TO
MR.
BRAINERD’S JOURNAL:
CONTAINING
HIS GENERAL REMARKS ON THE DOCTRINES PREACHED,
THEIR
EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS, &c.
SECT.
I.
The
doctrine preached to the Indians.
BEFORE
I conclude the present Journal, I would make a few general remarks
upon what to me appears worthy of notice, relating to the continued work
of grace among my people. And, first, I cannot but take notice, that I
have, in the general, ever since my first coming among these Indians in
New Jersey, been favoured with that assistance, which to me is uncommon,
in preaching Christ crucified, and making him the centre
and mark to which all my discourses among them were directed.
It
was the principal scope and drift of all my discourses to this people,
for several months together, (after having taught them something of the
being and perfections of God, his creation of man in a state
of rectitude and happiness, and the obligations mankind were thence under
to love and honour him,) to lead them into an acquaintance with their deplorable
state by nature, as fallen creatures: their inability to
extricate and deliver themselves from it: the utter insufficiency
of any external reformations and amendments of life, or of any religious
performances, they were capable of, while in this state, to bring
them into the favour of God, and interest them in his eternal mercy. And
thence to show them their absolute need of Christ to redeem and
save them from the misery of their fallen state.--To open his all-sufficiency
and willingness to save the chief of sinners.--The freeness and
riches of divine grace, proposed “without money, and without price,”
to all that will accept the offer.--And thereupon to them without delay,
to betake themselves to him, under a sense of their misery and undone
state, for relief and everlasting salvation.--And to show them the abundant
encouragement the gospel proposes to needy, perishing, and helpless sinners,
in order to engage them so to do. These things I repeatedly and
largely insisted upon from time to time.
And
I have oftentimes remarked with admiration, that whatever subject I have
been treating upon, after having spent time sufficient to explain and illustrate
the truths contained therein, I have been naturally and easily
led to CHRIST as the substance of every subject. If I treated on
the being and glorious perfections of God, I was thence naturally
led to discourse of Christ as the only “way to the Father.”--If I attempted
to open the deplorable misery of our fallen state, it was natural from
thence to show the necessity of Christ to undertake for us, to atone for
our sins, and to redeem us from the power of them. If I taught the commands
of God, and showed our violation of them, this brought me in the most easy
and natural way, to speak of and recommend the Lord Jesus Christ, as one
who had “magnified the law” we had broken, and who was “become the end
of it for righteousness, to every one that believes.” And never did I find
so much freedom and assistance in making all the various lines of my discourses
meet together, and centre in Christ, as I have frequently done among these
Indians.
Sometimes
when I have had thoughts of offering but a few words upon some particular
subject, and saw no occasion, nor indeed much room, for any considerable
enlargement, there has at unawares appeared such a fountain of gospel-grace
shining forth in, or naturally resulting from, a just explication
of it, and Christ has seemed in such a manner to be pointed out as the
substance of what I was considering and explaining, that I have
been drawn in a way not only easy and natural, proper
and pertinent, but almost unavoidable, to discourse of him,
either in regard of his undertaking, incarnation, satisfaction, admirable
fitness for the work of man’s redemption, or the infinite need that sinners
stand in of an interest in him; which has opened the way for a continual
strain of gospel-invitation to perishing souls, to come empty and
naked, weary and heavy laden, and cast themselves
upon them.
And
as I have been remarkably influenced and assisted to dwell upon the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation by him, in the general current of
my discourses here, and have been at times surprisingly furnished with
pertinent matter relating to him, and the design of his incarnation;
so I have been no less assisted oftentimes in regard of an advantageous
manner of opening the mysteries of divine grace, and representing
the infinite excellencies and “unsearchable riches of Christ,” as well
as of recommending him to the
acceptance of perishing sinners. I have frequently
been enabled to represent the divine glory, the infinite preciousness
and transcendent loveliness of the great Redeemer; the suitableness of
his person and purchase to supply the wants, and answer the utmost desires,
of immortal souls:--to open the infinite riches of his grace, and the wonderful
encouragement proposed in the gospel to unworthy, helpless sinners:--to
call, invite, and beseech them to come and give up themselves to him, and
be reconciled to God through him:--to expostulate with them respecting
their neglect of one so infinitely lovely, and freely offered:--and this
in such a manner, with such freedom, pertinency, pathos,
and application to the conscience, as, I am sure, I never could have made
myself master of by the most assiduous application of mind. And frequently
at such seasons I have been surprisingly helped in adapting my discourses
to the capacities of my people, and bringing them down into such
easy and familiar methods of expression, as has rendered them intelligible
even to pagans.
I
do not mention these things as a recommendation of my own performances;
for I am sure I found, from time to time, that I had no skill or wisdom
for my great work; and knew not how “to choose out acceptable words” proper
to address poor benighted pagans with. But thus God was pleased to help
me, “not to know any thing among them, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Thus I was enabled to show them their misery without him,
and to represent his complete fitness to redeem and save them.
And
this
was the preaching God made use of for the awakening of sinners, and the
propagation of this “work of grace among the Indians.”--And it was remarkable,
SECT.
II. MORAL EFFECTS OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 417
from
time to time, that when I was favoured with any special freedom,
in discoursing of the “ability and willingness of Christ to save sinners,”
and “the need they stood in of such a Saviour,” there was then the greatest
appearance of divine power in awakening numbers of secure souls, promoting
convictions begun, and comforting the distressed.
I
have sometimes formerly, in reading the apostle’s discourse to Cornelius,
(Acts x.) wondered to see him so quickly introduce the Lord Jesus Christ
into his sermon, and so entirely dwell upon him through the whole of it,
observing him in this point very widely to differ from many of our modern
preachers: but latterly this has not seemed strange, since Christ has appeared
to be the substance of the gospel, and the centre in which
the several lines of divine revelation meet. Although I am still sensible
there are many things necessary to be spoken to persons under pagan darkness,
in order to make way for a proper introduction of the name of Christ, and
his undertaking in behalf of fallen man.
