THE

EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

MARCH, 1809.

By particular desire, we insert the following Memoir, written by the Rev. Mr. Nicol, which appeared, a few years ago, in another periodical publication (since discontinued); and which, having had a very limited circulation, reached but a small number of those persons, especially in North Britain, who justly prize the memory of Dr. Gillies.

MEMOIR

OF

THE LATE REV. JOHN GILLIES, D. D.

MINISTER IN THE COLLEGE CHURCH OF GLASGOW.

Mr. Editor,

DR. GILLIES was the son of the Rey Mr. John Gillies, Minister of Carriston, in the presbytery of Brechin, and of Mrs. Mary Watson, who was descended from a respectable family in Galloway. When a student in divinity, he was remarkable for excellent dispositions, learning, taste, and acquaintance with the best ancient and modern writers. His fondness for literary amusements continued through the whole of life; but they were not allowed to encroach on his duties as a Christian, the head of a family, or a minister of the Gospel. He was successively tutor the families of Brisbane of Brisbane, Macdowal of Castlesemple, and Lord Glasgow. The Doctor was ordained Minister of the College Church the 29th of July, 1742. For several years, besides delivering three discourses on the Sabbath, he gave lectures and serious exhortations three times in the week, to a crowded audience, in his large church, which contains nearly two thousand people; he also, for some time, published a weekly paper, addressed to the consciences of his hearers. According to the laudable custom of the church of Scotland, the Doctor regularly visited and catechized his parish. He was remarkably attentive to the sick and dying of his charge. Soon after his or dination, he married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Mr. M'Laurin, who was one of the ministers of Glasgow, and author of the very excellent sermons which bear his name. Mrs. G. like her father, was blessed with a sweet and lively temper of mind;

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she also resembled her worthy parent in being a devout Christian. By that very amiable wife the Doctor had eight children, of whom there are only two alive; one of these is Mr. Gillies, a respectable planter in the West Indies; the other is the Rev. Colin Gillies, one of the ministers of Paisley, who, as a Christian, husband, parent, and pastor, has followed the good example of his venerable father. Mrs. Gillies died soon after the birth of her eighth child, on the 6th of August, 1754, and about one month before the death of her much and justly esteemed father. January, 1756, Dr. G. married Joanna, the daughter of John Stewart, Esq. of Blackhall, and twin-sister to the late Sir Michael Stewart. Her only child was Rebecca, married some years before her father's death to the Honourable Colonel Leslie, second son to the Earl of Leven. Mrs. G., who was in all respects a help-meet for the Doctor, lived till the 3d of December, 1792. After her death the charge of his family-affairs devolved on Miss Joanna Gow, the Doctor's niece. Miss Gow, who possesses a well-informed understanding and unaffected piety, did all in her power to make her uncle comfortable; and he was not insensible of her attention. When his strength was mnch decayed, the Doctor's relatives and congregation intreated him to take an assistant; but to this he would never give his consent, till about three years before his death. His whole soul was in his work. When great exertion was necessary to make his weak voice reach his large audience, he never complained. If, after divine service, any person inquired whether he was not fatigued, his constant reply was, I am never the worse for preaching, if preaching is not the worse for me.'-For about the space of six months after I had the happiness of being his stated assistant, he regularly delivered a short lecture in the forenoon. He had begun a course of lectures on our Lord's farewell discourses, contained in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of the Gospel by John, when he was under the necessity of giving up his public work. His people were very dear to him; and, to a man, they were strongly attached to their aged pastor. The Doctor had then been above fifty years minister of that congregation, and had baptized and married a great part of them. He had many seals of his ministry; great numbers of his stated hearers looked up to him in his old age as their spiritual father. After he was unable to preach, although in a weak state of body, he attended public worship, and sat in the pulpit: as soon as he made his appearance, sympathy and love were visible in every countenance. There were frequently children brought to the church to be baptized; and it gave him much pleasure when he could perform that service. The moment that he rose from his seat to administer the ordinance of Baptism, there was the most profound silence and every eye was fixed on him. The sight was pleasant and painful. It was, indeed, highly gratifying to behold an aged minister, who had spent his time and his strength in the service

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MEMOIR OF THE REV. J. GILLIES, D. n.

of his Master, still willing!-but, alas! the flesh was now weak. It was painful to see him exerting himself to be heard; and hundreds at a distance looking with eager desire, but unable to hear. When he could no longer serve in public, he endeavoured to be useful to the church of Christ in private. It was when laid aside from preaching that he prepared the Supplement to his Historical Collections, which was published by Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, after the death of Dr. G. To that Supplement Dr. E. has added an account of Dr. Gillies, and described the character of his deceased brother as a Christian, as a Minister, and as an Author, with his usual ability and faithfulness. To that account I am indebted for some things here mentioned.-Since I began to write this narrative, I have been informed, by an Independent Minister of great respectability, that the Historical Collections of Dr. G. were greatly blessed to him at an early period of life. He wishes this to be mentioned as a token of his gratitude to God, of his respect to the memory of Dr. Gillies, and as an incentive to others to read that book. Among the last times that the Doctor attended divine service in public, the Lord's Supper was dispensed, and he exhorted one table. After he had finished a very impressive exhortation, he addressed the congregation in these words: My dear hearers, I have made this attempt with a view to find out whether my voice can be heard by those at a distance. If I shall find that you can hear, I shall now and then speak to you, for a short time, from the pulpit; but this will just be as my Master would have it; the King of Sion is a stately King, he is pleased to keep some servants in waiting; and if he shall see fit to keep me in that station, I desire to submit to his holy will.' He then, after having thus referred to his favourite author, Milton, quoted from him that beatiful line which, during his confinement, he often repeated,—

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They also serve, who only stand and wait.'

