Tomorrow morning, I will be using a few quotes from David Brainerd in my sermon. The title of the sermon is “A Biblical Approach to Life” from James 4:13-17. If ever there was a man completely resigned to God’s will for his life, it was the short-lived yet incredibly powerful life of David Brainerd. I have read The Life and Diary of David Brainerd edited by Jonathan Edwards three times. While some find this work boring and an all-around drudge to read, I find in this a man completely honest with himself and his thoughts towards God.

As I spent time in reading about this man’s life, I put together my own time line of the events in his life. I will post it below, in hopes of two things, really. (1) That you would become more knowledgeable of whom I speak in the sermon and (2) that you would be encouraged to spend some time in reading about the life of David Brainerd yourself, if you have not already. I highly commend to you the book mentioned above, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, which may be easily acquired here.

Timeline of the
Life of David Brainerd

 

· Born April 20, 1718.

· Father dies May 24, 1727, age 9, which has great impact on his melancholy disposition in life.

· Converted on July 12, 1739 at age 21.

· January 1740, he first becomes ill with measles while studying at Yale. This is the first of many illnesses to come.

· March 1741 he becomes drawn into Great Awakening under the preaching of one, Gilbert Tennent when he was preaching at Yale.

· Spring 1742 he was expelled from Yale just one year prior to his completion of his degree for attending a New Light “separate” meeting and allegedly making negative comments about then rector Thomas Clap.

· July 1742 he was licensed by the Eastern District of Fairfield County to preach in their congregations.

· August 1742 he preaches to the Indians for the first time from the text Job 14:14, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” He preached at a village along the Houstatonic River called Scaticook in Connecticut.

· Mid-November 1742 he is examined by the Society in Scotland for the Propagating of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) and later commissioned as their missionary.

· March 14, 1743, he leaves for Stockbridge, Massachusetts to study the Indian tongue under veteran missionary John Sergeant.

· July 1743 he completes the building of his 1st cottage to dwell among the Indians at Kaunaumeek.

· Mid-September he meets Jonathan Edwards at Yale’s fall commencement.

· May 1744 he leaves his current work among the Kaunaumeek without much success to go and serve along the Forks of the Delaware (his original intended destination among appointment with the SSPCK) and the Indians that lived there.

· June 12, 1744 he was ordained by the Presbytery of New York. Jonathan Dickinson and Aaron Burr examined him and Ebenezer Pemberton preached his ordination charge.

· December 1744 he moves into his 2nd cottage to live and serve among the Indians along the Forks of the Delaware.

· June 19, 1745, he arrives at Crossweeksung to minister to the Indians there. This is the location where he would be allowed to see the fruits of his ministry.

· July 1745 1st baptism of Indians. This baptism occurring at the Forks of the Delaware.

· August 25, 1745 2nd baptism of Indians. This baptism occurring at Crossweeksung.

· December 1745 he began holding a weekly Saturday evening catechetical lecture to provide the natives with systematic doctrinal training based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

· June 1746 3rd baptism of Indians. This one also occurring at Crossweeksung.

· November 2, 1746 he is taken seriously ill – at which he would never recover.

· November 5, 1746 he arrives at the home of Jonathan Dickinson to recuperate.

· March 20, 1747, he makes final visit to Indians.

· April 14, 1747, David’s brother John is commissioned to take over his brother’s ministry among the Indians.

· May 1747 he arrives at the home of Jonathan Edwards where he will spend the final days of his life this side of glory.

· September 1747 he attends his last church service.

· October 9, 1747 David Brainerd passed away sometime in the first hours of dawn.

· October 12, 1747, Jonathan Edwards preaches David Brainerd’s funeral. His text was taken from 2 Cor. 5:8 and the title of his sermon was, “True Saints, when absent with the body are present with the Lord.” David Brainerd is buried at the Northampton Cemetery in Northampton, Connecticut.

Sources used:

Edwards, Jonathan, ed. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd.

Christie, Vance. Heroes of the Faith – Into All the World: Four Stories of Pioneer Missionaries. Pages 9-54.