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

MEMENTO QUAMDIU VIVAS
115
dominant. Thou having read al afternoone upon Bifields singes
of fayth and of thos graces quhilk conveyeth Gods children
unto heaven, and finding som experience of them al suppose
in ane weak degree and measure, on thy knees singularly for
every on of them thou blissed God most heartily, and prayed
him to increasse them mor and mor in the. And having, on the
uther pairt, at night read Bifields first chap, of sinnes against
the hoi lau, thou sau in his singes God mercie in assuring the
of them ; and thou sau in his sinnes thy auine miserable, corrupt
nature qk. was guilty of them al. The sight of his mercie in
the first maid me the mor for to lament over my auin misery
in the last, and the sight of my misery in the last augmented
my praysing, blissing, loving of God for the first; and so ane
relative and comparative meditation of both excitated me
wonderfully to praying and to praysing, evin so extraordinarly
that my verrie heart was exceadingly, in unnumbrable tears,
poured out befor God out of the sense of my guiltines, Gods
goodnes, out of the greif for my affliction, fear of tentations,
and desyre of directions. My saule, never forget hou pitifully
thou mourned, hou ardently thou prayed and heartily praysed
the Lord evin extraordinarly, quhen on the on hand thou
remembred the dayes of old, and on the uther quhen thou
looked on thy present estait, yet being comforted that thou
sau God in the fulfilling the conditions of his promises mor
nou nor ever.
On Frayday morning I got tears also ; then I confessed
according to Bifields ordor the 44 and 45 pages ; then I medi¬
tated on the 1,2, 3 Psa.; and after prayer and prayses I heard
ane Mr. Scougal1 on 131 Ps. 2 v., ‘ Surly I haive behaived and
quieted myselth, as ane chyld that is weaned of his mother.’
Quherupon he insisted that we sould be lyk chyldren in our
dependance upon God in al that befals us, and for that he
cotted 22 Ps. 10 v., ‘ I was cast upon the from the wombe, thou
art my God from my mothers belly,’ and Davids trust, 23 Ps.,
* The Lord is my schipheard; I schal not want,’ and Davids prse-
1 Probably Mr. Patrick Scougall, minister of the parishes of Dairsie, Leuchars,
and Salton successively, promoted to the Bishopric of Aberdeen by Charles u.
in 1664. Died February 16, 1682.