SECT.
II.
Morality,
sobriety, and external duties, promoted by preaching Christ crucified.
IT
is worthy of remark, secondly, that numbers of these people are brought
to a strict compliance with the rules of morality and sobriety,
and to a conscientious performance of the external duties of Christianity,
by the internal power and influence of divine truths--the peculiar
doctrines of grace--upon their minds; without their having these moral
duties frequently repeated and inculcated upon them, and the contrary
vices particularly exposed and spoken against. What has been the general
strain and drift of my preaching among these Indians; what
were the truths I principally insisted upon, and how I was influenced and
enabled to dwell from time to time upon the peculiar doctrines of grace;
I have already observed in the preceding remarks. Those doctrines, which
had the most direct tendency to humble the fallen creature, to show
him the misery of his natural state, to bring him down to the foot
of sovereign mercy, and to exalt the great Redeemer--discover his
transcendent excellency and infinite preciousness, and so to recommend
him to the sinner’s acceptance--were the subject-matter of what was delivered
in public and private to them, and from time to time repeated and inculcated
upon them.
And
God was pleased to give these divine truths such a powerful influence upon
the minds of these people, and so to bless them for the effectual awakening
of numbers of them, that their lives were quickly reformed, without my
insisting upon the precepts of morality, and spending time
in repeated harangues upon external duties. There was indeed no
room for any kind of discourses but those that respected the essentials
of religion, and the experimental knowledge of divine things, whilst
there were so many inquiring daily--not how they should regulate their
external conduct, for that persons, who are honestly disposed
to comply with duty, when known, may, in ordinary cases, be easily satisfied
about, but--how they should escape from the wrath they feared, and felt
a desert of,--obtain an effectual change of heart,--get an interest
in Christ,--and come to the enjoyment of eternal blessedness? So that my
great work still was to lead them into a further view of their utter
undoneness in themselves, the total depravity and corruption of their
hearts; that there was no manner of goodness in them; no good dispositions
nor desires; no love to God, nor delight in his commands: but, on the contrary,
hatred, enmity, and all manner of wickedness reigning in them:--and at
the same time to open to them the glorious and complete remedy provided
in Christ for helpless, perishing sinners, and offered freely to those
who have no goodness of their own, no “works of righteousness which they
have done,” to recommend them to God.
This
was the continued strain of my preaching; this my great concern and constant
endeavour, so to enlighten the mind, as thereby duly to affect the heart,
and, as far as possible, give persons a sense and feeling
of these precious and important doctrines of grace, at least, so far as
means might conduce to it. And these were the doctrines,--this the method
of preaching, which were blessed of God for the awakening, and, I trust,
the saving conversion of numbers of souls,--and which were made the means
of producing a remarkable reformation among the hearers in general.
When
these truths were felt at heart, there was now no vice unreformed,--no
external duty neglected.--Drunkenness, the darling vice, was broken off
from, and scarce an instance of it known among my hearers for months together.
The abusive practice of husbands and wives in putting away
each other, and taking others in their stead, was quickly reformed; so
that there are three or four couple who have voluntarily dismissed those
they had wrongfully taken, and now live together again in love and peace.
The same might be said of all other vicious practices.--The reformation
was general; and all springing from the internal influence of divine
truths upon their hearts; and not from any external restraints,
or because they had heard these vice particularly exposed, and repeatedly
spoken against. Some of them I never so much as mentioned; particularly,
that of the parting of men and their wives, till some, having their conscience
awakened by God’s word, came, and of their own accord confessed
themselves guilty in that respect. And when I did at any time mention their
wicked practices, and the sins they were guilty of contrary to the light
of nature, it was not with design, nor indeed with any hope, of working
an effectual reformation in their external manners by this means, for I
knew, that while the tree remained corrupt, the
fruit
would naturally be so; but with design to lead them, by observing
the wickedness of their lives, to a view of the corruption of their
hearts, and so to convince them of the necessity of a renovation
of nature, and to excite them with utmost diligence to seek after that
great change, which, if once obtained, I was sensible, would of course
produce a reformation of external manners in every respect.
And
as all vice was reformed upon their feeling the power of these truth
upon their hearts, so the external duties of Christianity were complied
with, and conscientiously performed, from the same internal influence;
family prayer set up, and constantly maintained, unless among some few
more lately come, who had felt little of this divine influence. This duty
was constantly performed, even in some families where there were none but
females, and scarce a prayerless person to be found among near a
hundred of them. The Lord’s day was seriously and religiously observed,
and care taken by parents to keep their children orderly upon that sacred
day, &c. And this, not because I had driven them to the performance
of these duties by a frequent inculcating of them, but because they had
felt the power of God’s word upon their hearts,--were made sensible
of their sin and misery, and thence could not but pray, and comply with
every thing they knew was duty, from what they felt within themselves.
When their hearts were touched with a sense of their eternal concerns,
they could pray with great freedom, as well as fervency, without being
at the trouble first to learn set forms for that purpose. And some
of them who were suddenly awakened at their first coming among us, were
brought to pray and cry for mercy with utmost importunity, without ever
being instructed in the duty of prayer, or so much as once directed to
a performance of it.
The
happy effects of these peculiar doctrines of grace, which I have so much
insisted upon with this people, plainly discover, even to demonstration,
that instead of their opening a door to licentiousness, as many vainly
imagine, and slanderously insinuate, they have a direct contrary tendency:
so that a close application, a sense and feeling of them,
will have the most powerful influence toward the renovation, and effectual
reformation, both of heart and life.
