Thanksgiving and David Brainerd

Jonathan Edwards gave several sermons on Thanksgiving Day, but here we look at a passage from David Brainerd's journal.

Wednesday, November 5. Rode to Elizabethtown; intending as soon as possible to prosecute my journey into New England. But was, in an hour or two after my arrival, taken much worse.

After this, for near a week, was confined to my chamber, and most of the time to my bed: and then so far revived as to be able to walk about the house; but was still confined within doors.

In the beginning of this extraordinary turn of disorder, after my coming to Elizabethtown, I was enabled through mercy to maintain a calm, composed, and patient spirit, as I had been before from the beginning of my weakness. After I had been in Elizabethtown about a fortnight, and had so far recovered that I was able to walk about [the] house, upon a day of thanksgiving kept in this place, I was enabled to recall and recount over the mercies of God in such a manner as greatly affected me and filled me (I think) with thankfulness and praise to God: Especially my soul praised him for his work of grace among the Indians and the enlargement of his dear kingdom: My soul blessed God for what he is in himself, and adored him, that he ever would display himself to creatures: I rejoiced that he was God, and longed that all should know it and feel it and rejoice in it. "Lord, glorify thyself", was the desire and cry of my soul. Oh, that all people might love and praise the blessed God: that he might have all possible honor and glory from the intelligent world!1

After this comfortable thanksgiving season, I frequently enjoyed freedom and enlargement and engagedness of soul in prayer, and was enabled to intercede with God for my dear congregation, very often for every family and every person in particular; and it was often a great comfort to me that I could pray heartily to God for those to whom I could not speak, and whom I was not allowed to see.