Sweetly Set on God

Book excerpt: Sweetly Set on God introduces readers to the life and journal writings of David Brainerd (1718–1747), best remembered for his missionary work among the American Indians. Dustin Benge begins by presenting the events of Brainerd’s short life and the intense personal spiritual piety that undergirded his pioneering missionary work. Then, in fifty-one excerpts drawn from Brainerd’s journal, readers will discover his evangelical humiliation, his understanding that God had altered his sinful human nature, his sensitivity to sin, and his holiness of life. Read this book and come to view Brainerd as Jonathan Edwards, his biographer, did: as “a remarkable instance of true and eminent Christian piety in heart and practice.” Table of Contents: Section One: Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness Section Two: May I Daily Be More and More Conformed to Thee Section Three: I Must Be Dependent on God Section Four: Distressed for the Interest of Zion Section Five: The Important Trust Committed to Me Section Six: Much Assisted in Preaching Section Seven: God Has Inclined Their Hearts to Hear Section Eight: That God Might Be Glorified Series Description Seeking, then, both to honor the past and yet not idolize it, we are issuing these books in the series Profiles in Reformed Spirituality . The design is to introduce the spirituality and piety of the Reformed Profiles in Reformed Spirituality tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of notable Christians with select passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketches and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the subjects’ contributions to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through their works. It is the hope of the publishers that this series will provide riches for those areas where we are poor and light of day where we are stumbling in the deepening twilight.