The Life of Rev. David Brainerd, Chiefly Extracted from His DiaryBrainerd, David
Religion
The Life of Rev. David Brainerd, Chiefly Extracted from His Diary
Brainerd, David
Indians of North America -- Missions -- Early works to 1800
“The _attendants_ of this ravishing comfort were such as abundantly
discovered its spring to be divine; and that it was truly ‘a joy in the
Holy Ghost.’ Now she viewed divine truths as living realities, and could
say, ‘I know these things are so; I feel that they are true!’ Now her
soul was resigned to the divine will in the most tender point; so that
when I said to her, ‘What if God should take away your husband from you,
who was then very sick, how do you think you could bear that?’ She
replied, ‘He belongs to God, and not to me; he may do with him just as
he pleases.’ Now she had the most tender sense of the evil of sin, and
discovered the utmost aversion to it, longing to die, that she might be
delivered from it. Now she could freely trust her all with God for time
and eternity. When I questioned her, ‘How she would be willing to die
and leave her little infant; and what she thought would become of it in
that case?’ she answered, ‘God will take care of it. It belongs to him.
He will take care of it.’ Now she appeared to have the most humbling
sense of her own meanness and unworthiness, her weakness and inability
to preserve herself from sin, and to persevere in the way of holiness,
crying, ‘If I live I shall sin.’ I then thought that I had never seen
such an appearance of ecstacy and humility meeting in any one person in
all my life before.
“The _consequents_ of this joy are no less desirable and satisfactory
than its attendants. She since appears to be a most tender,
broken-hearted, affectionate, devout, and humble Christian; as exemplary
in life and conversation as any person in my congregation. May she still
‘grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.’
_March 10._ “Toward night the Indians met together, of their own accord,
and sang, prayed, and discoursed of divine things among themselves; at
which time there was much affection among them. Some, who are hopefully
pious, appeared to be melted with divine things; and some others seemed
much concerned for their souls. Perceiving their engagement and
affection in religious exercises, I went among them, and prayed, and
gave a word of exhortation; and observed two or three somewhat affected
and concerned, who scarce ever appeared to be under any religious
impressions before. It seemed to be a day and evening of divine power.
Numbers retained the warm impressions of divine things which had been
made upon their minds the day before.
_March 14._—“Was visited by a considerable number of my people, and
spent some time in religious exercises with them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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