And
happy experience, as well as the word of God, and the example of Christ
and his apostles, has taught me, that the very method of preaching which
is best suited to awaken in mankind a sense and lively apprehension of
their depravity and misery in a fallen state,--to excite them earnestly
to seek after a change of heart, and to
418
BRAINERD’S JOURNAL. APPEND. I.
fly
for refuge
to free and sovereign grace in Christ, as the only hope set before them,
is like to be most successful toward the reformation of their external
conduct.--I have found that close addresses, and solemn applications of
divine truth to the conscience, tend directly to strike death to the root
of all vice; while smooth and plausible harangues upon moral virtues
and external duties, at best are like to do no more than lop off
the branches of corruption, while the root of all vice remains
still untouched.
A
view of the blessed effect of honest endeavours to bring home divine truths
to the conscience, and duly to affect the heart with them, has often minded
me of those words of our Lord, (which I have thought might be a proper
exhortation for ministers in respect of their treating with others, as
well as for persons in general with regard to themselves,) “Cleanse first
the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside may be clean also.”
Cleanse, says he, the inside, that the outside may be clean. As
if he had said, The only effectual way to have the outside clean, is to
begin with what is within; and if the fountain be purified, the
streams will naturally be pure. And most certain it is, if we can
awaken in sinners a lively sense of their inward pollution and depravity--their
need of a change of heart--and so engage them to seek after inward
cleansing, their external defilement will naturally be cleansed,
their vicious ways of course be reformed, and their conversation
and behaviour become regular.
Now,
although I cannot pretend that the reformation among my people does, in
every instance, spring from a saving change of heart; yet I may truly say,
it flows from some heart-affecting view and sense of divine truths
that all have had in a greater or less degree.--I do not intend, by what
I have observed here, to represent the preaching of morality, and
pressing persons to the external performance of duty, to be altogether
unnecessary and useless at any time; and especially at times when
there is less of divine power attending the means of grace;--when, for
want of internal influences, there is need of external restraints.
It is doubtless among the things that “ought to be done,” while “others
are not to be left undone.”--But what I principally designed by this remark,
was to discover plain matter of fact, viz. That the reformation,
the sobriety, and external compliance with the rules and duties of Christianity,
appearing among my people are not the effect of any mere doctrinal
instruction, or merely rational view of the beauty of morality,
but from the internal power and influence that divine truths (the soul-humbling
doctrines of grace) have had upon their hearts.
SECT.
III.
Continuance,
renewal, and quickness of the work.
IT
is remarkable, thirdly, that God has so continued and renewed
showers of his grace here:--so quickly set up his visible kingdom
among these people; and so smiled upon them in relation to their
acquirement of knowledge, both divine and human. It is now near a year
since the beginning of this gracious outpouring of the divine Spirit among
them: and although it has often seemed to decline and abate for some short
space of time--as may be observed by several passages of my Journal,
where I have endeavoured to note things just as they appeared to me--yet
the shower has seemed to be renewed, and the work of grace revived
again. So that a divine influence seems still apparently to attend the
means of grace, in a greater or less degree, in most of our meetings for
religious exercises: whereby religious persons are refreshed, strengthened,
and established,--convictions revived and promoted in many instances,--and
some few persons newly awakened from time to time. Although it must be
acknowledged, that for some time past, there has, in the general, appeared
a more manifest decline of this work, and the divine Spirit has seemed,
in a considerable measure, withdrawn, especially in regard of his awakening
influence--so that the strangers who come latterly, are not seized
with concern as formerly; and some few, who have been much affected with
divine truths in time past, now appear less concerned.--Yet, blessed be
God, there is still an appearance of divine power and grace, a desirable
degree of tenderness, religious affection, and devotion in our assemblies.
And
as God has continued and renewed the showers of his grace among this people
for some time; so he has with uncommon quickness set up his visible
kingdom, and gathered himself a church in the midst of them. I have now
baptized, since the conclusion of my last Journal, (or the
First Part,) thirty persons, fifteen adults and fifteen
children. Which added to the number there mentioned, makes seventy-seven
persons; whereof thirty-eight are adults, and thirty-nine
children; and all within the space of eleven months past.--And it
must be noted, that I have baptized no adults, but such as appeared to
have a work of special grace wrought in their hearts; I mean such who have
had the experience not only of the awakening and humbling, but, in a judgment
of charity, of the renewing and comforting, influences of the divine Spirit.
There are many others under solemn concern for their souls, who (I apprehend)
are persons of sufficient knowledge, and visible seriousness, at present,
to render them proper subjects of the ordinance of baptism. Yet, since
they give no comfortable evidences of having as yet passed a saving
change, but only appear under convictions of their sin and misery, and
having no principle of spiritual life wrought in them, they are liable
to lose the impressions of religion they are now under. Considering also,
the great propensity there is in this people naturally to abuse
themselves with strong drink, and fearing lest some, who at present appear
serious and concerned for their souls, might lose their concern, and return
to this sin, and so, if baptized, prove a scandal to their profession,
I have therefore thought proper hitherto to omit the baptism of any but
such who give some hopeful evidences of a saving change, although
I do not pretend to determine positively respecting the states of any.
I
likewise administered the Lord’s supper to a number of persons, who I have
abundant reason to think (as I elsewhere observed) were proper subjects
of that ordinance, within the space of ten months and ten days
after my first coming among these Indians in New Jersey. And from the time
that, I am informed, some of them were attending an idolatrous feast
and sacrifice in honour to devils, to the time they sat down
at the Lord’s table, (I trust,) to the honour of God, was not more than
a full year. Surely Christ’s little flock here, so suddenly gathered
from among pagans, may justly say, in the language of the church of old,
“The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”
Much
of the goodness of God has also appeared in relation to their acquirement
of knowledge, both in religion and in the affairs of common life. There
has been a wonderful thirst after christian knowledge prevailing
among them in general, and an eager desire of being instructed in christian
doctrines and manners. This has prompted them to ask many pertinent as
well as important questions; the answers to which have tended much to enlighten
their minds, and promote their knowledge in divine things. Many of the
doctrines I have delivered, they have queried with me about, in order to
gain further light and insight into them; particularly the doctrine of
predestination: and have from time to time manifested a good understanding
of them, by their answers to the questions proposed to them in my catechetical
lectures.
