[¹] This was the last Sabbath that ever he performed public service at Kaunaumeek, and these the last sermons that ever he preached there.
Monday, March 12. My spirit was full of quietness, and love to mankind; and I longed that peace should reign on the earth: I was grieved at the very thoughts of a fiery, angry, and intemperate zeal in religion; mourned over my past follies; and confided in God for grace sufficient for my future work and trials.—Spent the day mainly in hard labour, making preparation for my intended journey.
Wednesday, March 14. I enjoyed some intenseness of soul in prayer, repeating my petitions for God’s presence in every place, and besought the Lord that I might not be too much pleased with my dear friends and acquaintance. Near ten I set out on my journey, and before night came to Stockbridge.
Thursday, March 15. I rode down to Sheffield. Here I met a messenger from East-Hampton on Long-Island; who by the unanimous vote of that large town, was sent to invite me thither, in order to settle with that people; I knew not what to do; but endeavoured to commit the cause to God.
[The two next days, he went no farther than Salisbury, being hindered by the rain. When he came there, he was much indisposed.—He speaks of comfortable and profitable conversation with Christian friends, on these days.]
Lord’s day, March 18. [At Salisbury] I was exceeding weak and faint, so that I could scarce walk: but God was pleased to afford me much freedom, clearness, and fervency in preaching.—Here another messenger met me, and informed me of the vote of another congregation, to give me an invitation to come among them. I was something exercised in mind. O that God would “send forth faithful labourers into his harvest!”
[After this, he went forward on his journey towards New-York and New-Jersey: in which he proceeded slowly; performing his journey under great bodily indisposition. However, he preached several times by the way, in which he had considerable assistance: he speaks of comfort in conversation with Christian friends; but yet complains of a decline of vivacity, by means of his constant removal from place to place, and want of retirement. He came to New-York on Wednesday, March 28, and to Elisabeth-Town on the Saturday following, where it seems he waited till the commissioners came together.]
Thursday, April 5. I attended on the commissioners in their meeting,[¹] and resolved to go on still with the Indian affair, if divine providence permitted; although I had before felt some inclination to go to East-Hampton.[²]
[¹] The Indians at Kaunaumeek being but few in number, and Mr. Brainerd having now been labouring among them about a year, and having prevailed upon them to leave Kaunaumeek, and remove to Stockbridge, to live constantly under Mr. Sergeant’s ministry; he thought he might now do more service for Christ among the Indians elsewhere: and therefore went this journey to New-Jersey to lay the matter before the commissioners; who met at Elisabeth-Town, on this occasion, and determined that he should forthwith leave Kaunaumeek, and go to the Delaware Indians.
[²] By the invitations Mr. Brainerd lately received, it appears that it [♦]was not from necessity, or for want of opportunities to settle among the English, that he was determined to forsake all outward comforts, and to go and spend his life among the brutish savages. He had, just as he was leaving Kaunaumeek, an earnest invitation to a settlement at East-Hampton on Long-Island, the fairest, pleasantest town on the whole island, and one of its largest and most wealthy parishes. The people there were unanimous in their desires to have him for their pastor, and for a long time continued in an earnest pursuit of it. Besides he had an invitation to Millington; which was near his native town, and in the midst of his friends. Nor did Mr. Brainerd chuse the business of a missionary, rather than accept of those invitations, because he was unacquainted with the difficulties and sufferings which attended such a service: for he had had experience of these difficulties in summer and winter: having spent about a twelvemonth in a lonely desert among these savages, where he had gone through extreme hardships, a train of outward and inward sorrows. Notwithstanding all these things, he chose still to go on; and that although the place he was now going to, was at a much greater distance from most of his friends, acquaintance, and native land.