Life and Diary of David Brainerd - Edwards - II - Part 2

Required reading
Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Part 2.

My summary
Sorry, I shortened this week's reading to just Part 2.  I'm still trying to work out manageable amounts of Edwards' writings.  I own the Banner of Truth edition of Edwards' works and the font is super tiny which means I'm not quite sure what makes 10-20 regular pages.

Part 2 is a bit of an in-between period for Brainerd.  After his expulsion from Yale he is basically trying to work out what to do with his life. 

Today we mostly we read diary entries concerning Brainerd's experience of his own sinfulness and God's graciousness.

The last entry in the section tells of his receiving a license to preach.

What grabbed me
I do think one of the keys to Brainerd's intimacy with God is his recognition of his own depravity: 'I seem to be declining, with respect to my life and warmth in divine things; had not so free access to God in prayer as usual of late. O that God would humble me deeply in the dust before him! I deserve hell every day, for not loving my Lord more, who has, I trust, loved me, and given himself for me; and every time I am enabled to exercise any grace renewedly, I am renewedly indebted to the God of all grace for special assistance. Where then is boasting? Surely it is excluded, when we think how we are dependent on God for the being and every act of grace. 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! My soul will be astonished at the unsearchable riches of divine grace, when I arrive at the mansions, which the blessed Saviour is gone before to prepare.'

He is so right.  We deserve hell every day for not loving our Lord more.

Next week's reading
Read Parts 3 and 4.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.