They
have likewise queried with me, respecting a proper method as well
as proper matter of prayer, and expressions suitable to be used
in that religious exercise; and have taken pains in order to the performance
of this duty with understanding.--They have likewise taken pains, and appeared
remarkably apt, in learning to sing psalm tunes, and are now able
to sing with a good degree of decency in the worship of God.--They have
also acquired a considerable degree of useful knowledge in the affairs
of common life: so that they now appear like rational creatures,
fit for human society, free of that savage roughness and brutish stupidity,
which rendered them very disagreeable in their pagan state.
They
seem ambitious of a thorough acquaintance with the English language, and
for that end frequently speak it among themselves; and many of them have
made good
SECT
IV. CONTINUANCE, &c. OF THE WORK. 419
proficiency
in their acquirement of it, since my coming among them; so that most of
them can understand a considerable part, and some the substance of my discourses,
without an interpreter, (being used to my low and vulgar methods
of expression,) though they could not well understand other ministers.
And
as they are desirous of instruction, and surprisingly apt in the reception
of it, so Divine Providence has smiled upon them in regard of proper
means in order to it.--The attempts made for the procurement of a school
among them have been succeeded, and a kind Providence has sent them a schoolmaster
of whom I may justly say, I know of “no man like minded, who will naturally
care for their state.”--He has generally thirty or thirty-five
children in his school: and when he kept an evening school (as he did while
the length of the evenings would admit of it) he had fifteen or
twenty people, married and single.
The
children learn with surprising readiness; so that their master
tells me, he never had an English school that learned, in general, comparably
so fast. There were not above two in thirty, although some
of them were very small, but what learned to know all the letters
in the alphabet distinctly, within three days after his entrance
upon his business; and divers in that space of time learned to spell
considerably: and some of them, since the beginning of February last,*
(at which time the school was set up,) have learned so much, that they
are able to read in a Psalter or Testament, without spelling.
They
are instructed twice a week in the Reverend Assembly’s Shorter Catechism,
viz.
on Wednesday and Saturday. Some of them, since the latter end of
February, (at which time they began,) have learned to say it pretty distinctly
by heart considerably more than half through; and most of
them have made some proficiency in it.
They
are likewise instructed in the duty of secret prayer, and most of them
constantly attend it night and morning, and are very careful to inform
their master if they apprehend any of their little school-mates neglect
that religious exercise.
SECT.
IV.
But
little appearance of false religion.
IT
is worthy to be noted, fourthly, to the praise of sovereign grace, that
amidst so great a work of conviction--so much concern and religious
affection--there has been no prevalency, nor indeed any considerable
appearance of
false religion, if I may term it, or heats
of imagination, intemperate zeal, and spiritual pride; which corrupt mixtures
to often attend the revival and powerful propagation of religion; and that
there have been so very few instances of irregular and scandalous behaviour
among those who have appeared serious. I may justly repeat what I observed
in a remark at the conclusion of my last Journal,† viz. That
there has been no appearance of “bodily agonies, convulsions, frightful
screaming, swoonings,” and the like: and may now further add, that there
has been no prevalency of visions, trances, and imaginations of
any kind; although there has been some appearance of something of
that nature since the conclusion of that Journal. An instance of which
I have given an account of in my Journal of December 26.
But
this work of grace has, in the main, been carried on with
a surprising degree of purity, and freedom from trash and
corrupt mixture. The religious concern that persons have been under, has
generally been
rational and just; arising from a sense
of their sins, and exposedness to the divine displeasure on the account
of them; as well as their utter inability to deliver themselves from the
misery they felt and feared. And if there has been, in any instances, an
appearance of irrational concern and perturbation of mind, when
the subjects of it knew not why, yet there has been no prevalency
of any such thing; and indeed I scarce know of any instance of that nature
at all.--And it is very remarkable, that although the concern of many persons
under convictions of their perishing state has been very great and pressing,
yet I have never seen any thing like desperation attending it in
any one instance. They have had the most lively sense of their undoneness
in themselves; have been brought to give up all hopes of deliverance
from themselves; and their spiritual exercises leading hereto, have been
attended with great distress and anguish of soul: and yet in the seasons
of the greatest extremity, there has been no appearance of despair
in any of them,--nothing that has discouraged, or in any wise hindered,
them from the most diligent use of all proper means for their conversion
and salvation; whence it is apparent there is not that danger of persons
being driven into despair under spiritual trouble, (unless in cases
of deep and habitual melancholy,) that the world in general is ready to
imagine.
The
comfort
that persons have obtained after their distresses, has likewise in general
appeared solid, well grounded, and scriptural; arising from a spiritual
and supernatural illumination of mind,--a view of divine things
in a measure as they are,--a complacency of soul in the divine perfections,--and
a peculiar satisfaction in the way of salvation by free sovereign
grace in the great Redeemer.
Their
joys have seemed to rise from a variety of views and considerations of
divine things, although for substance the same. Some, who under conviction
seemed to have the hardest struggles and heart-risings against divine sovereignty,
have seemed, at the first dawn of their comfort, to rejoice in a peculiar
manner in that divine perfection,--have been delighted to think
that themselves, and all things else, were in the hand of God, and that
he would dispose of them “just as he pleased.”
