He was educated at a school in the Cowgate, under Andrew Waddel, translator of George Buchanan's paraphrase of the Psalms.
On 13 March 1753 he entered the Greek class in the University of Edinburgh under Robert Hunter, and became a good scholar.
After completing his course he was tutor in the families of Captain John Dalrymple, and of Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck.
James Robertson DD, professor of oriental languages, on being made University Librarian (12 January 1763), appointed Gordon his assistant.
He died unmarried on 30 December 1800, and was buried in St Cuthbert's churchyard, where a monument to his memory bears a long Latin inscription by Dalzel.