David Brainerd was born in Haddam, of Hertford, Connecticut, on April 20th 1718. His father died when he was nine years old, and his mother died when he was fourteen. Brainerd was the third son of nine children, there being five sons and four daughters. He was a sober, unhappy child, but oblivious to sin until the age of seven or eight years of age. At that time, he became slightly concerned of salvation and afraid of death. Brainerd began to ponder eternity when, in the winter of 1732, sickness was prevalent in Haddam. He wanted heaven and the joy that comes with salvation, but didn’t fully understand conversion. In April, a year after his mother died, Brainerd moved from his father’s house to East Haddam. There he spent four years, but …show more content…
One afternoon in particular Brainerd preached on Luke 15:16-23 and witnessed people of all ages bowed down in concern, old men and women, little children of no more than six or seven years, and people of middle age. In one circumstance, a young Indian woman that it seemed never realized that she had a soul came to see what was happening among her people. During the service, her soul was so convicted that she cried out and laying down on the ground she prayed for hours at a time. Brainerd saw how remarkable God’s timing was in how He began to work in the hearts of the Indians in the time the great missionary had the lowest amount of hope.
John Brainerd, David Brainerd’s brother came to visit in 1746, this being the first visit from a family member since he had become a missionary. Beginning in August, Brainerd started to cough blood and feel weak in his body, by September he experienced fevers, loss of appetite, vomiting, loss of rest because of pains in his chest and back. Although his body made him feel uncomfortable, he still was in a good state of mind, willing to live or die. He soon lost strength because of his sickness, but yearned for fasting and