In 1741 Thomas Gillespie began his ministry in the Church of Scotland in the parish of Carnock, near Dunfermline, in the county of Fife. His mind and heart were set on exercising a ministry of pastoral care and preaching within the confines of the parish. No one who attended his induction service in Carnock could have imagined the impact which his life would have on the ecclesiastical politics of the eighteenth century, as well as the influence he would exercise on the piety of countless Christians to whom he ministered over the next thirty-three years. His involvement in the Cambuslang and Kilsyth awakenings, however, soon brought him to the attention of evangelicals in Britain and in North America.

Gillespie worked to revitalize the Church of Scotland. Following his involvement in the Cambuslang revival, associated with the visit of George Whitefield to Scotland, Gillespie corresponded with Jonathon Edwards, seeking the advice of the great New England preacher and theologian in his attempts to understand and advance the work of the Holy Spirit. Gillespie was also an ecclesiastical politician of considerable influence, whose main achievements were in articulating the evangelical opposition to the instit­ution of patronage in the Church of Scotland. His resolute opposition to patronage at the General Assembly in May 1752 led to his deposition from the ministry of the Established Church.

In 1761 Gillespie founded the Presbytery of Relief, noted for its commit­ment to religious liberty, open communion, and tolerant attitudes towards other churches. In January 1774 it had grown to nineteen congregations, and by 1847, the year in which it joined with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church in Scotland, it had 136 congregations.

From the moment he received his licence to preach the gospel on 30 October 1740, until his death in January 1774, Thomas Gillespie gave pride of place to preaching in his work as a minister. Standing as he did in the Reformed tradition, he held that 'Preaching the Word' was the prime, almost the only, duty of the minister. The majority of the reforms which had taken place at the time of the Reformation in the theology, liturgy, and structure of the Church of Scotland were still in place during Gillespie's min­istry. The Westminster Directory for Public Worship made the centrality and dominance of the sermon perfectly clear. Out of twelve pages describing the normal Sunday service, ten are taken up with 'Public Prayer before the Sermon', 'Of Preaching of the Word' and 'Of Prayer after Sermon'. The only other elements in the services were to be the reading of the Scriptures and the singing of psalms. Preaching is described as 'one of the greatest and most excellent Works belonging to the Ministry of the Gospel'. The Church of Scotland made ample provision of sermons for each individual congregation: two on the Sabbath, and a third, often a lecture, on a weekday. Gillespie concluded that 'week day sermons are often more blessed than them deliv­ered on the Lord's Day' because special attention and expectation is found in those attending such services.

Gillespie maintained that the 'offices and ordinances' of the ministry had been 'appointed by the Lord Jesus as King and Head of his church' for the express purpose of the 'edification of his members and for gathering in his elect'. Preaching received a priority in the ministry of the gospel because God had ordained that 'sinners' were 'effectually called by Christ by His Word' and that through 'Gospel Ministrations' the Church of Christ is built up. He asserted that men and women will be 'regenerated by Christ's Word preached by ministers as well as written' and thus the pulpit, and the resulting body of sermons he produced, constituted the focal point of his diverse interests and activities.

Gillespie lived in a time when the sermon was still the common vehicle for popular communication. The minister was the voice of authority in the community and sermons were eagerly anticipated and enjoyed. He had heard powerful and successful preachers such as Thomas Boston, Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, George Whitefield and Philip Doddridge. His spiritual mentors exemplified a simplicity of style, instructing their congregations in the central doctrines of the Christian faith and applying their sermons in practical and experimental ways, related to conversion, faith and communion with Christ.

The General Assembly of 1736 drew attention to the requirements of the Directory for Public Worship that ministers should 'make it the great scope of their preaching to lead sinners from a covenant of works to a covenant of grace for life and salvation and from sin and self to precious Christ'. As the Popular party grew within the Church of Scotland, the people began to distinguish between preachers who were 'yin ministers' and those who were 'kail pot preachers', because their fervency in delivery as well as their subject matter, kept the attention of their hearers 'all forgetful of the Sabbath kail (cabbage) simmering in the pot at home'. For Gillespie, true preaching was not merely the transmission of information but involved earnestness, passion and zeal in seeking to apply God's Word to the consciences of his hearers. He knew of the danger of preaching only to 'influence the affections for a season' and of a ministry that did not seek to 'change the understanding and will', and so he encouraged all ministers in these words: 'Beseech them ... your duty is to compel them.' Preachers must 'deal closely with their consciences' and be 'unweary' in speaking to 'stubborn and obstinate sinners'.

Gillespie believed in the sovereignty of God in election and calling, but this did not minimize his conviction that ministers must do all they could to bring sinners to Christ. He experienced a tension between his commitment to expend his human energies in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of predestination. This combination of faith and fervency meant that ministers should not be discouraged at seeing little evidence of success in their preaching, because ultimately the conversion of sinners is 'in the hand of his great Lord'.

