The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

Library of Christian Classics Volume 6

The Library of Christian Classics comprises classic works that every Christian should read at least once in their lifetime. They are wells of biblical wisdom that speak to us across the centuries.

A herald to Native Americans, many consider the young and passionate David Brainerd to be one of the most important and influential missionaries in the history of Christianity. This influence is due to his personal diary, edited and published by Jonathan Edwards, which was one of the catalysts for the modern missionary movement.

David Brainerd has become a fundamental pillar in Church history, not for his audacity, his eloquence, his effectiveness as a missionary, his evangelistic methods, his physical health, his contextualization to his mission field, the longevity of his career, nor even for his fruits. In fact, it could be argued that he did not particularly excel in any of these virtues; he did not introduce any revolutionary practices to the missionary methods of his time, he never learned the language of the Native Americans, throughout his life he had to battle very deep depressions and various types of illnesses, his missionary career ended abruptly after less than four years in the field, and although he did see fruit, his numbers were not very different from those of his companions or predecessors.

David Brainerd is a clear example of the biblical truth that God chose the foolish, weak, vile, and despised things of this world to shame the wise and strong, so that no one may boast in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). God chose a David Brainerd who was an orphan, who was expelled from the prestigious Christian university of Yale, uneducated and extremely weak physically and emotionally, not only to bring the Gospel to unreached Native American tribes, but also to catalyze a missionary movement that would ultimately change the world. One of the greatest fruits of his life was a fruit he never lived to see. Although it is true that dozens of Native American souls today can be celebrating God in perfect joy thanks to Brainerd's life, another incalculable fruit was the impressive legacy he left on earth. Many consider Brainerd to have been one of the most important missionaries in Christian history because this diary was one of the catalysts for the 19th-century missionary movement. It is said that Brainerd, unknowingly, has been one of the greatest missionary mobilizers in history, as his life inspired hundreds of missionaries to leave everything behind in order to extend God's kingdom.

Henry Martyn (1781-1812), a missionary in India and Persia, one of the most influential figures in modern missions, was greatly inspired by Brainerd and his diary to dedicate his life to the spread of the Gospel. He wrote: "I thought of David Brainerd and ardently desired his devotion to God. I feel my heart is connected to this dear man. I wish to be like him. May I forget the world and be completely absorbed by the desire to glorify God."

William Carey (1761-1834), considered the "father of modern missions" for his invaluable work in India, considered Brainerd one of his heroes in faith. He was so influenced by his life and diary that one of the rules he set for his group of fellow missionaries was that everyone should read this diary three times each year.

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) considered it a tremendous privilege to host the young missionary during the last months of his life and to enjoy his presence. He explicitly said that having him in his home was a gift from God's Providence, despite his daughter likely dying from having contracted tuberculosis from Brainerd. Two years after editing and publishing Brainerd's diary, Edwards himself went as a missionary to Native Americans, probably influenced by his life and passion.

John Wesley (1703-1791), one of the most important preachers and evangelists in the history of Christianity, said "Let every preacher carefully read The Life of Brainerd. Let us be his followers as he was of Christ, in absolute devotion, completely dead to the world, and in fervent love for God and men."

Gideon Hawley (1727-1807) was another man inspired by Brainerd who took over as a missionary to Native Americans when Brainerd died. Speaking of his own internal struggle, tribulations, depressions, and sufferings, he said, "I have a need, a great need, of something more than human to sustain me. I read the Bible and the Life of Brainerd, the only two books I brought with me, and from them I get some sustenance."

Hudson Taylor, Andrew Murray, Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, Jim Elliot, and thousands of other unknown missionaries have been influenced and impacted by "The Life and Diary of David Brainerd." On a personal level, excluding the Bible, there is no other book that has challenged, propelled, exhorted, and encouraged me as much in missionary work and in my individual pilgrimage as the life and diary of this blessed man.

Over the last three hundred years, Divine Providence has used the three and a half years of a weak and imperfect young man's missionary ministry to change the lives of thousands of people and send ordinary believers to the ends of the earth. It is my prayer that every entry in the diary of this great man of God will impact your spiritual life and that you may be infected with David Brainerd's devotion to Christ and His glory.

The objective of the Library of Christian Classics, edited by Abba, is to recover and make available to the Hispanic people the wisdom that God put in our ancestors in faith. Many of them are edited for the first time in Spanish, and others are recovered and completely revised for better understanding in the 21st century.