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
This evening he was supposed to be dying, both by himself and by those
about him. He seemed glad at the appearance of the near approach of
death. He was almost speechless, but his lips appeared to move, and one
that sat very near him heard him utter such expressions as these: “Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly. O why is his chariot so long in coming?” After
he revived, he blamed himself for having been too eager to be gone. And
in expressing what was the frame of his mind at that time, he said he
then found an inexpressibly sweet love to those whom he looked upon as
belonging to Christ, beyond almost all that ever he felt before; so that
it seemed, to use his own words, “like a little piece of heaven to have
one of them near him.” And being asked whether he heard the prayer that
was, at his desire, made with him, he said, “Yes, he heard every word,
and had an uncommon sense of the things that were uttered in that
prayer, and that every word reached his heart.”
On the evening of _Tuesday Sept. 29_, as he lay on his bed, he seemed to
be in an extraordinary frame; his mind greatly engaged in sweet
meditations concerning the prosperity of Zion. There being present here,
at that time, two young gentlemen of his acquaintance, who were
candidates for the ministry, he desired us all to unite in singing a
psalm on that subject, even Zion’s prosperity. And on his desire we sung
a part of the 102d psalm. This seemed much to refresh and revive him,
and gave him new strength; so that though before, he could scarcely
speak at all, now he proceeded, with some freedom of speech, to give his
dying counsels to these young gentlemen relative to their preparation
for the great work of the ministry; and in particular, earnestly
recommended to them frequent secret fasting and prayer; and enforced his
counsel with regard to this, from his own experience of the great
comfort and benefit of it; “which,” said he, “I should not mention, were
it not that I am a dying person.” After he had finished his counsel, he
made a prayer in the audience of us all; wherein, besides praying for
this family, for his brethren, and those candidates for the ministry,
and for his own congregation, he earnestly prayed for the reviving and
flourishing of religion in the world.—Till now, he had every day sat up
part of the day; but after this he never rose from his bed.
_Sept. 30._—“I was obliged to keep my bed the whole day, through
weakness. However, redeemed a little time, and, with the help of my
brother, read and corrected about a dozen pages in my manuscript, giving
an account of my conversion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account