Scripture was the source of Gillespie's sermons. He believed that the Word of God is 'the infallible rule', the sole authority for the faith of the Church, and he gave a central place to Scripture in every aspect of Church life. His sermons were laden with Scripture citations. He compared the note of authority found in the Bible to that of the King who 'speaks only by his proclamation'. This alone ought to be the source of the preacher's sermons as he seeks to bring 'belief of fundamental truths' which find their origin in the 'Lord's testimony speaking in his word, (and) thus resting on his authority'.

An analysis of the fifteen extant volumes of manuscript sermons that are still available for consultation in Scotland shows that Gillespie preached from both the Old and New Testaments, although his favourite passages were drawn from the Psalms, Isaiah, the Gospels and the epistles of Paul.

Gillespie believed that ministers should find spiritual sustenance for their people in a variety of different portions of God's Word. This motivated him to preach from various biblical books, and over and over again he demonstrated his great knowledge of the Bible by quoting different verses to support his interpretation of a particular passage and the doctrine which he taught. Gillespie's sermon notes, which are very full in content, seem to indicate that he took several Sunday services to preach through his texts, seeking to show the relevance of the study of the Word of God to the lives of his people.

One whole volume is dedicated to expounding Ephesians 1:18, and another contains two sermons on Isaiah 57:18 and Hebrews 12:2. Such minute attention to the letter of Scripture, combined with an insistence upon the literal and historical meaning prior to application, indicates a high view of the Bible.

Gillespie maintained that;

the whole Word of God as his Word' had been 'dictated by the Holy Ghost in every jot and tittle of it as a perfect Rule of Faith and Practice in all things to the Church in every age.

Gillespie emphasized the literal and historical meaning of the texts he expounded. He normally set the particular verse he explained within the context of the chapter of Scripture, usually giving a brief verse-by-verse exposition of approximately twenty verses. In this way Gillespie demon­strated his conviction that any deviation from the primary sense of Scripture led to a dangerous subjectivity in interpretation. For example, in dealing with Isaiah 57:18, he made it clear that, although he would later apply the term 'healing' to spiritual issues, the primary meaning of the passage referred to the way in which 'God healed the Jews from the scourge of the Chaldeans'.

Once he had made the literal and historical meaning clear, Gillespie proceeded to interpret 'Scripture in the fullest compass and latitude agreeable to the analogy of faith'. He believed that it was essential to ensure that every legitimate interpretation helped to make the message of Scripture relevant to the contemporary Church. There were even times when he used the allegorical method of interpretation. Speaking of Ezekiel 37 and the prophet's vision of the valley of dry bones, he referred to this as being a picture, not only of the resurrection of the body, but also of the believer's experience of gradual sanctification, for:

these are not all raised at once but gradually. First bones came together, then sinews were stretched on these. Next flesh came upon the one and the other and last of all skin covered all the above. In like manner, divine power gradually raises believers in newness of life. Every new degree of holiness is parallel to the mentioned figure until by degrees believers attain the resurrection from the dead, perfection in holiness.

In preaching on Luke 11:21-22 he treated the parable as an allegory, handling every aspect of these verses and speaking of the work of Satan. He also interpreted some of the psalms christologically. For example, Psalm 45 was taken as referring to the 'glory of Christ's person' and the 'triumphs of his grace', as well as the 'excellency of his Kingdom'.

Gillespie obviously took care in preparing his sermons to examine the original languages and made reference to Hebrew and Chaldee, as well as the 'first language' of Greek. Even though he was not preaching to an intellec­tual elite, he thought it was appropriate to mention various textual variants that gave rise to different marginal readings. In 1764, when he preached on 1 Peter 1:6, he stressed the way in which a Greek word could be translated in various ways to bring out the spiritual application. Such careful exegesis did not mean that Gillespie relied on the wisdom of 'philosophers' in his interpretation of Scripture. He was convinced that 'many things in Christi­anity' are to 'carnal reason' totally 'inexplicable', and that the believer who experienced the influence of the Spirit, would be 'enlightened' and passages of Scripture 'invested with a peculiar glory and beauty'.

The structure of Gillespie's sermons follows a definite pattern through­out his ministry, consisting of doctrine, reasons, and uses. He preached in a traditional way. The compilers of the Westminster Directory gave the following instructions to preachers for composing sermons:

in raising doctrines from the text his care ought to be, First, that the matter be the truth of God. Secondly, that it be a truth contained in, or grounded on, that text that the hearers may discern how God teacheth it from hence. Thirdly, that he chiefly insist upon those doctrines which are principally intended, and make most for the edification of his hearers.

Gillespie sought to declare God's truth, giving an exposition and applica­tion of the biblical basis of the Christian faith. The first two parts of his sermons were directed towards the hearer's reason, whereas the final part was aimed at warming the affections and moving the will of the congregation. He endeavoured to make his preaching relevant to the experience of his people, and directed their thoughts to various mundane attitudes and actions in their day-to-day lives, giving specific advice in the light of the sermon's doctrine. He consistently concluded the vast majority of sermons with an appeal to those who were unconverted to 'fly to Christ for refuge'.

