Series 1 > Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston 1632-1639

INTRODUCTION
XXXV
frozen hearts, waltering thair dry cheeks, chainging thair verry
countenances, as it was a wonder to seie so visible, sensible^
momentaneal a chainge upon al, man and woman, lasse and
ladde, pastor and people that Mr. Jhon, being suffocat almost
with his auin tears, and astonisched at the motion of the whol
people, sat doune in the pulpit in ane amazement, bot presently
rose againe quhen he sau al the people falling doune on thair
knees to moume and pray, and he and thay for ane quarter of
ane houre prayed verry sensibly with many sobs, tears, promises,
and voues to be thankful and fruitful in tym-coming.’1 There¬
after in Edinburgh, in the College Church, on 1st April,
H. Rollock after sermon and ‘ ane verry pithie, pourful,
pathetik prayer for the Lords immediat presence . . . desyred
the nobles, and al the people, stand up unto the Lord; and
first desyred the noblemen, Montrois, Boyd, Laudin, Bal-
merino, to hold up thair hands and suear be the naime of the
living God, and desyred al the people to hold up thairs in the lyk
maner; at the quhilk instant of rysing up, and then of hold¬
ing up thair hands, thair rayse sik a yelloch, sik aboundance
of tears, sik a heavenly harmony of sighs and sobbes, uni¬
versally through al the corners of the churche, as the lyk was
never seien nor heard of. The Sprit of the Lord so filled the
sanctuary, warmed the affections, melted the hearts, dissolved
the eyes of al the people, men and women, poore and noble; as
for ane long tyme they stood stil up with thair hands up unto the
Lord, til Mr. Hery after he recovered himselth, scairse aible to
speak, after ane schort exhortation to thankfulnes and fruit-
fulnes, closed al up in ane heavenly prayer and prayse, and
gart sing the 74 Ps. fra 18 v.’ Similar scenes were wit¬
nessed in Greyfriars Kirk, also in Cramond, Prestonpans,
and many other congregations.2
This enthusiasm and excitement were quite abnormal and
formed a remarkable contrast with the usual apathy and
P. 328-
2 Pp- 330, 331.