Others,
who just before their reception of comfort, have been remarkably oppressed
with a sense of their undoneness and poverty, who have seen themselves,
as it were, falling down into remediless perdition, have been at first
more peculiarly delighted with a view of the freeness and riches
of divine grace, and the offer of salvation made to perishing sinners “without
money, and without price.”
Some
have at first appeared to rejoice especially in the wisdom of God,
discovered in the way of salvation by Christ; it then appearing to them
“a new and living way,” a way they had never thought, nor had any just
conception of, until opened to them by the special influence of
the divine Spirit. And some of them, upon a lively spiritual view
of this way of salvation, have wondered at their past folly in seeking
salvation other ways, and have admired that they never saw this
way of salvation before, which now appeared so plain and easy,
as well as excellent to them.
Others
again have had a more general view of the beauty and excellency
of Christ, and have had their souls delighted with an apprehension of his
divine glory, as unspeakably exceeding all they had ever conceived
of before; yet without singling out any one of the divine perfections in
particular; so that although their comforts have seemed to arise from a
variety of views and considerations of divine glories, still they
were spiritual and supernatural views of them, and not groundless
fancies, that were the spring of their joys and comforts.
Yet
it must be acknowledged, that when this work became so universal
and prevalent, and gained such general credit and esteem among the
Indians, that Satan seemed to have little advantage of working against
it in his own proper garb; he then transformed himself “into an
angel of light,” and made some vigorous attempts to introduce turbulent
commotions of the passions in the room of genuine convictions of
sin; imaginary and fanciful notions of Christ, as appearing to the mental
eye in a human shape, and being in some particular postures, &c. in
the room of spiritual and supernatural discoveries of his
divine glory and excellency; as well as divers other delusions. And I have
reason to think, that if these things had met with countenance and encouragement,
there would have been a very considerable harvest of this kind of
converts here.
Spiritual
pride
also discovered itself in various instances. Some persons who had been
under great affections, seemed very desirous from thence of being thought
truly gracious; who when I could not but express to them my
*
In less than five mouths, viz. from Feb. 1, to June 19.
†
That is, the First Part of the Journal.
420
BRAINERD’S JOURNAL. APPEND. I.
fears
respecting their spiritual states, discovered their resentments to a considerable
degree upon that occasion. There also appeared in one or two
of them an unbecoming ambition of being teachers of others. So that
Satan has been a busy adversary here, as well as elsewhere.
But blessed be God, though something of this nature has appeared, yet nothing
of it has prevailed, nor indeed made any considerable progress at
all. My people are now apprised of these things, are made acquainted that
Satan in such a manner “transformed himself into an angel of light,”
in the first season of the great outpouring of the divine Spirit
in the days of the apostles; and that something of this nature, in a greater
or less degree, has attended almost every revival and remarkable
propagation of true religion ever since. And they have learned so
to distinguish between the gold and dross, that the credit
of the latter “is trodden down like the mire of the streets:” and it being
natural for this kind of stuff to die with its credit, there
is now scarce any appearance of it among them.
And
as there has been no prevalency of irregular heats, imaginary notions,
spiritual pride, and satanical delusions among my people; so there has
been very few instances of scandalous and irregular behaviour
among those who have made a profession or even an appearance
of seriousness. I do not know of more than three or four such persons
that have been guilty of any open misconduct since their first acquaintance
with Christianity, and not one that persists in any thing of that
nature. And perhaps the remarkable purity of this work in the latter
respect, its freedom from frequent instances of scandal, is very much owing
to its purity in the former respect, its freedom from corrupt mixtures
of spiritual pride, wild-fire, and delusion, which naturally lay a foundation
for scandalous practices.
“May
this blessed work in the power and purity of it prevail among the poor
Indians here, as well as spread elsewhere, till their remotest tribes shall
see the salvation of God! Amen.”*
SECOND
APPENDIX
TO
MR.
BRAINERD’S JOURNAL:
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF HIS
METHOD
OF LEARNING THE INDIAN LANGUAGE, AND OF INSTRUCTING THE INDIANS;
TOGETHER
WITH
THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH LIE IN THE WAY OF THEIR CONVERSION.
INTRODUCTION.
I
SHOULD have concluded what I had at present to offer, upon the affairs
respecting my mission, with the preceding account of the money collected
and expended for the religious interests of the Indians, but that
I have not long since received from the reverend president of the correspondents,
the copy of a letter directed to him from the Honourable Society for propagating
Christian Knowledge, dated at Edinburgh, March 21, 1745. Wherein I find
it is expressly enjoined upon their missionaries, “That they give an exact
account of the methods they make use of for instructing themselves in the
Indians’ language, and what progress they have already made in it. What
methods they are now taking to instruct the Indians in the principles of
our holy religion. And particularly that they set forth in their
Journals what difficulties they have already met with, and the methods
they make use of for surmounting the same.”
As
to the two former of these particulars, I trust that what I have
already noted in my Journals from time to time, might have been in a good
measure satisfactory to the Honourable Society, had these Journals arrived
safely
*
Money collected and expended for the Indians.--As mention has been
made in the preceding Journal, of an English school erected and
continued among these Indians, dependent entirely upon charity; and as
collections have already been made in divers places for the support
of it, as well as for defraying other charges that have necessarily arisen
in the promotion of the religious interests of the Indians, it may be satisfactory,
and perhaps will be thought by some but a piece of justice to the world,
that an exact account be here given of the money already received by way
of collection for the benefit of the Indians, and the manner in
which it has been expended.
The
following is therefore a just account of this matter:--
Money
received since October last, by way of public collection, for promoting
the religious interests of the Indians in New Jersey, viz.
£s.d.
