One of Jonathan Edwards’ greatest contributions to the cause of world missions was his compiling the journal of David Brainerd, who ministered to Native Americans in the New England colonies. Norman Petit has edited The Life of David Brainerd, which is volume seven of the Yale Press “Works of Jonathan Edwards.”
The following quotations are from Petit’s excellent critical introduction to the work.
“The Account of the Life of David Brainerd deserves close attention, for it reveals a side of colonial life that is often overlooked. Long confined to the libraries of rare book rooms and missionary societies, it is not now widely read, yet it speaks as directly to the issues of its day as do Edwards’ other works.
“It has been reprinted more often than has any other Edwards work. The text, to be sure, is largely Brainerd’s with editorial comments distributed throughout, but the volume as Edwards conceived it belongs to him. It belongs, moreover, to the period of the Great Awakening, when in the third and fourth decades of the eighteenth century religious enthusiasm swept the colonial frontier.”
“Brainerd firmly believed… in the mission task. Like Edwards, he held that contact with the Indians was a means by which the glory of the church might be spread. Missions, both for Brainerd as author and for Edwards as editor were a major device by which to bring about the millenium: and when Edwards published his account of Brainerd’s life in 1749, these millennial expectations were firmly linked to missionary zeal.”
Edwards’ Life of Brainerd soon became a spiritual classic and a model for missionary histories. In the words of Thomas H. Johnson, it was ‘the first biography written in America that achieved wide notice abroad as well as at home.’”
“Gideon Hawley, another missionary protégé of Edwards, carried in his saddlebag a copy of the Life, to which he referred when unable to stand the strain of another day. ‘I need, greatly need something more than humane to support me,’ he wrote in 1753. ‘I read my Bible and Mr. Brainerd’s Life, the only books I brought with me, and from them have a little support.’
“John Wesley was so impressed that he published a condensed version in 1768. ‘Let every preacher read carefully over the ‘Life of David Brainerd’,” he instructed in the handbook of the Methodist ministry. Although Wesley could be critical of Brainerd for ‘applauding himself and magnifying his own work,’ his example was upheld. ‘Find preachers of David Brainerd’s spirit,’ he wrote in his journal in 1767), ‘and nothing can stand before them.’
“Francis Asbury (1745-1816), who in 1771 became the first missionary of Methodism to America, later referred to Brainerd as ‘that model of meekness, moderation, temptation and labor, and self-denial.’ Still another Methodist, Thosmas Coke (1747-1814), founder of missions throughout the world, wrote of Brainerd on coming to America in 1784: ‘His humility, his self-denial, his perseverance and his flaming zeal for God, are exemplary indeed.’”
Among those who were inspired by the Life of Brainerd actually to become missionaries, the most notable were the Baptist William Carey (1761-1834) and the Anglican Henry Martyn (1781-1812). Carey, one of the first missionaries to India and translator of the Scriptures into numerous languages and dialects, considered the Life to be a sacred text. Martyn, equally famous as a translator, first read the Life while at Cambridge in 1802. ‘I long to be like him,’ he wrote of Brainerd, and like Brainerd, died of tuberculosis (while serving in India with Carey).”
Most of these figures flourished at the turn of the century, but Brainerd’s influence did not end there. Robert McCheyne, who organized missions for the Church of Scotland, wrote of Brainerd in 1832: ‘Most wonderful man! What conflicts, what depressions, desertions, strength, advancement, victories, within thy torn bosom!… Tonight more set upon missionary enterprise than ever.’”
“And David Livingston, famous in Africa, was also inspired by Brainerd, as was John Wilson in Western India, Andrew Murry in South Africa, and Sheldon Jackson in Alaska. Indeed, it has been said that ‘David Brainerd dead’ more greatly influenced the missionary cause than did ‘David Brainerd alive.’”
In 1956 “the missionary Jim Elliot, inspired by Brainerd, flew with four companions flew with four companions to the Auca Indians in South Africa. ‘Confession of pride–suggested by David Brainerd’s Diary yesterday–must become an hourly thing with me,’ Elliot wrote shortly before he died.” Note: There is now an extensive fellowship of churches in all groups of the Aucas.
As you can tell by the above, Jonathan Edwards’ bringing the life and words of David Brainerd alive inspired people in his generation and continues to do so through the centuries. I know Brainerd’s diary has inspired me. I hope you take a look at it for yourself as well!
Phil Corr’s work on the web can be seen at: haystack06.org and fccofcc.com
