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

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DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
congregation of his people and to praise him in the assembly
of the elders. Remarque the hinmist 2 verses the ‘ righteous
schal seie this, and rejoice; and al iniquite schal stop hir
mouth; quho so is wyse and wil observe thes things, evin they
schal understand the loving kyndnes of the Lord,’ therfor, O
my saule, blisse thou God for the making the to remarque, and
for thy memoire to wryte, al the footsteps of his providence
towards the ; and trust in him quho is both pourful and haive
goodwil aneugh on day to fil up the page by wryting of thy
delyvrie.
On Foorsday night in thy bed, seing thy extremite to be
lyk thairs, and not perceiving any aperance of ane aproching
delyvrie, thou poured out thy heart unto God in abundance
19 Jul. of tears; as also, upon the sam meditation in Frayday morning
in the aylay, thy heart melted for the hoplesnes of thy miserie,
yet trusting on day to turne that same psalme in prayses as
nou thou had doone unto prayers; and then O saule as, be
ane forsight of thy delyvrie, thou begoud to prayse God and
to say thus way and thus way in my delyvrie will I praise the
Almightie.
0 saule, remember thairafter thou went to the neu kirk
and heard Mr. Archibald Scaldee1 upon the 34 Psa. 10 v., * The
young lyons doe laik, and suffer hunger; bot they that seek the
Lord schal not want any good thing ’; and thairon he told, 1. to
seek God was to be cairful to knou him; 2. to serve him
according to that knolege; 3. to desyre abov al other things
himselth to be our portion ; 4. to runne unto him as unto our
refuge in the day of trouble. He told the also quherfor
we sould seek God rayther nor any uther thing, 1. becaus he
sought us first by his praeveining grace; 2. and becaus he is
the cheif good in himselth and unto us relativly; 3. he is the
most steadable to us in the day of our trouble; therfor
1 Mr. Archibald Scaldee, whose ministrations Wariston frequently attended,
was not minister of a parish in Edinburgh. In the list of Graduates of Edin¬
burgh University there occurs (1620) the name ‘ Archibaldus Skeldee,’with the
addition cacus. Brereton writes (1636): ‘ In the afternoon I went to the College
kirk, where I heard a blind man preach, much to be admired.’—Early
Travellers in Scotland, Hume Brown, p. 146. Scaldee seems to have from
time to time given Wariston good advice, among other things as to the choice
of a profession. Seep. 135.