From
New York....23102
Jamaica
on Long Island...300
Elizabeth-town....750
Elizabeth-town
farms....1189
Newark.....457
Woodbridge.....2182
Morris-town......153
Freehold.....12110
Freehold
Dutch congregation..4143
Shrewsbury
and Shark river..350
Middle-town
Dutch congregation..200
--------------
Carried
forward...£66132
£s.d.
Brought
forward...£66132
The
Dutch congregation in and about New
Brunswick ...350
King’s-town...5110
Neshaminy,
and places adjacent in Pennsylvania 14510
Abington
and New Providence, by the hand of
the
Reverend Mr. Treat...1050
--------------
The
whole amounting to..£10000
--------------
Money
paid out since October last for promoting the religious interests of the
Indians in New Jersey, viz.
Upon
the occasion mentioned in my Journal
of
January 28...8250
For
the building a School-house..350
To
the schoolmaster as a part of his reward
for
his present year’s service.17100
For
books for the children to learn in300
--------------
The
whole amounting to..£10600
--------------
DAVID
BRAINERD
SECT.
I. METHOD OF LEARNING THE INDIAN LANGUAGE. 121
and
seasonably, which I am sensible they have not in general done, by
reason of their falling into the hands of the enemy, although I have been
at the pains of sending two copies of every Journal, for more than two
years past, lest one might miscarry in the passage. But with relation to
the latter of these particulars, I have purposely omitted saying
any thing considerable, and that for these two reasons. First, because
I could not oftentimes give any tolerable account of the difficulties
I met with in my work, without speaking somewhat particularly of the causes
of them, and the circumstances conducing to them, which would necessarily
have rendered my Journals very tedious. Besides, some of the causes of
my difficulties I thought more fit to be concealed than divulged. And,
secondly, because I thought a frequent mentioning of the difficulties
attending my work, might appear as an unbecoming complaint under my burden;
or as if I would rather be thought to be endowed with a singular measure
of self-denial, constancy, and holy resolution, to meet and confront so
many difficulties, and yet to hold on and go forward amidst them all. But
since the Honourable Society are pleased to require a more exact
and particular account of these thing, I shall cheerfully endeavour
something for their satisfaction in relation to each of these particulars:
although in regard of the latter I am ready to say, Infandum--jubes
renovare dolorem.
SECT.
I.
Method
of learning the Indian language.
THE
most successful method I have taken for instructing myself in any
of the Indian languages, is, to translate English discourses by the help
of an interpreter or two, into their language as near verbatim as the sense
will admit of, and to observe strictly how they use words, and what construction
they will bear in various cases; and thus to gain some acquaintance with
the root from whence particular words proceed, and to see how they are
thence varied and diversified. But here occurs a very great difficulty;
for the interpreters being unlearned, and unacquainted with the rules of
language, it is impossible sometimes to know by them what part of speech
some particular word is of, whether noun, verb, or participle;
for they seem to use participles sometimes where we should use nouns,
and sometimes where we should use verbs in the English language.
But
I have, notwithstanding many difficulties, gained some acquaintance with
the grounds of the Delaware language, and have learned most of the defects
in it; so that I know what English words can, and what cannot, be translated
into it. I have also gained some acquaintance with the particular phraseologies,
as well as peculiarities of their language, one of which I cannot
but mention. Their language does not admit of their speaking any word denoting
relation, such as, father, son, &c. absolutely; that is, without
prefixing a pronoun-passive to it, such as my, thy, his,
&c. Hence they cannot be baptized in their own language in the name
of the Father, and the Son, &c.; but they may be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ and his Father, &c. I have gained
so much knowledge of their language, that I can understand a considerable
part of what they say, when they discourse upon divine things, and am frequently
able to correct my interpreter, if he mistakes my sense. But I can do nothing
to any purpose at speaking the language myself.
And
as an apology for this defect, I must renew, or rather enlarge, my former
complaint, viz. That “while so much of my time is necessarily consumed
in journeying,” while I am obliged to ride four thousand miles a year,
(as I have done in the year past,) “I can have little left for any of my
necessary studies, and consequently for the study of the Indian languages.”
And this, I may venture to say, is the great, if not the only, reason why
the Delaware language is not familiar to me before this time. And it is
impossible I should ever be able to speak it without close application,
which, at present, I see no prospect of having time for. To preach and
catechise frequently; to converse privately with persons that need so much
instruction and direction as these poor Indians do; to take care of all
their secular affairs, as if they were a company of children; to
ride abroad frequently in order to procure collections for the support
of the school, and for their help and benefit in other respects;
to hear and decide all the petty differences that arise among any of them;
and to have the constant oversight and management of all their affairs
of every kind, must needs engross most of my time, and leave me little
for application to the study of the Indian languages. And when I add to
this, the time that is necessarily consumed upon in my Journals, I must
say I have little to spare for other business. I have not (as was observed
before) sent to the Honourable Society less than two copies of every Journal,
for more than two years past; most of which, I suppose, have been taken
by the French in their passage. And a third copy I have constantly kept
by me, lest the others should miscarry. This has caused me not a little
labour, and so straitened me for time, when I have been at liberty from
other business, and had opportunity to sit down to write, which is but
rare, that I have been obliged to write twelve and thirteen hours in a
day; till my spirits have been extremely wasted, and my life almost spent,
to get these writings accomplished. And after all; after diligent application
to the various parts of my work, and after the most industrious improvement
of time I am capable of, both early and late, I cannot oftentimes possibly
gain two hours in a week for reading or any other studies, unless just
for what appears of absolute necessity for the present. And frequently
when I attempt to redeem time, by sparing it out of my sleeping hours,
I am by that means thrown under bodily indisposition, and rendered fit
for nothing.--This is truly my present state, and is like to be so, for
aught I can see, unless I could procure an assistant in my work,
or quit my present business.
