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

12
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
after my confessing to God in ane old barne al my bygon
offences, I said befor hir ane fervent, tearful prayer to the Lord
for to praspaire hir and me ; after the quhilk comunion schoe
retyred hir tuyse every day and red 2 chapters beginning at
the evangile St. Jhon so that, or schoe died, schoe was in the 2
epistle to the Corinthians.
[foi. 7.] O saule, remember, quhil thou was seakly, hou scho red in
thy audience hir tuo chapters in the morning and retyred
hirselth within thy study at evening; and hou devoutly schoe
prepaired hirselth for to goe to the West Kirk on Frayday and
Saturday; hou thou got ay may and readier tears sched for hir
nor for thyselth ; and quhen James Arnot1 came up to seie the
schoe was quiet in the study ; at Sandie Jhonston his incoming
schoe was busie reading on the Bible ; on Sunday morning schoe
was 2 heurs retyred in the study, and al bludered for greating.
O saule, hir bludered faice seiemed then most beautiful to the.
O hou devoutly prepaired schoe hirselth by humilite to goe to
that taible, and hou devoutly sat schoe at it, and hou religiously
blissed schoe God quhen schoe cam from it, O my saule, never
remember it bot blisse God for it; ever until that Sunday
tuentie days schoe keaped hir privat meditations; that Sunday
in the morning going to Libertone I read unto hir ane sermon
of Pemble 2 about the benefyt of Gods service; that Sunday at
night schoe took the worme 3 at midnight, begoud to cast, and
so contineued al Mononday; on Mononday night schoe took
hir crying, and then I fearing went to the Lady Currihil and
docteur Arnot;4 at Mononday night schoe gart me say the
1 Probably James Arnot, merchant in Edinburgh, younger son of William
Arnot of Coldbrandspath, and brother of Rachel Arnot, Samuel Johnston’s
wife.—Session Book of Bunkle and Preston, App. p. 149.
2 William Pemble was a Puritan divine, born at Egerton, Co. Kent, in 1592.
He died April 14, 1623.—Dictionary of National Biography. His sermons have
been highly commended. That styled ‘ the Benefit of God’s Service ’ is based on
the text Exodus xxxiv. 23, 24. See Pemble’s Collected Works, p. 671.
3 The ‘worme,’ probably a bowel colic. Its course is said to suggest
appendicitis.
4 An eminent physician of the time, son of Andrew Arnot, minister of Scot¬
land well, and grandson of David Arnot of that Ilk.—Session Book of Bunkle and
Preston, App. p. 160.