The Life and Diary of David Brainerd Quotes

“If the heart be chiefly and directly fixed on God, and the soul engaged to glorify him, some degree of religious affection will be the effect and attendant of it. But to seek after affection directly and chiefly; to have the heart principally set upon that; is to place it in the room of God and his glory. If it be sought, that others may take notice of it, and admire us for our spirituality and forwardness in religion, it is then damnable pride; if for the sake of feeling the pleasure of being affected, it is then idolatry and self-gratification.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Could not but think, as I have often remarked to others, that much more of true religion consists in deep humility, brokenness of heart, and an abasing sense of barrenness and want of grace and holiness than most who are called Christians imagine”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“My soul longs to feel itself more of a pilgrim and stranger here below; that nothing may divert me from pressing through the lonely desert, till I arrive at my Father’s house.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Saw so much of the wickedness of my heart that I longed to get away from myself…I felt almost pressed to death with my own vileness. Oh what a body of death is there in me…Oh the closest walk with God is the sweetest heaven that can be enjoyed on earth!”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Nothing grieves me so much as that I cannot live constantly to God’s glory.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“There is a God in heaven who overrules all things for the best; and this is the comfort of my soul. . .How blessed it is to grow more and more like God!”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Oh, the closest walk with God is the sweetest heaven that can be enjoyed on earth!”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“I had been heaping up my devotions before God, fasting, praying, &c. pretending, and indeed really thinking sometimes, that I was aiming at the glory of God; whereas I never once truly intended it, but only my own happiness. I”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd with Notes and Reflections by Jonathan Edwards

“Oh, if ever I get to heaven, it will be because God will, and nothing else; for I never did any thing of myself, but get away from God!”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Friday, April 2. In the afternoon I felt, in secret prayer, much resigned, calm, and serene. What are all the storms of this lower world, if Jesus by his Spirit does but come walking on the seas!--Some time past, I had much pleasure in the prospect of the heathen being brought home to Christ, and desired that the Lord would employ me in that work:--but now, my soul more frequently desires to die, to be with Christ. O that my soul were wrapt up in divine love, and my longing desires after God increased!--In the evening, was refreshed in prayer, with the hopes of the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd with Notes and Reflections by Jonathan Edwards

“I longed to spend and be spent for God.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Nothing seemed to hard for God to perform; nothing to great for me to hope for from Him.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“It is good for me to be afflicted that I may die wholly to this world and all that is in it.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Saw I was evidently throwing myself into all hardships and distressed in my present undertaking. I thought it would be less difficult to lie down in the grave; but yet I chose to go rather than stay.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“No poor creature stands in need of divine grace more than I, and none abuse it more than I have done, and still do.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“I have received my all from God; oh that I could return my all to God! Surely God is worthy of my highest affection, and most devout adoration; he is infinitely worthy, that I should make him my last end, and live for ever to him.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Oh, that God would purge away my dross, and take away my tin, and refine me seven times.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“My soul was this day, at turns, sweetly set on God. I longed to be with Him that I might behold His glory. I felt sweetly disposed to commit all to Him, even my dearest friends, my dearest flock, my absent brother, and all my concerns for time and eternity. Oh, that His kingdom might come in the world; that they might all love and glorify Him, for what He is in Himself; and that the blessed Redeemer might 'see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied! Oh, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Amen.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“This day, I saw clearly that I should never be happy, yea, that God Himself could not make me happy, unless I could be in a capacity to 'please and glorify Him forever.' Take away this and admit me into all the fine heavens that can be conceived of by men or angels, and I should still be miserable forever.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“[I pray] that we might not outlive our usefulness.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“But still, this great awakening, this surpassing concern, was never excited by any harangues of terror, but always appeared most remarkable when I insisted upon the compassions of a dying Saviour, the plentiful provisions of the gospel, and the free offers of divine grace to needy distressed sinners.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“My soul is disconsolate when God is withdrawn.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“All my desire was the conversion of the heathen and all my hope was in God. God does not suffer me to please or comfort myself with hopes of seeing friends, returning to my dear acquaintance, and enjoying worldly comforts.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“To an eye of reason, everything that respects the conversion of the heathen is as dark as midnight; and yet I cannot but hope in God for the accomplishment of something glorious among them.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Oh, how amazing it is that people can talk so much about men’s power and goodness when, if God did not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate!”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Oh, a barn, or stable, hedge, or any other place is desirable, if God is there.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“Alas, that so much of my precious time is spent with so little of God.”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“it hurt me, and pained my very heart, that any body should show me any respect. Alas! methought, how sadly they are deceived in me! how miserably would they be disappointed, if they knew my inside! Oh my heart! -”
― David Brainerd, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

“By the invitations Mr. Brainerd had lately received, it appears that it was not from necessity, or for want of opportunities to settle among the English...that he was determined to forsake all the outward comforts to be enjoyed in the English settlements, to go and spend his life among [the Indians], and endure the difficulties and self-denials of an Indian mission. He had, just as he was leaving Kaunaumeek, had an earnest invitation to a settlement at East Hampton on Long Island, the fairest, pleasantest town on the whole island, and one of its largest and most wealthy parishes. The people there were unanimous in their desire to have him for their pastor....Nor did Mr. Brainerd choose the business of a missionary to the Indians...because he was unacquainted with the difficulties and sufferings which attended such a service; for he had had experience of these difficulties in the summer and winter; having spent about twelvemonth in a lonely desert among them, where he had gone through extreme hardships, and been the subject of a train of outward and inward sorrows, which were now fresh in his mind. Notwithstanding all these things, he chose still to go on with this business; and that although the place he was now going to was at a still much greater distance from most of his friends, acquaintance, and native land.”
― David Brainerd, The Life And Diary of David Brainerd

“now I saw it was so far from any goodness in me to own myself spiritually dead and destitute of all goodness that, on the contrary, my mouth would be forever stopped by it; and it looked as dreadful to me to see myself and the relation I stood in to God—I a sinner and criminal, and He a great Judge and Sovereign—as it would be to a poor trembling creature to venture off some high precipice.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd