DAVID DICKSON.
I.
“IF ever a scots biography,” says Wodrow in his Short Account of the Life of the Rev. David Dickson, “and the lives of our eminent ministers and Christians, be published, Mr. Dickson would shine there as a star of the first magnitude.” This witness is true but unfortunately David Dickson has, as yet, had no biography to do him justice as a theologian, as a devout Christian, and as a highly honoured minister of the gospel.
David Dick or Dickson was the only son of John Dickson, merchant in the Trongate, Glasgow. His father possessed some lands in the Barony of Fintry at Kirk o’ Muir in the parish of St. Ninians, Stirlingshire. David was an only child. “As he was a Samuel,” says Wodrow, “asked of the Lord, so he was early devoted to Him and the ministry.” The vow, however, had been forgotten until David was laid aside in sickness when it was recalled to the remembrance of his parents. Their son was sent to his studies, which he had given up, and at Glasgow University he passed through his Arts course with high credit. After graduating in Arts he was appointed regent in the College. His aim was not only to impart knowledge of a purely secular kind to the students under his care, but to impress them with the great importance of spiritual matters and in this direction it is said, “His pains were singularly blessed in reviving decayed serious piety among the youths, in that declining and corrupted time, a little after the imposing of Prelacy.”
In 1618 Dickson was ordained a minister and inducted to the charge of Irvine, where he laboured for about twenty three years. The year of his ordination was destined to have a striking place in the ecclesiastical annals of Scotland—not for the better but for the worse. It was the year when the notorious Five Articles of Perth were imposed upon the Scottish Church. Dickson hitherto had not given much study to the matters formulated in these Articles but he now looked carefully into them and the more he examined them the more was he dissatisfied with them. John Livingstone says that when he began his ministry at Irvine he had no great scruples against Prelacy and the above ceremonies but that after passing through a severe illness and seeing matters in the light of eternity he became from that time a consistent witness against the innovations of his time.
James Law, Archbishop of Glasgow, summoned him to appear before the High Commission, on January 29, 1622. Under the impression that he might be separated from his flock for a time he preached to them on the words: “But we are made manifest unto God” (II. Cor. v. 11). The sermon was accompanied by extraordinary divine power. “During the whole time of the sermon,” says Calderwood, “there was weeping and lamentation; scarce one within the doors could hold up their heads. That whole day, the women were going up and down the kirk-yard, and under stairs greeting [crying], as if their husbands had been newly buried. The like weeping was upon the morn when Mr. David was leaping upon his horse” (History of the Kirk of Scotland, vii. 532). Calderwood reports at considerable length the manner in which he answered his judges. But they were beyond any appeal logic could make to them and Dickson was sentenced to deprivation of his charge and to betake himself to Turriff. Though confined to Turriff he preached every Sabbath day at the request of the minister, Mr. Thomas Mitchell. “I have heard him say,” says John Livingstone, “that he could not get preached there [Turriff] as at Irvine, and yet he thought the devils of the North worse than the devils in the West; whereas one hour or two sometimes would have sufficed to study a preaching in Irvine, he behoved at Turriff on Thursday, at mid-day, lay aside all his other studies, and take the rest of that day, and Friday, and Saturday, to study one preaching [sermon], and yet even so he found not such assistance as formerly (Select Biographies, I. 317).
In 1623 he was granted liberty to leave Turriff and return to his attached people, among whom he laboured until he was called to Glasgow in 1641, to fill the Chair of Divinity. After about nine years at Glasgow he was transferred to Edinburgh. During his ministry there was a great awakening among the people. “Multitudes,” says Wodrow, “were convinced and converted; and few that lived in his day were more honoured to be instruments of conversion than he. People, under exercise and soul concern, came from every place about Irvine, and attended upon his sermons; and the most eminent and serious Christians from all corners of the Church, came and joined with him at his communions, which were indeed times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord of these amiable institutions; yea, not a few came from distant places and settled in Irvine, that they might be under the drop of his ministry. Yet, he himself used to observe, that the vintage of Irvine was not equal to the gleanings, and not once to be compared to the harvest at Ayr in Mr. John Welsh’s time, when indeed the gospel had wonderful success, in conviction, conversion, and confirmation” (Select Biographies, II. 7). Monday was the market day at Irvine and crowds from the country round about attended. Dickson took advantage of the influx of people and preached every Monday to crowded congregations before the market began. These services were signally blessed and gave rise to what was profanely called “the Stewarton sickness.” There were excesses as often happens even in true revivals but Mr. Dickson and ministers like-minded with him did all they could to discourage these extravagances. Mr. Castlelaw, minister at Stewarton encouraged his people to attend Mr. Dickson’s Monday services and it was among the people from Stewarton the first evidences of the revival were seen hence the name “Stewarton Sickness.” Other places such as Irvine came under these refreshing showers from heaven. It is to be noted that these days of revival came as the Church was about to enter the great struggle for her freedom. During communion seasons Mr. Dickson had such eminent servants of Christ as Mr. John Livingstone, Mr. Robert Blair, and others of like stamp assisting him.
When the Church entered on her great struggle for freedom Dickson played a prominent part, particularly in the Glasgow Assembly of 1638. In that Assembly he delivered a remarkable speech on Arminianism. In the following year he was appointed Moderator of the General Assembly.
(To be continued.)