David Brainerd Quotes

Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.

I care not where I go, or how I live, or what I endure so that I may save souls. When I sleep I dream of them; when I awake they are first in my thoughts.

Let me forget the world and be swallowed up in the desire to glorify God.

Give yourself to prayer, to reading and meditation on divine truths: strive to penetrate to the bottom of them and never be content with a superficial knowledge.

There is a God in heaven who overrules all things for the best; and this is the comfort of my soul.

Further, Take heed that you faithfully perform the business you have to do in the world, from a regard to the commands of God; and not from an ambitious desire of being esteemed better than others.

Oh! one hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world.

I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so I could but gain souls to Christ

I longed to be a flame of fire continually glowing in the divine service and building up of Christ's kingdom to my last and dying breath.

It is sweet to be nothing and less than nothing that Christ may be all in all.

I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God.

If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world.

As long as I see anything to be done for God, life is worth having; but O how vain and unworthy it is to live for any lower end!

When you cease from labour, fill up your time in reading, meditation, and prayer: and while your hands are labouring, let your heart be employed, as much as possible, in divine thoughts.

I love to live on the brink of eternity.

All my desire was the conversion of the heathen... I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world.

Oh that God would humble me deeply in the dust before Him! i deserve Hell every day for not lovingmy Lord more, who has, i trust, loved me and given Himself for me.

No amount of scholastic attainment, of able and profound exposition of brilliant and stirring eloquence can atone for the absence of a deep impassioned sympathetic love for human souls.

Once more, never think that you can live to God by your own power or strength; but always look to and rely on him for assistance, yea, for all strength and grace.

We are a long time in learning that all our strength and salvation is in God.

I hardly ever so longed to live to God and to be altigether devoted to Him. i want to wear out my life in His service, and for His Glory!!

Oh! it is sweet to be thus weaned from friends, and from myself, and dead to the present world, that so I may live wholly to and upon the blessed God!

Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God's glory!

I have a secret thought from some things I have observed, that God may perhaps design you for some singular service in the world.

Oh! how amazing it is that people can talk so much about men's power and goodness, when if God did not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate!

The Lord help me to press after God forever

Oh that I may never loiter on my heavenly journey.

My soul often mourned of more time and opportunity to be alone with God

I love to live alone in my own little cottage, where I can spend much time in prayer, etc

I have ever found it, when I have thought the battle was over and the conquest gained, and so let down my watch, the enemy has risen up and done me the greatest injury.

Worldly pleasures, such as flow from greatness, riches, honours, and sensual gratifications, are infinitely worse than none

Whatever else you fail of, do not fail of the influence of the Holy Spirit; that is the only way you can handle the consciences of men.

Ardent love or desire introduced, as passionately longing to please and glorify the Divine Being, to be in every respect conformed to him, and in that way to enjoy him.

Be careful to make a good improvement of precious time.

I have withstood the power of convictions a long time; and therefore I fear I shall be finally left of God.

God plans all perfect combinations.

I bless God for this retirement: I never was more thankful for any thing than I have been of late for the necessity I am under of self-denial in many respects.

First, Resolve upon, and daily endeavour to practise, a life of seriousness and strict sobriety.

Toward night, I felt my soul rejoice, that God is unchangeable happy and glorious and that He will be glorified, whatever becomes of His creatures.

I fear God never showed mercy to one so vile as I.

The all-seeing eye of God beheld our deplorable state; infinite pity touched the heart of the Father of mercies; and infinite wisdom laid the plan of our recovery.

God enabled me to so agonize in prayer that I was quite wet with perspiration, though in the shade and the cool wind. My soul was drawn out very much from the world, for multitudes of souls.

I hoped that my weary pilgrimage in the world would be short; and that it would not be long before I should be brought to my heavenly home and Father's house.

I am an old sinner; and if God had designed mercy for me, he would have called me home to himself before now.

I am more weary of life, I think, than ever I was.

I board with a poor Scotchman: his wife can talk scarce any English.

Oh, how precious is time, and how it pains me to see it slide away, while I do so little to any good purpose.

As to my success here I cannot say much as yet: the Indians seem generally kind, and well-disposed towards me, and are mostly very attentive to my instructions, and seem willing to be taught further.

It is remarkable that God began this work among the Indians at a time when I had the least hope, and to my apprehension the least rational prospect of success.

An eye for beauty instead of bleakness might have lightened some of his load.