davenport, and others. As well, every succeeding generation of Christians has benefited substantially from his short but magnificent life.

David Brainerd's biography and diary survive, not surprisingly, in the Works of Jonathan Edwards, for it was Jonathan Edwards who housed and cared for the young missionary until his death. This event turned out to be one of those rare gems of Providence, for Edwards' noble effort in this matter ended up costing him the life of his daughter. Living out his days under the great preacher's roof, Brainerd was virtually helpless, and thus it fell to Edwards' selfless daughter to daily tend and care for this suffering saint on his death bed. Accordingly -- and almost inevitably, as it were -- it came about that this godly young woman caught tuberculosis from the great missionary to the Indians and consequently followed him into eternity some four months after his own demise. But O! grace, grace unto it! Jonathan Edwards counted it all joy, knowing that every second of the entire ordeal was ordered by the good hand of the Lord, and he spoke of it ever afterwards in exactly these terms. What glory can be found in such matters! Only by reading the life of Brainerd, as written by Edwards, and the journal of Brainerd, as coming from his own pen, can this glowing servant of God be truly appreciated. Some of his jewels are therefore taken from those very sources and are presented in what follows...

"Some time in the beginning of winter, 1738, it pleased God, on one sabbath-day morning, as I was walking out for some secret duties, to give me on a sudden such a sense of my danger, and the wrath of God, that I stood amazed, and my former good frames, that I had pleased myself with, all presently vanished. From the view I had of my sin and vileness, I was much distressed all that day, fearing the vengeance of God would soon overtake me. I was much dejected, kept much alone, and sometimes envied the birds and beasts their happiness, because they were not exposed to eternal misery, as I evidently saw I was. And thus I lived from day to day, being frequently in great distress: sometimes there appeared mountains before me to obstruct my hopes of mercy; and the work of conversion appeared so great, that I thought I should never be the subject of it." Life And Diary

"I found faith was the sovereign gift of God; that I could not get it as if of myself, and could not oblige God to bestow it upon me by any of my performances." Life And Diary

"I could not find out what faith was; or what it was to believe, and come to Christ... I thought I would gladly come, if I knew how, though the path of duty were never so difficult... For I was not yet effectually and experimentally taught that there could be no way prescribed whereby a natural man could, of his own strength, obtain that which is supernatural, and which the highest angel cannot give." Life And Diary

"As I was walking in a dark thick grove, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul. I do not mean any external brightness, for I saw no such thing; nor do I intend any imagination of a body of light, somewhere in the third heavens, or any thing of that nature; but it was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything which had the least resemblance of it. I stood still, wondered, and admired! I knew that I never had seen before any thing comparable to it for excellency and beauty; it was widely different from all the conceptions that ever I had of God, or things divine. I had no particular apprehension of any one person of the Trinity, either the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost; but it appeared to be divine glory. My soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable to see such a God, such a glorious divine being, and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all forever 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... Thus God, I trust, brought me to a hearty disposition to exalt him, and set him on the throne, and principally and ultimately to aim at his honour and glory, as King of the universe." Life And Diary

"Formerly, when I was thus exposed to cold, rain, I was ready to please myself with the thoughts of enjoying a comfortable house, a warm fire, and other outward comforts; but now these have less place in my heart (through the grace of God) and my eye is more to God for comfort. In this world I expect tribulation; and it does not now, as formerly, appear strange to me; I don't in such seasons of difficulty flatter myself that it will be better hereafter; but rather think how much worse it might be; how much greater trials others of God's children have endured; and how much greater are yet perhaps reserved for me. Blessed be God that he makes the comfort to me, under my sharpest trials; and scarce ever lets these thoughts be attended with terror or melancholy; but they are attended frequently with great joy." Life And Diary

"God does not suffer me to please or comfort myself with hopes of seeing friends, returning to my dear acquaintance, and enjoying worldly comforts." Life And Diary

"When I really enjoy God, I feel my desires of him the more insatiable, and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable... Oh, for holiness! Oh, for more of God in my soul! Oh, this pleasing pain! It makes my soul press after God... Oh, that I might not loiter on my heavenly journey." Life And Diary

"I continued wrestling with God in prayer for my dear little flock here; and more especially for the Indians elsewhere; as well as for dear friends in one place and another; till it was bed time and I feared I should hinder the family, etc. But oh, with what reluctancy did I find myself obliged to consume time in sleep!" Life And Diary

"One hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world." Life And Diary

"The happy effects of these peculiar DOCTRINES OF GRACE [Calvinism], which I have so much insisted upon with this people [native American Indians], plainly discover, even to demonstration, that instead of their opening a door to licentiousness, as many vainly imagine, and slanderously insinuate, they have a direct contrary tendency: so that a close application, a sense and feeling of them, will have the most powerful influence toward the renovation, and effectual reformation, both of heart and life." Journal, First Appendix (This statement was made by Brainerd after observing that the CONVERTED heathen Indians ON THEIR OWN -- OF THEIR OWN ACCORD -- stopped drinking, renounced multiple marriage, forsook adultery, and so many other things that defile, all without being told to do so, but by the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit, who saved them under the DOCTRINE OF GRACE)

"It is worthy of remark, secondly, that numbers of these people are brought to a strict compliance with the rules of morality and sobriety, and to a conscientious performance of the eternal duties of Christianity, by the internal power and influence of divine truths -- the peculiar DOCTRINES OF GRACE -- upon their minds; without their having these moral duties frequently repeated and inculcated upon them, and the contrary vices particularly exposed and spoken against." Journal, First Appendix

"And happy experience, as well as the word of God, and the example of Christ and his apostles, has taught me, that the very method of preaching which is best suited to awaken in mankind a sense and lively apprehension of their depravity and misery in a fallen state,-to excite them earnestly to seek after a change of heart, and to fly for refuge to free and sovereign grace in Christ, as the only hope set before them, is like to be most successful toward the reformation of their external conduct." Journal, First Appendix

"And God was pleased to give these divine truths such a powerful influence upon the minds of these people, and so to bless them for the effectual awakening of numbers of them, that their lives were quickly reformed, without my insisting upon the precepts of morality, and spending time in repeated harangues upon external duties." Journal, First Appendix

"The reformation was general; and all springing from the internal influence of divine truths upon their hearts; and not from any external restraints, or because they had heard these vices particularly exposed, and repeatedly spoken against... not because I had driven them to the performance of these duties by a frequent inculcating of them, but because they had FELT the power of God's word upon their hearts -- were made sensible of their sin and misery, and thence could not but pray, and comply with every thing they knew was duty, from what they felt within themselves. When their hearts were touched with a sense of their eternal concerns, they could pray with great freedom, as well as fervency, without being at the trouble first to learn set forms for that purpose. And some of them who were suddenly awakened at their first coming among us, were brought to pray and cry for mercy with utmost importunity, without ever being instructed in the duty of prayer, or so much as once directed to a performance of it." Journal, First Appendix

"And most certain it is, if we can awaken in sinners a lively sense of their inward pollution and depravity -- their need of a change of heart -- and so engage them to seek after inward cleansing, their external defilement will naturally be cleansed, their vicious ways of course be reformed, and their conversation and behaviour become regular." Journal, First Appendix

"The reformation, the sobriety, and external compliance with the rules and duties of Christianity, appearing among my people, are not the effect of any mere doctrinal instruction, or merely rational view of the beauty of morality, but from the internal power and influence that divine truths (the soul-humbling doctrines of grace) have had upon their hearts." Journal, First Appendix