Life and Diary of David Brainerd - Edwards - XV - Some reflections

Required reading
Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read 'Some reflections and observations on the preceding memoirs'.

My summary
To close the volume, Edwards now gives 'Some reflections and observations' of all that has preceded.  Edwards has eight reflections with some overlapping between them. 

Basically Brainerd and his work is recommended as an example of true Christianity and true revival.  If you've ever read Edwards' 'Religious affections' you will recognise that Brainerd is held up as the embodiment of what Edwards taught in that work.

Edwards also expresses his hope that Brainerd's literary remains will encourage further missionary work.

Interestingly the last reflection is about the hand of God in the circumstances surrounding Brainerd's illness and death.

What grabbed me
I was again struck by Brainerd's consciousness of sin: '...how tender was his conscience! how apt was his heart to smite him! how easily and greatly was he alarmed at the appearance of moral evil! how great and constant was his jealousy over his own heart! how strict his care and watchfulness against sin! how deep and sensible were the wounds that sin made in his conscience! Those evils that are generally accounted small, were almost an insupportable burden to him; such as his inward deficiencies, his having no more love to God, finding within himself any slackness or dulness in religion, any unsteadiness, or wandering frame of mind, &c. how did the consideration of such things as these oppress and abase him, and fill him with inward shame and confusion! His love and hope, though they were such as cast out a servile fear of hell, yet were attended with, and abundantly cherished and promoted, a reverential filial fear of God, a dread of sin and of God’s holy displeasure. His joy seemed truly to be a rejoicing with trembling. His assurance and comfort differed greatly from a false enthusiastic confidence and joy, in that it promoted and maintained mourning for sin. Holy mourning, with him, was not only the work of an hour or a day, at his first conversion; but sorrow for sin was like a wound constantly running; he was a mourner for sin all his days. He did not, after he received comfort and full satisfaction of the forgiveness of all his sins, and the safety of his state, forget his past sins, the sins of his youth, committed before his conversion; but the remembrance of them, from time to time, revived in his heart, with renewed grief. That passage (Ezek. xvi. 63..) was evidently fulfilled in him, “That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame; when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done.” And how lastingly did the sins he committed after his conversion affect and break his heart! If he did any thing whereby he thought he had in any respect dishonoured God, and wounded the interest of religion, he had never done with calling it to mind with sorrow and bitterness; though he was assured that God had forgiven it, yet he never forgave himself: his past sorrows and fears made no satisfaction, with him; but still the wound renews and bleeds afresh, again and again. And his present sins, those he daily found in himself, were an occasion of daily sensible and deep sorrow of heart.'

If only more of us were so self-conscious of sin.

One sentence final verdict
Brainerd is a tremendous example of a Christian who really did watch his life and doctrine closely and was wonderfully blessed by God.

Next week's reading
Commence The life of John Knox by Thomas M'Crie (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading the Preface and Period 1.

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