may have a claim to some gifts of learning and parts, yet I ever
found more advantage by single looking to God for assistance than by all
the parts and gifts that ever I could pretend to, at that time.'

"When he was at London, he would be often on his knees; at another time,
reading and writing. And when he was sitting in that great Assembly at
Westminster, he was often observed to have a little book, and to be
marking down something with his pen in that book, even when some of the
most learned men, as Coleman and Selden, were delivering their long and
learned orations, and all he was writing was for the most part his pithy
ejaculations to God, writing these words; _Da lucem, Domine; Da lucem!_
When these learned men had ended their oration, the Moderator proposed who
should give an answer to their discourse; they all generally voted Mr
Gillespie to be the person. He being a young man, seemed to blush, and
desired to be excused, when so many old and learned divines were present,
yet all the brethren, with one voice, determined he should be the person
that should give an answer to that learned oration. Though he seemed to
take little heed, yet being thus pressed, he rose up, and resumed all the
particulars of that learned oration very distinctly, and answered every
part of it so fully, that all that heard him were amazed and astonished;
for he died in 1648, and was then but about thirty-six years of age. Mr
Calamy, if I be not forgotten, said, we were ready to think more of Mr
Gillespie than was truly meet; if he had not been stained by being against
our way and judgment for the Engagement.

"He was one of the great men that had a chief hand in penning our most
excellent Confession of Faith and Catechisms. He was a most grave and bold
man, and had a most wonderful gift given him for disputing and arguing. My
father told me, he observed that when there was a considerable number of
ministers met, there were several of our great nobles were strongly
reasoning with our ministers about the engagement 1648. When Mr Gillespie
was busy studying his sermon that he was to preach before the Parliament
to-morrow, the ministers sent privately for Mr Gillespie, whom he observed
to come in very quietly, and when Lauderdale, Glencairn, and some others,
rose up and debated very strongly for the engagement, Mr Gillespie rose up
and answered them so fully and distinctly, firstly, secondly, and thirdly,
that he fully silenced them all; and