David Brainerd, Missionary to the Native American Indians (1718-1747)
In the early 1700s, almost 300 years ago, the American colonies were still controlled by England but struggled through many hardships in order to survive. The early American settlers, or Pilgrims as they were called, came to this land on ships across the Atlantic Ocean searching for a better life and for an opportunity to teach the people of this New World how to live for the Lord.
However, conditions were very different then than they are now. First of all, most of the colonies were located in the northern regions of our country. And they quickly realized that starting a new life was going to be very challenging for many reasons. They encountered harsh winters, without electricity to heat their flimsy houses. They experienced many deadly illnesses without proper medicines or hospitals to treat them. And they even had to fight against the attacks of the Indians who didnt want to share their land with these foreigners.
Into this setting came a young man from Connecticut, named David Brainerd, who was preparing to become a Pastor. In 1739, at the age of 21, David had given his life to Christ and was attending Yale University to study for the ministry. But during his third year at Yale, David said something unkind about one of his own professors, for which he suffered serious consequences. He had commented that this particular professor didn’t have any more grace than a chair! (a reference to the absence of genuine conversion) Because of this, he was promtly kicked out of school. And even though he tried several times to make things right, he would never be allowed back to the university. And, to make matters worse, he wouldnt be allowed to become a Pastor if he didnt have his degree. So now it seemed that his life would be a complete failure. He couldnt finish his college education as he planned and he couldnt even be a Pastor as he had desired.
But God was working His plan out in young David Brainerds life. Although it seemed like his life was a failure to others, and even to himself, he would not be a failure to God because God was directing his life. Ironically, it was because he was expelled from Yale that someone suggested to David that he become a missionary to the Indians. Until this time, all of his training and other preparations were done so that he could become a Pastor. He had never really planned on becoming a missionary. But now he was forced to re-evaluate his life and change his course. So, in 1742, he left for his first missionary assignment. This would prove to be the ultimate purpose that God had for Davids life.
At first, there were no big success stories to tell. He ministered faithfully in two or three different assignments, translating some of the Psalms and helping to start schools for the Indian children. Unfortunately, however, he developed a serious case of Tuberculosis (a deadly disease of the lungs) that would ultimately take his life. But, in spite of the pain and the difficulties associated with his illness, he continued on working as best he could. He often felt discouraged, though, and wrote about his sorrows in his diary.
Brainerd wrote about many other hardships in his diary, too. He was all alone in his ministry without anyone else to assist him in his work. He wrote about the poor or limited content of his meals, such as boiled corn, hasty pudding, dried out meat, etc. And sometimes he had to travel many miles to get something to eat, only to find that it was moldy or sour by then. He described his extremely uncomfortable sleeping conditions on a bundle of straw. He also writes about the times that he got lost in the woods, or had his horse stolen, or was injured in a fall, or was extremely cold, etc.[i]
But then the Lord started to do His amazing work through Davids life. David began working and preaching with the Crossweeksung Indians of New Jersey in 1745. It was there that God began to move among the people which resulted in a tremendous blessing. As he earnestly preached and taught, many of the Indians soon came to faith in Jesus Christ! During the first year of ministry at Crossweeksung, he baptized 77 people, half of which were adults. By the end of that year, there were 130 Indians in his growing church, all of which were drawn by the Lord under Brainerds care. What a difference a year makes! It was reported later that a large number of these Indians had been forever changed by Gods mercy and continued living according to His will.
If love is known by sacrifice, then Brainerd loved the Indians immensely. In fact, it seemed at times as if his heart was melted with the love of God for them. On July 2, 1745, he wrote in his diary, Felt my heart drawn out after God in prayer, almost all the morning; especially while riding. And in the evening, could not help crying to God for those poor Indians; and after I went to bed my heart continued to go out to God for them, till I dropped asleep. Oh, Blessed be God that I may pray![ii]
A year later, as the Indian congregation grew, they had to relocate in order to have their own land and village. Brainerd stayed with them as they settled in their new homes and continued to work with them until his health wouldnt hold out any longer. He left his Indian friends to convalesce in the home of his friend, Jonathan Edwards, the same New England pastor/theologian that the Lord used mightily during the Great Awakening. David Brainerd died there a few months later, without being able to return to his mission. But the Lord had already begun His work which continued on long after David’s death. Brainerd was a faithful witness to the Indians, but it was God who accomplished His purposes.
Over the course of his life, David never had many of the things that people have today. He didnt even have much of what other people of his own generation had. He never got rich, and he never had much more than he needed to survive. He didnt store up a lot of personal possessions, and he didnt have much room to put them into his small cottage. He never even got married and he never had any children. He lived a short life and died young. But he understood what really mattered what God meant to both himself and to his Indian friends.
Although he only lived to be 29, David Brainerds story has motivated many other men and women to become missionaries for the Lord. Brainerds testimony has lived on for many years after his death because throughout his entire time as a missionary he kept a journal of his experiences and thoughts. The pages of his journal have been recorded in a book called, The Life of David Brainerd, written by Jonathan Edwards, which can still be bought in bookstores today, almost 300 years later.
[i] Edwards, Jonathan, Mr. Brainerds Journal, ed. Mr. Edward Hickman, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 2 (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1976), p. 428-429.
[ii] Piper, John, The Hidden Smile of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), pg. 144.