Thoughts from Brainerd

I wanted to post some thoughts from David Brainerd. He was a missionary to Native Americans in New England in the first half of the 18th century. I'm reading his diary (edited by Jonathan Edwards) and have been dramatically impacted by it. Here are some favorite quotes thus far, usually in the form of exclamations:

"Oh! one hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world."

"What are all the storms of this lower world if Jesus, by His Spirit, does but come walking on the seas!"

"O my blessed God! Let me climb up near to Him, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle, and stretch after Him, and for deliverance from the body of sin and death."

"O I love to live on the brink of eternity, in my views and meditations!"

"My soul delighted to be a 'stranger and pilgrim on the earth.'"

"O it is sweet lying in the dust!"

When was the last time you ever heard anyone say it was sweet to lie in the dust? Yet Brainerd (and some other big guys like Charles Simeon) knew that it was important to recognize your own sinfulness. However, you must always follow it up with the grace of God, with the cross and the Gospel. Otherwise you just end up miserable.

More soon...

Living on the brink of eternity with you,
Sam