Gillespie was an exponent of a plain and simple style in preaching. John Erskine, a close friend who remained within the ministry of the Established Church, spoke of his writing and preaching as 'judicious and accurate' but not noted for 'elegance of style, or even exact regard to grammatical propriety'. Gillespie intended his sermons to be plain and persuasive to his hearers. He appealed both to the reason and to the emotions of his listeners, aiming to make his applications as extensive as possible and to apply God's Word with conviction. He did not cultivate any pulpit oratory, but had the clear desire to make the exegesis and application of Scripture the focus of his ministry to the sturdy farmers and tradesmen who made up the majority of his congregation. He would have agreed with Samuel Rutherford, a commis­sioner to the Westminster Assembly, that learning was needed in the study but should not be advertised in the pulpit.

In January 1763, during a day of fasting observed by several congregations connected to the Presbytery of Relief, Gillespie spoke about the 'departure of the Spirit' and the 'low state of religion' in Scotland. Speaking historically, he referred to previous occasions when the congregation had met together to fast and pray, such as the threat of famine in 1740; the rebellion of 1745; the war with France in 1755 and the threat of invasion in 1756; and the threat of a French invasion in 1759 when an army of 25,000 men were frustrated and their naval power broken. These events from the past encouraged Gillespie to believe that 'the Lord has threatened or inflicted strokes by intervals to engage the generation to return to him by faith in the Redeemer, show repentance and reformation of heart'. There is one example of a day of thanksgiving, held in December 1761, to offer praise for the 'preservation of the cropt (sic)' when rain threatened to affect the harvest and God inter­vened. The congregation met to give praise for 'the Lord's goodness' which he believed 'ought to be wonderful in our eyes'.

Gillespie preached during special days of prayer for the revival of religion. These were special occasions when he stressed the priority of prayer in the life of his congregation. He assumed that any movement of God's Spirit was a sovereign work of God who could give blessing when and where he chose. This meant that 'the rain of heaven' might fall 'on one city, one soul but not on theirs'. However, Gillespie remained convinced throughout his ministry that any spiritual awakening which constituted a revival of religion within the church would begin when the 'hearts of believers' were stirred by a united concern for the needs of lost sinners. The Church of God that prayed with perseverance would discover that 'though for a time he has shut out their prayers ... there will be an acceptable time when he will hear their prayers for revival of his work'.

In 1761, shortly after the formation of the Presbytery of Relief, he indicated his concern that the ordinances of outward religion had become 'barren' and that the Church was seeing little 'success in the conversion of sinners' and the 'edification of believers'. He believed that revival, which came as a result of the prayers of God's people, could be withdrawn because of the sins of the church. In 1747, he reminded the congregation of Kilsyth that they had enjoyed a 'remarkable revival of religion' since March 1742 until they had 'provoked the Spirit of the Lord to withdraw his influences after wonders of mercy were wrought among you'. In 1762 he warned against divisions within the church, but encouraged his hearers not to fear or doubt 'that they shall be again united ... He who has divided them up in anger will gather them into one in mercy'. Although he had been involved in the formation of a new denomination, named the Relief Church, this sermon indicates that he looked forward to a day when the divisions of eighteenth-century Presbyterianism would be healed.

Gillespie's preaching ministry was valued in congregations in Fife, Edinburgh and the central belt of Scotland where he preached during his ministries in the Church of Scotland and following the establishment of the Relief Church. John Erskine knew Gillespie from his connections with his family in Carnock, and attended the local church for several months. He admired the boldness of his preaching, which declared 'the whole counsel of God, giving law and gospel, comfort and terror, privileges and duties, their proper place'. He concluded that he had never encountered a ministry which was 'better calculated to awaken the thoughtless and secure ... to point out the differences between vital Christianity and special counterfeit appearances of it'.

William Lindsay, Gillespie's nineteenth-century biographer, concluded that his 'sermons were admirably adapted for awakening and converting sinners, for comforting and establishing the minds of believers, and for delivering those who were agitated and depressed (in their spiritual pilgrimage)'. The characteristics of his preaching, combining boldness with sensitivity to spiritual needs, spoke to the lives of many people and made Gillespie the spiritual leader to whom many people, both within and with­out his own congregation, looked for spiritual direction. As we have seen, Gillespie stood within the Reformed tradition of Scottish preaching. During his pastoral ministry he strove to be faithful to the text of Scripture and to apply the biblical message to the daily needs of his congregation.

Unlike those of many of his contemporaries, his sermons were never published. Yet they were never intended to become specimens of polished oratory. They were designed for ordinary men and women within his congre­gation in Dunfermline. He led and taught them to deepen and develop their faith in God, their love for Christ and their determination to be faithful followers of their Saviour.