Jonathan Edwards Preface to the Diary of David Brainerd
THERE are two ways of representing and recommending true religion and virtue to the world, which God hath made use of; the one is by doctrine and precept, the other is by instance and example; both are abundantly used in the Holy Scriptures. Not only are the grounds, nature, design and importance of religion clearly exhibited in the doctrines of Scripture, and its exercise and practice plainly delineated, and abundantly enjoined and enforced in its commands and counsels; but there we have many excellent examples of religion, in its power and practice set before us, in the histories of both the Old and New Testament.
Jesus Christ, the great Prophet of God, who came to be light to the world, to teach and enforce true religion, in a greater degree than ever had been before, made use of both these methods. In His doctrine He declared the mind and will of God, and the nature and properties of that virtue which becomes creatures in our circumstances, more clearly and fully than ever it had been before, and more powerfully enforced it by what He declared of the obligations and inducements to holiness; and He also in His own practice gave a most perfect example of the virtue He taught. He exhibited to the world such an illustrious pattern of humility, divine love, discreet zeal, self-denial, obedience, patience, resignation, fortitude, meekness, forgiveness, compassion, benevolence, and universal holiness, as neither men nor angels ever saw before. God also in HIs providence has been wont to make use of both these methods to hold forth light to mankind, and inducement to their duty, in all ages. He has from time to time raised up eminent teachers, to exhibit and bear testimony to the truth in their doctrine, and oppose the errors, darkness and wickedness of the world; and also has, from age to age, raised up some eminent persons that have set bright examples of that religion that is taught and prescribed in the Word of God; whose examples have in divine providence been set forth to public view. these have a great tendency to engage the attention of men to the doctrines and rules that are taught, and greatly to confirm and enforce them; and especially when these bright examples have been exhibited in the same persons that have been eminent teachers, so that the world has had opportunity to see such a confirmation of the truth, efficacy, and amiableness of the religion taught, in the practice of the same persons that have most clearly and forcibly taught it; and, above all, when these bright examples have been set by eminent teachers in a variety of unusual circumstances of remarkable trial; and God has withal remarkably distinguished them with wonderful success in their instructions and labours, consisting in glorious events that have been, in many respects, new and strange.
Such an instance we have in the excellent person whose Life is published in the following pages. His example is attended with a great variety of circumstances, tending to engage the attention of religious people, especially in these parts of the world. He was one of distinguished natural abilities; as all are sensible that had acquaintance with him. He was a minister of the Gospel, and one who was called to unusual services in that work, whose ministry was attended with very remarkable and unusual events, an account of which has already been given to the public; one whose course of religion began before the late times of extraordinary religious commotion, but yet one that lied in those times, and went through them, and was very much in the way of various extraordinary effects and unusual appearances of that day, and was not an idle spectator, but had a near concern in many things that passed at that time; one that had a very extensive acquaintance with those that have been the subject of the late religious operations, in man of these British colonies, in places far distant one from another, in people of many different nations, of different educations, manners and customs; one who had peculiar opportunity of acquaintance with the false appearances and counterfeits of religion; one who himself was the instrument of a most remarkable awakening, and an abiding alteration and moral transformation of such subjects as render the change rare and astonishing.
In the following account, the reader will see not only what were the external circumstances and remarkable incidents of the life of this person, and how he spend his time from day to day as to his external behavior; but also what passed in his own heart, the wonderful change that he experienced in his mind and disposition, the manner in which that change was brought to pass, how it continued, what were its consequences in his inward frames, thoughts, affections, and secret exercises, through many vicissitudes and trials, for more than eight years, till his death. He will also see how all ended at last, in his sentiments, frame, and behavior, during a long season of the gradual and sensible approach of death, under lingering illness, and what were the affects of his religion in dying circumstances, or in the last stages of his dying illness. The account being written, the reader may have the opportunity at his leisure to compare the various parts of the story and deliberately to view and weigh the whole, and consider how far what is related is agreeable to the dictates of right reason and holy Word of God.
I am far from supposing that Mr. Brainerd's inward exercises and experiences, or his external conduct, were free from all imperfection: the example of Jesus Christ is the only example that was ever set in the human nature, that was altogether perfect, which therefore is a rule to try all other examples by; and the dispositions, frames, and practices of others must be commended and followed no further than they were followers of Christ.
