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

MEMENTO QUAMDIU VIVAS
25
love, God the Sone with al thy graces, God the Holy Ghost
with al thy consolations.’ O saule, yet once againe the Lord
deigned to speak to dust and asches, and told the that they
wer ever with the and wald never leave the, hot bad the seak
som sensible singe of thair presence; then, saule, thou ansuered
that, seing the Lord was so instant to assure the, notwith¬
standing al the singes of his wrayth, that he repented him of
the evil, and that he wald leave ane blessing behind him, thou
craived only ane broken and ane contrite heart that thou may
poure it out lyk waiter befor him in thy prayers and prayses,
and so thou might dischairge in som measure thy pairt by
turning to the Lord al thy heart, al thy saule, al thy body;
then the Lord suare, as he lived he wald give me it and, seing I
bad sought first the kingdome of heaven, that he wald cast al
other things in my lape, and with himselth give me al. Nou,
my saule, to Gods glory and thy comfort, remember hou
thairafter al thy prayers wer turned unto prayses and the
future chainged in the preterit tyme, as, quhen thou begoud to
say ‘Lord, blisse me and saive me,’ he maid me to say, ‘Lord,
thou haistblissed me and saived me’; and, for ‘TheLord mak
thy face to schyne upon me ’ I was forced to say ‘ Lord, thou
haist made thy faice to schyne upon me ’ and so, etc. At the
last he said unto my saule, ‘ Haive not I heard thy prayer, and
haive not I spokin ane word of reconciliation to thy greaved
heart, ane word of consolation to thy afflicted saule, and ane
word of direction to thy perplexed mynd?’ Yis, Lord, thou
lies done it: blessed be thy name for ever and ever mor.
My saul, remember hou, Mononday at night about 4, 5, and U°l-16 ]
6 hours, thy heart was heavily cast doune and melted befor
God out of fear of tentation; yet at the last this greif was
the mater of thy comfort, becaus therby thou fand God
had granted the that singe of his presence, quhilk thou had
chosin in the morning. Remember, on Tuesday morning hou 9J11I.
sensibly thou read the 25 Psalm; and hou thy heart spak
unto God every thing thy eies read. Remember, on Tuesday
night betwixt 5 and 7 heurs hou by Gods providence thou
read after prayer the 3 chapter of Jeremiahs Lamentations;
how every lyne strak the at the heart and maid thy eies to
runne doune with rivers of waiter, ay until the 21 verse; and