Page 1 - Good News October 2013 paper

y almost every standard known to modern tongue almost in his face, and then without any
Missionary Boards, David Brainerd would apparent reason, glided swiftly away into the
Bhave been rejected as a missionary brushwood. 'The Great Spirit is with the paleface!'
candidate. He was tubercular - died of that disease the Indians said; and thus they accorded him a
at twenty-nine - and from his youth was frail and prophet's welcome."
sickly. He never finished college, being unfairly
expelled from Yale for criticizing a professor and for That incident in Brainerd's ministry illustrates the
his interest and attendance in meetings of the "New many Divine interventions of God in his life - it also
Lights," a religious organization. He was prone to illustrates the importance and intensity of prayer in
be melancholy and despondent. Brainerd's life. Believe it - Brainerd prayed! Read the
Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan
Yet this young man, who would have been Edwards. On page after page one reads such
considered a real risk by any present-day Mission sentences as:
Board, became a missionary to the American Red Wednesday, April 21. ...and God
Indians and, in the most real sense, "the pioneer of again enabled me to wrestle for
modern missionary work." Brainerd began his numbers of souls, and had much
ministry with the Indians in April, 1743, at fervency in the sweet duty of
Kannameek, New York, then ministered in intercession...
Crossweeksung and Cranberry (near Newark), New Lord's Day, April 25. This morning
Jersey. These were the areas of his greatest I spent about two hours in secret
successes. duties and was enabled more than
ordinarily to agonize for immortal
Brainerd's first journey to the Forks of the Delaware souls. Though it was early in the
to reach that ferocious tribe resulted in a miracle of Continued on p. 5
Continued on p. 5
God that preserved his life and revered him among
the Indians as a "Prophet of God." Encamped at the
outskirts of the Indian settlement, Brainerd planned
to enter the Indian community the next morning to
preach to them the Gospel of Christ. Unknown to
him, his every move was being watched by warriors
who had been sent out to kill him. F.W. Boreham
recorded the incident:

"But when the braves drew closer to Brainerd's
tent, they saw the paleface on his knees. And as he
prayed, suddenly a rattlesnake slipped to his side,
lifted up its ugly head to strike, flicked its forked