The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)Gillespie, George
Religion
The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)
Gillespie, George
Church of Scotland -- History; Gillespie, George, 1613-1648
was an English gentleman said to him, that he heard Mr Gillespie preach,
and he said, he believed he was one of the greatest Presbyterians in the
world. He was taken from the Greyfriars’ Church to the New Church. He has
written several pieces, as ‘Aaron’s Rod Blossoming,’ and ‘Some Miscellany
Questions,’ and his ‘Assertion of the Government of the Church of
Scotland, about Ruling Elders.’ He had several little books wherein he set
down his remarks upon the proceedings of the Assembly at
Westminster.”—WODROW’S ANALECTA, vol. iii. pp. 109-18.
“What follows here I have in conversation with Mr Patrick Simpson, whose
memory was most exact. What concerns Mr Gillespie, and the Marquis of
Montrose, I read over to him, and he corrected. The rest are hints I set
down after conversation, when two or three days with him in his house at
Renfrew, in the year 1707.
(ACCOUNT OF THE LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH OF MR GEORGE GILLESPIE.)
“Mr George Gillespie being moderator of the Assembly held at Edinburgh,
July 12th, 1648, was all the time thereof, as also half a year before, in
a greater weakness of body than ordinary; that being now come to a height,
which long before had been gathering. He had a great hoasting and
sweating, which in the time of the General Assembly began to grow worse;
but being extraordinarily (so I may say) upheld, was not so sensible as
when the Assembly dissolved it appeared to be. On occasion whereof, the
next Wednesday after the rising of the Assembly, he went with his wife
over to Kirkcaldy, there intending to tarry for a space, till it should
please the Lord, by the use of means, to restore him to some more health
to come over again. But when he was come there, his weakness and disease
grew daily more and more, so that no application of any strength durst be
used towards him. It came to that, he kept his chamber still to his death,
wearing and wasting hoasting, and sweating. Ten days before his death his
sweating went away, and his hoasting lessened, yet his weakness still
encreased, and his flux still continued. On Wednesday morning, which day
he began to keep his bed, his pain began to be very violent, his breath
more obstructed, his heart oppressed; and that growing all the next night
to a very great height, in the midst of the night there were letters
written to his brother, and Mr Rutherford, and Mr John Row, his death
approaching fast. On Friday all day, and Thursday all night, he was at
some ease. Friday at night, till Saturday in the afternoon, in great
violence, the greatness of pain causing want of sleep. Mr Rutherford and
Lord Craigihall came to visit him. Thus much for his body. Now I’ll speak
a little of what concerns his soul, and the exercise of his mind all the
while.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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