There is one thing in Mr. Brainerd, easily discernible by the following account of his life, that may be called an imperfection in him, which though not properly an imperfection of a moral nature, yet may possibly be made an objection against the extraordinary experiences of religion and devotion in him, by such as seek for objections against everything that can be produced in favour of true vital religion; and that is, that he was one who, by his constitution and natural temper, was so prone to melancholy and dejection of spirit. There are some who think that all serious religion is a melancholy thing, and that what is called Christian experience is little else than melancholy vapours, disturbing the brain, and exciting enthusiastic imaginations. But that Mr. Brainerd's temper or constitution inclined him to despondency is no just ground to suspect his extraordinary devotion as being only the fruit of of a warm imagination. I doubt not, but that all who have well observed mankind will readily grant this, that it is not all those who, by their natural constitution or temper, are most disposed to dejection, that are the persons who are the most susceptive of lively and strong impressions on their imagination, or the most subject to those vehement impetuous affections, which are the fruits of such impressions; but that many who are of a very gay and sanguine natural temper are vastly more so, and, if their affections are turned into a religious channel, are much more exposed to enthusiasm than many of the former.
And as to Mr. Brainerd in particular, notwithstanding his inclination to despondency, he was evidently one of that sort of persons who usually are the furthest from a teeming imagination; being one of a penetrating genius, of clear thought, close reasoning, and a very exact judgment; as all know that knew him. As he had a great insight into human nature, and was very discerning and judicious in things in general, so he excelled in his judgment and knowledge of things in divinity, but especially in things pertaining to inward experimental religion; most accurately distinguishing between real and solid piety and enthusiasm,, between those affections that are rational and Scriptural, having their foundation in light and judgment, and those that are founded i whimsical conceits, strong impressions on the imagination, and those vehement emotions of the animal spirits that arise from them. He was exceeding sensible of men's exposedness to these things, how much they had prevailed, and what multitudes had been deceived by them, of the pernicious consequences of them, and the fearful mischief they had done in the Christian world. He greatly abhorred such a sort of religion, and was abundant in bearing testimony against it, living and dying; and was quick to discern when anything of that nature arose, though in its first buddings, and appearing under the most fair and plausible disguises; and has that talent at describing the various workings of this imaginary enthusiastic religion, evincing the falseness and vanity of it, and demonstrating the great difference between this and true spiritual devotion, which I scarcely ever knew equaled in any other person.
His judiciousness not only appeared in distinguishing among the appearances of others, but also among the various exercises of his own mind; and particularly in discerning what within himself was to be laid to the score of melancholy; in which he exceeded all melancholy persons that ever I was acquainted with. This was doubtless owing to a peculiar strength in his judgment; it is a rare thing indeed that melancholy people are well sensible of their own disease, and fully convinced that such and such things are to be ascribed to it, as are indeed its genuine operations and fruits. Mr. Brainerd did not obtain that degree of skill which he had in this matter, at once, but gained it gradually; as the reader may discern by the following account of his life. In the former part of his religious course, he imputed much of that kind of gloominess of mind and those dark thoughts to spiritual desertion, which in the latter part of his life he was abundantly sensible were owing to the disease of melancholy; accordingly, he often expressly speaks of them in his Diary as arising from this cause; and he was often in conversation speaking of the difference between melancholy and godly sorrow, true humiliation and spiritual desertion, and the great danger of mistaking one for the other, and the very hurtful nature of melancholy, discoursing with great judgment upon it, and doubtless much more judiciously from what he knew from his own experience.
But, besides what may be argued from Mr. Brainerd's strength of judgment, it is apparent in fact that he was not a person of a warm imagination. His inward experiences, either in his convictions or his conversion, and his religious views and impressions through the course of his life to his death (of which he has left a very particular account), none of them consisted in, or were excited by, strong and lively images formed in his imagination. Nothing at all appears of it in his Diary, from beginning to end; yea, he told me on his deathbed that, although once when he was very young in years and experience, he was deceived into a high opinion of such things, looking on them as superior attainments in religion, beyond what he ever arrived to, and was ambitious of them, and earnestly sought them, yet he never could obtain them; and that he never in his life had a strong impression on his imagination of any visage, outward form, external glory, or any other thing of that nature; which kind of impressions abound among the wild enthusiastic people of the late and present day.
As Mr. Brainerd's religious impressions, views, and affections were in their nature vastly different from enthusiasm, so were their effects in him as contrary as possible to the ordinary effects of that. Nothing so puffs men up as enthusiasm, with a high conceit of their own wisdom, holiness, eminency, and sufficiency, and makes them so bold, forward, assuming and arrogant; but the reader will see that Mr. Brainerd's religion constantly disposed him to a most mean thought of himself, an abasing sense of his own exceeding sinfulness, deficiency, unprofitableness, and ignorance; looking on himself as worse than others; disposing him to universal benevolence, meekness, and in honour to prefer others, and to treat all with kindness and respect.
And when melancholy prevailed, though the effects of it were prejudicial to him, yet it had not those effects of enthusiasm; but operated by dark and discouraging thoughts of himself, as ignorant, wicked, and wholly unfit of the work of the ministry, or even to be seen among mankind.