At that time the Doctor was better in health than he had been for some considerable time before; but he was never able afterwards to speak in public. The Lord was pleased to relieve his mind from the fears of death long before that event took place; his own latter end was frequently the subject of his conversation, and he spoke not only the language of a mind quite at ease, but the language of a soul desiring to depart, and to be with Christ. A few months before his death, he wrote a letter to an old friend, from which is taken the following extract :-'I am waiting, I hope with patience, God's time, which is the best for my dismission hence. Christ's lying in the grave has sweetened the thoughts of it to all believers; and, through his merits, we can have hope in death."

He was seized, March 21st, 1796, with a third stroke of the palsy, which deprived him of the power of his left side; but his mental powers were not affected. In the morning of that day he

had written and sent off some letters to several of the ministers who used to assist him at the celebration of our Lord's Supper, requesting their assistance on the second Sabbath of April; and, after the fatal stroke, he spoke about the ministers whom he had invited to be with him on that solemn occasion. The Rev. Colin Gillies and the Honourable Mrs. Leslie were immediately informed by letters of their father's illness; and, without losing one moment, they both hastened to attend a parent whom they sincerely loved and highly esteemed. From the time of their arrival they waited constantly on their dying father. Both of them had been great comforts to him when in health, and they did what they could to comfort him in his last moments: but they. themselves needed consolation; their minds were often overpowered; and the dying saint observed it. At one time, when he saw them in tears, with a heavenly smile upon his countenance, which I shall never forget, he addressed them in these words of Scripture: We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits, and live!'* He often spoke comfortably to them, to Miss Gow, and to other friends who cane to see him. The Lord was wonderfully gracious to his servant; he had little or no pain of body; and his soul enjoyed those consolations which he had so often been instrumental in communicating to others on their death-beds. When he seemed to be very low, and nigh to death, Mrs. Leslie having mentioned that I was standing by his bed, he stretched out his hand, took hold of nine, and said, 'You have great cause to bless the Lord for having put you into the ministry; we serve a good Master; he carries us wonderfully through.' I said, "Sir, I hope you now experience that the Lord Jesus Christ is a good Master." He replied with much earnestners, Yes, yes.' Tuesday, March 29th, 1796, in the 84th year of his age, and 54th of his ministry, about mid-day, Dr. Gillies fell asleep in Jesus. Mrs. Leslie, when she saw that her father was in the article of death, kneeled by his bed, and remained in that posture till the short and easy conflict was over. Her unceasing attention to her parents can never be sufficiently commended; the satisfaction which she must now derive from a retrospect of her conduct to both her parents is one, but not her only reward for her tender attention.-Let all children who may read this narrative, and who have parents in life, 'go and do likewise.'-Great multitudes attended the Doctor's funeral in tears; and his memory to this day is very dear to thousands in Glasgow.

Dr. Gillies most firmly believed, and most faithfully preached, the doctrines which are generally called Calvinistic; but a Teacher, at whose feet he daily sat, had taught him to call no an Master: he much rather chose to be called a Deciple of the Lord Jesus Christ than a follower of Calvin.

* Heb. xi. 9.

He was a most devout Christian : : he spent a very considerable part of every day in devotional exercises. Searching the word of God, meditation and prayer, were not only duties which he daily performed, but duties in which he greatly delighted. As long as the state of his health would permit, he devoted the greatest part of every Monday to fasting and prayer. When the weather was good, the Doctor regularly took a long walk once in the day; and, when he walked by himself, he chose the most sequestered places. On those occasions, he was frequently. found engaged in acts of devotion. Humility and meekness, zeal against error and vice, and a catholic spirit, were prominent features in the character of Dr. Gillies. He possessed and manifested an ardent, unceasing, and growing desire for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. News of a revival of religion, or of attempts to carry the gospel to Heathen lands, were, to the Doctor's heart, like cold waters to a thirsty soul.

With regard to his style of preaching, he proposed the truths of the gospel with the greatest plainness, and pressed them with all possible earnestness. His discourses were always enriched with many suitable portions of Scripture.

The Doctor used frequently to observe, when speaking in private, with regard to preaching, That ministers might be the unhappy instruments of ruining souls, in two different ways: The one is,' said he, by starving them; and the other is, by giving them poison.' I love,' he was wont to say, to give God's children plenty of their own bread;' meaning thereby the pure Word of God. Dr. Gillies on no occasion shunned to declare the whole counsel of God; but he insisted on the leading doctrines of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ was the delightful subject of his daily meditations, the frequent subject of his conversation, and the substance of all his sermons. He knew, by sweet experience, and he endeavoured to make it known to others, that Christ is all and in all.

I have thus endeavoured to give you a short sketch of the life and death of my late much respected father in Christ; but I am deeply sensible that I cannot do justice to his character; and a complete delineation of it would far exceed the space allotted to any one article in a periodical publication. His principal works, besides that already mentioned, were, 'Exhortations to the Inhabitants of the South Parish of Glasgow ;'-Historical Collections relating to the Success of the Gospel;'-Appendix to the Historical Collections ;'-Life of the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield;'-Sermon at the Opening of the Synod of Glasgow ;' 'Hebrew Manual, for the Use of Students of that Language;" 'Devotional Exercises on the New Testament;'-Psalms of David, with Notes, devotional and practical, extracted from Dr. Horn's Commentary; and Milton's Paradise Lost, illustrated by Texts of Scripture.' W. N.

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