N04758:72
True saints, when absent from the body, are present with the Lord. A sermon…
True saints, when absent from the body, are present with the Lord. A sermon preached on the day of the funeral of the Rev. Mr. David Brainerd, Missionary to the Indians, from the Honourable Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, and Pastor of a church of Christian Indians in New-Jersey; who died at Northampton, in New-England, Octob. 9th. 1747, in the 30th year of his age, and was interred on the 12th following. : Containing some account of his character, and manner of life, and remarkable speeches and behaviour at death. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; [Five lines from Psalms]True saints, when absent from the body, are present with the Lord. A sermon preached on the day of the funeral of the Rev. Mr. David Brainerd, Missionary to the Indians, from the Honourable Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, and Pastor of a church of Christian Indians in New-Jersey; who died at Northampton, in New-England, Octob. 9th. 1747, in the 30th year of his age, and was interred on the 12th following. : Containing some account of his character, and manner of life, and remarkable speeches and behavior at death. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; [Five lines from Psalms]
printed by Rogers and Fowle for D. Henchman, 1747
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Absent from the Body, AND Present with the LORD. › APPLICATION.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
He seemed to have remarkable Exercises of Resignation to the Will of GOD. He once told me, that he had longed for the Out-pouring of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, and the glorious Times of the Church; and hoped they were coming; and should have been willing to have lived to promote Religion at that Time, if that had been the Will of GOD. But (says he) I am willing it should be as it is: I would not have the Choice to make for my self for Ten Thousand Worlds.*
He seem'd to have remarkable Exercises of Resignation to the Will of GOD. He once told me, that he had longed for the Out-pouring of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, and the glorious Times of the Church; and hoped they were coming; and should have been willing to have lived to promote Religion at that Time, if that had been the Will of GOD. But (says he) I am willing it should be as it is: I would not have the Choice to make for my self for Ten Thousand Worlds.*
- *He writes thus in his Diary, Aug. 23. 1747. In the Week past, I had divers Turns of inward Refreshing. Though my Body was inexpressibly weak, followed continually with Agues and Fevers, sometimes my Soul center'd in GOD as my only Portion; and I felt I should be forever unhappy, if he did not reign. I saw the Sweetness and Happiness of being his Subject, at his Disposal. This made all my Difficulties quickly vanish.
He several Times spake of the different Kinds of Willingness to die: And spoke of it as an ignoble mean Kind of Willingness to die, to be willing, only to get rid of Pain, or to go to Heaven only to get Honour and Advancement there. H•s own Longings for Death seemed to be quite of a different Kind, and for nobler Ends. When he was first taken with something like a Diarrhea, which is looked upon as one of the last and most fatal Symptoms in a Consumption, he said, O now the glorious Time is coming! I have longed to serve GOD perfectly; and GOD will gratify these Desires. And at one Time and another, in the latter Part of his Illness, he uttered these Expressions. My Heaven is, to please GOD, and glorify him, and give all to him, and to be wholly devoted to his Glory: That is the Heaven I long for: That is my Religion; and that is my Happiness; and always was, ever since I supposed I had any true Religion: And all those that are of that Religion, shall meet me in Heaven. —I don't go to Heaven to be advanced, but to give Honour to GOD. 'Tis no Matter where I shall be stationed in