But
although I have not made that proficiency I could wish to have done, in
learning the Indian languages; yet I have used all endeavours to instruct
them in English tongue, which perhaps will be more advantageous to the
christian interest among them, than if I should preach in their own language;
for that is very defective, (as I shall hereafter observe,) so that many
things cannot be communicated to them without introducing English terms.
Besides, they can have no books translated into their language,
without great difficulty and expense; and if still accustomed to their
own language only, they would have no advantage of hearing other ministers
occasionally, or in my absence. So that my having a perfect acquaintance
with the Indian language would be of no great importance with regard to
this congregation of Indians in New Jersey, although it might be of great
service to me in treating with the Indians elsewhere.
SECT.
II.
Method
of instructing the Indians.
THE
method I am taking to instruct the Indians in the principles of our holy
religion, are, to preach, or open and improve some particular points of
doctrine; to expound particular paragraphs, or sometimes whole chapters,
of God’s word to them; to give historical relations from Scripture of the
most material and remarkable occurrences relating to the church of God
from the beginning; and frequency to catechise them upon the principles
of Christianity. The latter of these methods of instructing I manage in
a twofold manner. I sometimes catechise systematically, proposing
questions agreeable to the Reverend Assembly’s Shorter Catechism.
This I have carried to a considerable length. At other times I catechise
upon any important subject that I think difficult to them. Sometimes when
I have discoursed upon some particular point, and made it as plain and
familiar to them as I can, I then catechise them upon the most material
branches of my discourse, to see whether they had a thorough understanding
of it. But as I have catechised chiefly in a systematical form,
I shall here give some specimen of the method I make use of in it, as well
as of the propriety and justness of my people’s answers to the questions
proposed to them.
422
BRAINERD’S JOURNAL. APPEND. II.
Questions
upon the benefits believers receive from Christ at death.
Q.
I have shown you, that the children of God receive a great many good things
from Christ while they live, now have they any more to receive when they
come to die?--A. Yes.
Q.
Are the children of God then made perfectly free from sin?--Yes.
Q.
Do you think they will never more be troubled with vain, foolish, and wicked
thoughts?--A. No, never at all.
Q.
Will not they then be like the good angels I have so often told you of?--A.
Yes.
Q.
And do you call this a great mercy to be freed from all sin?--A.
Yes.
Q.
Do all God’s children count it so?--A. Yes, all of them.
Q.
Do you think this is what they would ask for above all things, if
God should say to them, Ask what you will, and it shall be done for you?--A.
O yes, be sure, this is what they want.
Q.
You say the souls of God’s people at death are made perfectly free from
sin, where do they go then?--A. They go and live with Jesus Christ.
Q.
Does Christ show them more respect and honour, and make them more happy*
than we can possibly think of in this world?-A. Yes.
Q.
Do they go immediately to live with Christ in heaven, as soon as
their bodies are dead? or do they tarry somewhere else a while?--A.
They go immediately to Christ.
Q.
Does Christ take any care of the bodies of his people when they are dead,
and their souls gone to heaven, or does he forget them?--A. He takes
care of them.
These
questions were all answered with surprising readiness, and without once
missing, as I remember. And in answering several of them which respected
deliverance from sin, they were much affected, and melted with the hopes
of that happy state.
Questions
upon the benefits believers receive from Christ at the resurrection.
Q.
You see I have already shown you what good things Christ gives his good
people while they live, and when they come to die; now, will he raise their
bodies, and the bodies of others, to life again at the last day?--A.
Yes, they shall all be raised.
Q.
Shall they then have the same bodies they now have?-A. Yes.
Q.
Will their bodies then be weak, will they feel cold, hunger, thirst, and
weariness, as they now do?--A. No, none of these things.
Q.
Will their bodies ever die any more after they are raised to life?--A.
No.
Q.
Will their souls and bodies be joined together again?--A. Yes.
Q.
Will God’s people be more happy then, than they were while their bodies
were asleep?--A. Yes.
Q.
Will Christ then own these to be his people before all the world?--A.
Yes.
Q.
But God’s people find so much sin in themselves, that they are often ashamed
of themselves, and will not Christ be ashamed to own such for his friends
at that day?--A. No, he never will be ashamed of them.
Q.
Will Christ then show all the world, that he has put away these people’s
sins,† and that he looks upon them as if they had never sinned at all?--A.
Yes.
Q.
Will he look upon them as if they had never sinned, for the sake of any
good things they have done themselves, or for the sake of his righteousness
accounted to them as if it was theirs?--A. For the sake of his righteousness
counted to them, not for their own goodness.
Q.
Will God’s children then be as happy as they can desire to be?--Yes.
Q.
The children of God while in this world, can but now and then draw near
to him, and they are ready to think they can never have enough of God and
Christ, but will they have enough there, as much as they can desire?--A.
O yes, enough, enough.
Q.
Will the children of God love him then as much as they desire, will they
find nothing to hinder their love from going to him?--A. Nothing
at all, they shall love him as much as they desire.
Q.
Will they never be weary of God and Christ, and the pleasures of heaven,
so as we are weary of our friends and enjoyments here, after we have been
pleased with them awhile?--A. No, never.
Q.
Could God’s people be happy if they knew God loved them, and yet felt at
the same time that they could not love and honour him?--A. No, no.
Q.
Will this then make God’s people perfectly happy, to love God above all,
to honour him continually, and to feel his love to them?--A. Yes.
Q.
And will this happiness last for ever?--A. Yes, for ever, for ever.
These
questions, like the former, were answered without hesitation or missing,
as I remember, in any one instance.
Questions
upon the duty which God requires of men.
Q.
Has God let us know any thing of his will, or what he would have us to
do to please him?--A. Yes.
Q.
And does he require us to do his will, and to please him?--A. Yes.
Q.
Is it right that God should require this of us, has he any business to
command us as a father does his children?--A. Yes.
