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

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DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
to his glory, the weal of his church, and thy auine salvation;
secondly that, if he was to put ane end to thy miseries presently,
he wald praepaire thy mynd for to glorifie him, and sedifie his
saints the better in the houre of thy death, and so wald permit
the to confesse thy auine natural miserie ever feighting against
God in al thy lyftyme, and to mak manifest unto al hearers
Gods admirable goodnes, tender mercies, and uncomprehensible
kyndnes to the in al that ever befel the eyther concerning thy
spritual or wordly estait,—‘ and, O Lord, thou knouest this is
on of my greatest wordly wisses, to manifest this to thy world
or I die.’ Or, if he was to contineu my days in the world, he
wald inable me with thos graces that may keap me from
schaming of him and scandalizing my religion, and wald indue
me with thos pairts and gifts as ar necessar to further his
glory, the weal of the churche and comonweal, and my aune
salvation. I am assured the mater of this prayer could not
hot be acceptable to God.
Remember, O saule, on Sunday night hou thy sleape was
interrupted by the thought and desyre of death, and hou
\_foi. 18.] thou dreamed theirof. On Mononday morning, having custen
15 lul- bak thy eies on the day of thy crosse, thy heart melted and
prayed the Lord that, as in every litle thing befalling inwardly
or outwardly he had ever manifested unto the his indulgent
providence, so nou he wald contineu in this, the extraordinarest
accident of thy lyfe, to caive his most extraordinar indulgent
providence, quhilk thou wald find if eyther he wald turne it to
be ane occasion of drauing the out of the walley of tears unto
his asternal joies, seing it appeared to be the fittest tyme of
thy flitting, both becaus therby he had humbled thy heart
and with repentance assured the of remission and reconcilia¬
tion, and also therby he had untyed thy affections from the
world and sett them only on himselth; or, if that was not
his good pleasure, suppose it was thy inward desyre and secret
hope, also above hope and contraire to al appearance, that
he wald mak it ane sensible occasion of drauing the nearer to
him in the staite of graice by confirming therby thy hope,
strenthening thy faith, inflamming thy love, and augmenting
thy repentance for bygons, and hunger of righteousnes in tyme
to come, as also to be ane mids and means of inabling the to