At the time aforementioned, when he had not learned well to distinguish between enthusiasm and solid religion, and joining and keeping company with some that were tinged with no small degree of the former, he for a season partook of their disposition and behavior; though, as was observed before, he could not obtain those things wherein their enthusiasm itself consisted, and so could not become like them in that respect, however he erroneously desired and sought it. But certainly it is not at all to be wondered at that a young and a young convert, one that had his heart so swallowed up in religion, and so earnestly desired the flourishing of it, but had so little opportunity for reading, observation, and experience, should for a while be dazzled and deceived with the glaring appearances of that mistaken devotion and zeal; especially considering what the extraordinary circumstances of that day were. He told me on his death-bed that while he was in these circumstances he was out of his element, and did violence to himself, while complying in his conduct with persons of a fierce and imprudent zeal, from his great veneration of some that he looked upon much better than himself. So that it would be very unreasonable that his error at that time should nevertheless be esteemed a just ground of prejudice against the whole of his religion, and his character in general; especially considering how greatly his mind was soon changed, and how exceedingly he afterwards lamented his error, and abhorred himself for his imprudent zeal and misconduct at that time, even to the breaking the strength of his nature; and how much of a Christian spirit he showed in his condemning himself for that misconduct as the reader will see.
What has been now mentioned of Mr. Brainerd is so far from being just ground of prejudice against what is related in the following account of his life, that, if duly considered, it will render the history the more serviceable. For, by thus joining for a season with enthusiasts, he had a more full and intimate acquaintance with what belonged to that sort of religion, and so was under better advantages to judge of the difference between that and the other, which he finally approved and strove to his utmost to promote, in opposition to it. Hereby, also, the reader has the more to demonstrate to him, that Mr. Brainerd, in his testimony against it, and the spirit and behavior of those that are influenced by it, speaks from impartial conviction and not from prejudice; because therein he openly condemns his own former opinion and conduct, on account of which he had greatly suffered from his opposers, and for which some continued to reproach him as long as he lived.
Another imperfection in Mr. Brainerd, which may be observed in the following account of his life, was his being excessive in his labours; not taking due care to proportion his fatigues to his strength. Indeed, the case was very often so, and such the seeming calls of Providence, that it was extremely difficult for him to avoid doing more than his strength would well admit of; yea, circumstances, and the business of his mission among the indians were such that great fatigues and hardships were altogether inevitable. However, he was finally convinced that he had erred in this matter, and that he ought to have taken more thorough care, and been more resolute to withstand temptations, to such degrees of labour as injured his health; and accordingly warned his brother, who succeeds him in his mission, to be careful to avoid this error.
Beside the imperfections already mentioned, it is readily allowed that there were some imperfections that ran through his whole life, and were mixed with all religious affections and exercises, some mixture of what was natural with that which was spiritual; as it is evermore is in the best saints in this world. Doubtless there was some influence that natural temper had in the religious exercises and experiences of Mr. Brainerd, as there most apparently was in the exercises of devout David, and the apostles Peter, John and Paul. There was undoubtedly very often some influence of his natural disposition to dejection in his religious mourning, some mixture of melancholy with truly godly sorrow and real Christian humility, and some mixture of the natural fire of youth with his holy zeal for God, and some influence of natural principles mixed with grace in various other respects, as it ever was, and ever will be, with the saints while on this side of heaven. Perhaps none was more sensible of Mr. Brainerd's imperfections than he himself; or could distinguish more accurately than he between what was natural and what was spiritual. It is easy for the judicious reader to observe that his graces ripened, and the religious exercises of his heart became more and more pure, and he more and more distinguishing in his judgment, the longer he lived; he had much to teach and purify him, and he failed not to make his advantage of it.
But, notwithstanding all these imperfections, I am persuaded every pious and judicious reader will acknowledge that what is here set before him is indeed a remarkable instance of true and eminent Christian piety in heart and practice, tending greatly to confirm the reality of vital religion, and the power of godliness, most worthy of imitation, and many ways tending to the spiritual benefit of the careful observer.
It is fit the reader should be aware that what Mr. Brainerd wrote in his Diary, out of which the following account of his life is chiefly taken, was written only for his own private use, and not to get honour and applause in the world, nor with any design that the world should ever see it, either while he lived or after his death, excepting some few things that he wrote in a dying state, after he had been persuaded with difficulty not entirely to suppress all his private writings. He showed himself almost invincibly averse to the publishing of any part of his Diary after his death; and, when he was thought to be dying at Boston, he gave the most peremptory orders to the contrary; but, being by some of his friends prevailed upon to withdraw so strict and absolute prohibition, he was pleased finally to yield so far as that "his papers should be left in my hands, that I might dispose of them as I thought would be most for God's glory and the interest of religion." JONATHAN EDWARDS
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