Q.
Why is it right that God should command us to do what he pleases?--A.
Because he made us, and gives us all our good things.
Q.
Does God require us to do any thing that will hurt us, and take away our
comfort and happiness?--A. No.
Q.
But God requires sinners to repent and be sorry for their sins, and to
have their hearts broken; now, does not this hurt them, and take away their
comfort, to be made sorry, and to have their hearts broken?--A.
No, it does them good.
Q.
Did God teach man his will at first by writing it down in a book, or did
he put it into his heart, and teach him without a book what was right?--A.
He put it into his heart, and made him know what he should do.
Q.
Has God since that time writ down his will in a book?--A. Yes.
Q.
Has God written his whole will in his book; has he there told us all that
he would have us believe and do?--A. Yes.
Q.
What need was there of this book, if God at first put his will into the
heart of man, and made him feel what he should do?--A. There was
need of it, because we have sinned, and made our hearts blind.
Q.
And has God writ down the same things in his book, that he at first put
into the heart of man?--A. Yes.
In
this manner I endeavour to adapt my instructions to the capacities of my
people; although they may perhaps seem strange to others who have never
experienced the difficulty of the work. And these I have given an account
of, are the methods I am from time to time pursuing, in order to instruct
them in the principles of Christianity. And I think I may say, it is my
great concern that these instructions be given them in such a manner,
that they may not only be doctrinally taught, but duly affected
thereby, that divine truths may come to them, “not in word only, but in
power, and in the Holy Ghost,” and be received “not as the word of man.”
*
The only way I have to express their “entering into glory,” or being glorified;
there being no word in the Indian language answering to that general term.
†
The only way I have to express their being openly-acquitted. In
like manner, when I speak of justification, I have no other way but to
call it God’s looking upon us as good creatures.
SECT.
III AVERSION OF THE INDIANS TO CHRISTIANITY. 423
SECT.
III.
Difficulties
attending the christianizing of the Indians--First difficulty, the rooted
aversion to Christianity that generally prevails among them.
I
SHALL now attempt something with relation to the last particular required
by the Honourable Society in their letter, viz. To give some account
of the “difficulties I have already met with in my work, and the methods
I make use of for surmounting the same.” And, in the first instance, first,
I have met with great difficulty in my work among these Indians, “from
the rooted aversion to Christianity that generally prevails among them.”
They are not only brutishly stupid and ignorant of divine things, but many
of them are obstinately set against Christianity, and seem to abhor even
the christian name.
This
aversion to Christianity arises partly from a view of the “immorality and
vicious behaviour of many who are called Christians.” They observe that
horrid wickedness in nominal Christians, which the light of nature condemns
in themselves: and not having distinguishing views of things, are ready
to look upon all the white people alike, and to condemn them alike,
for the abominable practices of some.--Hence when I have attempted
to treat with them about Christianity, they have frequently objected the
scandalous practices of Christians. They have observed to me, that the
white people lie, defraud, steal, and drink worse than the Indians;
that they have taught the Indians these things, especially the latter of
them; who before the coming of the English, knew of no such thing as strong
drink: that the English have, by these means, made them quarrel and kill
one another; and, in a word, brought them to the practice of all those
vices that now prevail among them. So that they are now vastly more vicious,
as well as much more miserable, than they were before the coming of the
white people into the country.--These, and such like objections, they frequently
make against Christianity, which are not easily answered to their satisfaction;
many of them being facts too notoriously true.
The
only way I have to take in order to surmount this difficulty, is
to distinguish between nominal and real Christians; and to
show them, that the ill conduct of many of the former proceeds not
from their being Christians, but from their being Christians only in name,
not in heart, &c. To which it has sometimes been objected, that
if all those who will cheat the Indians are Christians only in name,
there are but few left in the country to be Christians in heart.
This, and many other of the remarks they pass upon the white people, and
their miscarriages, I am forced to own, and cannot but grant, that many
nominal Christians are more abominably wicked than the Indians.
But then I attempt to show them, that there are some who feel the power
of Christianity, and that these are not so. I ask them, when they ever
saw me guilty of the vices they complain of, and charge Christians in general
with? But still the great difficulty is, that the people who live back
in the country nearest to them, and the traders that go among them,
are generally of the most irreligious and vicious sort; and the conduct
of one or two persons, be it never so exemplary, is not sufficient to counterbalance
the vicious behaviour of so many of the same denomination, and so to recommend
Christianity to pagans.
Another
thing that serves to make them more averse to Christianity, is a “fear
of being enslaved.” They are, perhaps, some of the most jealous people
living, and extremely averse to a state of servitude, and hence are always
afraid of some design forming against them. Besides, they seem to have
no sentiments of generosity, benevolence, and goodness; that if any thing
be proposed to them, as being for their good, they am ready rather to suspect,
that there is at bottom some design forming against them, than that such
proposals flow from good-will to them, and a desire of their welfare. And
hence, when I have attempted to recommend Christianity to their acceptance,
they have sometimes objected, that the white people have come among them,
have cheated them out of their lands, driven them back to the mountains,
from the pleasant places they used to enjoy by the sea-side &c.; that
therefore they have no reason to think the white people are now seeking
their welfare; but rather that they have sent me out to draw them together,
under a pretence of kindness to them, that they may have an opportunity
to make slaves of them, as they do of the poor negroes, or else to ship
them on board their vessels, and make them fight with their enemies, &c.
Thus they have oftentimes construed all the kindness I could show them,
and the hardships I have endured in order to treat with them about Christianity.
“He never would (say they) take all this pains to do us good, he must have
some wicked design to hurt us some way or other.” And to give them assurance
of the contrary, is not an easy matter, while there are so many who (agreeable
to their apprehension) are only “seeking their own,” not the good of others.