main in this land, which, I hope, shall be to the coming of
our Lord. You know he spent his strength, wore out his days, and that he
did breathe out his life in the service of God, and of this church; this
binds it on us and posterity, to account him the fairest ornament after
Mr. John Knox of incomparable memory, that ever the church of Scotland
did enjoy[67]."

Beside the forenamed papers, with another intitled the remonstrance of
the nobility, &c. a tract on church government, and an instruction for
defensive arms, &c. the general assembly appointed him, Mr. Calderwood
and Mr. Dickson, to prepare a directory for the worship of God, which
not only had the desired effect, but at length brought about uniformity
in all our churches. There are also some few of his sermons in print,
some of which were preached before the parliament.

_The Life of Mr. GEORGE GILLESPIE._

Mr. George Gillespie was son to Mr. John Gillespie, sometime minister of
the gospel at Kirkaldy. After Mr. George had been some time at the
university (where he surpassed the most part of his fellow-students) he
was licensed to preach some time before the year 1638, but could have no
entry into any parish because the bishops had then the ascendant in the
affairs of the church. This obliged him to remain for some time
chaplain[68], in the family of the earl of Cassils.----And here it was,
that he wrote that elaborate piece (though he was scarce twenty-five
years of age) intitled, a dispute against the English popish ceremonies,
&c. which book was, in the year 1637, discharged, by order of
proclamation, to be used, as being of too corrosive a quality to be
digested by the bishops weak stomachs.

After this he was ordained minister of Weemes, by Mr. Robert Douglas,
_April 26, 1638_, being the first who was admitted by a presbytery in
that period, without an acknowledgment of the bishops.----And now Mr.
Gillespie began in a more public way to exert himself in defence of the
presbyterian interest, when at the 11th session of that venerable
assembly held at Glasgow 1638, he preached a very learned and judicious
sermon from these words, _The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord_,
&c. in which sermon, the earl of Argyle thought that he touched the
royal prerogative too near, and did very gravely admonish the assembly
concerning the same, which they all took in good part, as appeared from
a discourse then made by the moderator for the support of that