lamented than his, and such was the sense the
public had of his merit, that the committee of estates, by an act dated
December 20th, 1648, did, "as an acknowledgment for his faithfulness in
all the public employments entrusted to him by this church, both at home
and abroad, his faithful labours and indefatigable diligence in all the
exercises of his ministerial calling, for his master's service, and his
learned writings published to the world, in which rare and profitable
employments, both for church and state, he truly spent himself, and
closed his days,--ordain, That the sum of one thousand pounds sterling
be given to his widow and children, &c." And though the parliament
did, by their act dated June 8th, 1650, unanimously ratify the above
act, and recommended to their committee, to make the same effectual;
yet, the Usurper presently over-running the country, this good design
was frustrated, as his grandson the Rev. Mr. George Gillespie minister
at Strathmiglo did afterwards declare[71].

Besides the English popish ceremonies already mentioned, he wrote also
Aaron's rod blossoming, &c. and his miscellany questions first printed
1649, all which with the forecited testimony and some other papers, shew
that he was a man of most profound parts, learning and abilities.

_The Life of Mr. JOHN M'CLELLAND._

Mr. John M'Clelland having gone through several branches of useful
learning, kept a school for some time at Newton in Ireland, where he
became instrumental in training up several hopeful young men for the
university. Afterwards he was tried and approven of by the honest
ministers in the county of Down, and being licensed, he preached in
their churches, until (among others) for faithfulness, he was deposed
and excommunicated by the bishops.

He was also engaged with the rest of his faithful brethren in their
intended voyage to New England in the year 1636, but that enterprise
proving abortive (by reason of a storm which forced them to return back
to Ireland), he preached for some time through the counties of Down,
Tyron and Dunnegal in private meetings, till being pursued by the
bishop's official, he was obliged to come over in disguise to Scotland,
where about the year 1638, he was admitted minister at Kirkcudbright, in
which place he continued until the day of his death.

It would appear that he was married to one of Mr. Livingston's wife's
sisters, and the strictest friendship subsisted betwixt these two wo