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
“The next morrow being Friday, he not being able to write, did dictate out
the rest of a paper, which he had been before writing himself, and did
subscribe it before two witnesses, who also did subscribe; wherein he gave
faithful and clear testimony to the work and cause of God, and against the
enemies thereof, to stop the mouths of calumniators and to confirm his
children.
“In all his discourses this was mixed as one thing, that he longed for the
time of relief, and rejoiced because it was so near. His breath being very
short, he said, ‘Where the hallelujahs are sung to the Lamb, there is no
shortness of breath!’ And being in very great pain all the Friday night,
his mother said in the morning, ‘In all appearance you will not have
another night.’ To which he said, ‘Think you that your word will hold
good?’ She said, ‘I fear it will hold over good.’ He said, ‘Not over
good.’ That day he blessed his children and some others, (Mr Patrick
Simson, the writer of this) and said, ‘God bless you: and as you carry the
name of your grandfather, so God grant you his graces.’ That afternoon,
being Saturday, came Mr Samuel Rutherford, who, among other things, said,
‘The day, I hope, is dawning, and breaking in your soul, that shall never,
have an end.’ He said, ‘It is not broken yet; but though I walk in
darkness and see no light, yet I will trust in the name of the Lord and
stay upon my God!’ Mr Samuel said, ‘Would not Christ be a welcome guest to
you?’ He answered, ‘Welcome! the welcomest guest that ever I saw.’ He said
further, ‘Doth not your soul love Christ above all things?’ He answered,
‘I love him heartily: who ever knew any thing of him but would love him!’
“Mr James Wilson going to pray, asked ‘What petitions he would have him to
put up for him?’ He said, ‘For more of himself, and strength to carry me
through the dark valley.’
“Saturday night he became weaker, and inclined to drowsiness and sleeping,
and was discerned in his drowsiness a little to rave; yet being till the
last half hour in his full and perfect senses, and having taken a little
jelly and drink, about half an hour before his death he spake as sensibly
betwixt as ever, and blessed some persons that morning with very spiritual
and heavenly expressions. About seven or eight of the clock his drowsiness
encreased, and he was overheard in it speaking (after he had spoken more
imperfectly some words before) those words, ‘Glory! Glory! a seeing of
God! a seeing of God! I hope it shall be for his glory!’ After he had
taken a little refreshment of jelly, and a little drink through a reed, he
said that the giving him these things made him drowsy; and a little
afterwards, ‘There is a great drowsiness on me, I know not how it comes.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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