"An Account of the Life Of the late Rev. David Brainerd; Missionary to the Indians, From the Hon. Society in Scotland for the propagation of And Pastor of a Church of Christian Indians in New Jersey; Chiefly taken from his own DIARY, and other private writings, written for his own use; and now published, By Jonathan Edwards, A. M. Minister of the Gospel at Northampton." As the JOURNAL had been published but two or three years, and was already in the possession of the religious public, Mr. Edwards carefully left out of the Life those extracts from the Diary which were contained in the Journal. The Diary begins in July 1740, and ends Oct. 2, 1747. The extracts from it in the Journal extend through one year, from June 19, 1745, to June 19, 1746. They do not, however, comprise the whole of the Diary for that year; but, usually, only a part of the diary for each day. Mr. EDWARDS, in the Life, supplies the diary for those days, and parts of days, of that year, which were omitted in the JOURNAL; and omits it for those days, and parts of days, which the Journal contained; regularly inserting a dash in his work, thus wherever an important extract from the Diary was omitted, to apprize the reader that he would find that omission under the same date in the JOURNAL. His delicate integrity would not allow him to subject his subscribers to the necessity of purchasing the same matter a second time. The consequence is, that the two publications include different portions of the Diary, during the most interesting year of his life, the year of his glorious success at Crossweeksung; yet neither contains the whole for that year. This fact, could the Life and the Journal be procured, would render it impossible to read the Diary in a regular connected series, according to the order of events. But both the LIFE and the JOURNAL are now, and for many years have been out of print. The Life by EDWARDS was abridged by JOHN WESLEY, and published in England a few years after it appeared in this country. A still smaller Abridgment has since been made by JOHN STYLES; and frequently A republished both in England and America. The Abridgment by WESLEY, the editor has not seen. That by STYLES is a cheap 12mo. volume; made at a time, when the feelings of the British nation had not been roused to a deep interest in Missions and Missionaries; and when probably it was supposed, that the complete work would not sell. Beside omitting a very considerable portion of the Life and Diary, it leaves out the following Documents, viz: 1, BRAINERD'S Letter to PEMBERTON, giving an account of his residence at Kaunaumeek. 2. His account of the Doctrines, preached to the Indians at Crosweeksung, and their extraordinary effects. 3. His method of learning the Indian Language. 4. His method of instructing the Indians. 5. His account of the Difficulties which attend the christianizing of the Indians. 6. The Attestations of the neighbouring Ministers to the Grace of God displayed among the Indians. Several of the Remains of BRAINERD. 8. PEMBERTON'S Sermon at his Ordination. 9. EDWARDS' Sermon at his Funeral. 10. Two Letters of JOHN BRAINERD, his brother, and successor as Missionary to the Indians, giving an account of the Indian Converts after his death. The knowledge of these facts, acquired, not without some degree of labour and research; and the conviction that the Church, both in America, and England, is now prepared to welcome a complete Life of BRAINERD, and that it is calculated to be eminently useful; have lead to the present Publication. The state of the public feeling in both countries, is already extensively altered. The friends of Missions are now numerous, and are rapidly increasing. With their interest in Missions, is associated, of course, an interest in faithful Missionaries. That the Church at large feels this interest, the Memoirs of SWARTZ, BUCHANAN, HARRIET NEWELL, MILLS, and HENRY MARTYN, furnish abundant evidence. But this interest is not confined to the Missionaries of the present day; it extends to those of an earlier and a darker period, to Elliott and Mayhew. Those holy men stood the watch-lights of the age in which they lived. They burned with a flame which could not be extinguished; for it was kindled from the fires of Heaven. In their histories, they still shine with equal lustre, and shed the same effulgence on mankind. "The foundations of many generations," are beginning to be "restored;" and the American Church will contemplate, with feelings of sa cred pleasure, the Discovery thus elicited, that her own ELLIOTT was the first Protestant Missionary to the Heathen. Before this alteration, the work of STYLES was of essential service to the christian world; for it preserved the remembrance of BRAINErd, and thus kept alive the spirit of Missions. But the whole Church now feel the deepest interest in the life of that man whom HENRY MARTYN made his model; and who would probably be selected by all denominations of christians as the holiest missionary, if not the holiest man, of modern times. His name is now extensively known throughout Christendom; and the time is near, when it will be more generally known, over this world, than that of ALEXANDER, Caesar, or NAPOLEON. veneration felt for his memory, by the Church, approaches that, with which they regard the memory of the early Evangelists and the Apostles; and nothing which is an effusion of his pen, a memorial of his life, or an illustration of his character, will now be regarded with indiffer ence. The The Editor originally intended to have made this publication one of the volumes of a complete Edition of the works of President EDWARDS, which is now preparing for the press. Three considerations have induced him to publish it by itself. 1. The volume is almost wholly the work of BRAINERD. 2. The works of EDWARDS are very voluminous without it. 3. The subscribers to EDWARDS' Works can easily bind it as the last volume of these works. It has been his intention to render this volume as a memoir of BRAINERD, complete. It contains the whole of the Life and Diary including the JOURNAL, together with all his letters, and other writings (so far as they are known to the editor) and the concluding Reflections on his Memoirs, by President Edwards; all arranged in a regular series, according to the order of events. In addition to these, it contains two letters of JOHN BRAINERD, and the Sermons of PEMBERTON and EDWARDS; both of uncommon excellence. The Diary of BRAINERD, a single point only excepted, is probably the best manual of christian experience, ever yet published. The exception arises from the fact, that the native temperament of BRAINERD'S mind inclined him to melancholy. This, his biographer, and himself, towards the close of life, regarded as a serious unhappiness, not to say defect, in his character. If the requisite allowance be made for this constitutional infirmity, the diary will prove altogether useful to the private christian. As an example of a mind tremulously apprehensive of sin, loathing it in every form, and for its own sake, avoiding even the appearance of evil, rising above all terrestrial considerations, advancing rapidly in holiness, and finding its only enjoyment in the glory of God; probably no similar work in any language, can furnish a parallel. In the Reflections on the Memoirs of BRAINERD, as in a clear transparent mirror, the reader if he is not voluntarily blind, will discover the true character of his own heart. The narrative of conversions, during the long Pentecost season at Crosweeksung, while it cannot fail to delight and animate the real christian, will satisfy every mind open to conviction, that the Doctrines there taught were those taught by the Apostles; and will teach every Minister, that to preach Christ crucified is the only way to secure the co-operation of the Holy Spirit. The account given by BRAINERD of the Doctrines which he preached to the Indians, and their visible Effects; of his method of learning their language; of his plan of Instruction; and of the Difficulties in the way of christianizing them, will also be peculiarly useful to the Missionary; while the Diary at large will furnish him an example of self-denial, of patience under privations and sufferings, and of glorying in infirmities, which Paul himself would have respected and loved. On the whole, the editor is convinced that few works hitherto published, are calculated to be equally useful to the Church at large, or to the individual Christian; and, with these views concerning it, he cheerfully commends it to the blessing of Almighty God; without which the Word of Life, itself, becomes " a savour of death unto death." Boston, February 22, 1822. SERENO EDWARDS DWIGHT. |