David Dickson

Rev. David Dickson was a Scottish Puritan of the 17th century, and he was one who participated in many of the great events of that century in the Church of Scotland. He was pastor of a congregation at Irvine for 22 years, then became Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow in 1641, and then held the same title at Edinburgh University. He was one of the drafters of the Directory of Public Worship of the acts of the Assembly in 1643. He was turned out of the church during the "Great Ejection" of 1662.

In 1662, David Dickson lay on his death-bed. He was visited by Rev. John Livingston, another great worthy of the Scottish Puritans. Livingston asked the professor how he was doing . . . he answered, "I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and cast them through each other in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace." At the end, he called his family together, and spoke to each one in turn, and then he pronounced upon them all the apostolic blessing of 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." He immediately raised his hand, closed his eyes, and died in the arms of his son.