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

132
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
foorth, with my killoveyne penne to remarque the doctrines
for informing my jngement; and to remarque the uses for
reforming of my lyfe to Gods glory, the weal of uthers, and
\Jol. 65.] salvation of my sillie saule. Having read thairafter Boltons
directions about ane calling particular, the commodities and
necessites of it, I was mutch setled in my mynd concerning
the particularizing of it to myselth conforme to the apostle
maxime, 1 Corint. 7 c. 20, ‘ Let every man remaine in the calling
quherin he was called.’ I read also Rogers chapter of living
by fayth,1 having confessed apairt Bifields 9 chapt. and sub¬
joined thairto Moyses prayer, 14 Numbers 19 v., £ Pardoune, I
beseache the, my iniquitie according to the greatnesse of thy
mercie, and as thou hes forgiven me from iEgipt until nou ’;
and ansuer to me, O Lord, as to Moyses, ‘ I haive pardoned
according to thy word.’ • Thairafter in meditation to prayer I
read unto God his promises, 22 Job fra 23 v. to the end and
10 Ps. 17 v., ‘ Lord, thou haist heard the desyre of the humble:
thou wilt praepaire thair heart, and wilt cause thyne ear to
heare; let me find nou that thou is ane God that hearest
prayer,’ 65 Ps., ‘ And quhos greatest delight is the prayers of the
upright,’ Prov. 15, ‘ Thou is angry at thy children as rebellious,’
30, 31 c. of Isayah, £ Quhen they ask not or taketh not counsel
from the, quhen they seak helpe from any uther, hear and
counsel me and helpe me quho only cryeth to, hopeth in,
trusteth on thy goodnes, let me find that thy thoughts to me
ward ar thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give me ane
exspected end ; I cal on the, hear me; I ask me, let me find the
according to thy promise,’ 29 Jerem. 11 v. My meditations
being then interrupted ; after supper, my saule, remember that
quhen thou expected least, beginning with great confidence,
thy heart was mor extraordinarly humbled, dejected, and poured
out in tearful prayers nor ever; every thought flouing upon
thought, and meditation fallouing meditation, every on diverse
from another, wrought ever mor neu, and the later the greater,
motions, and dreu out tears in aboundance; and then in that
comfortable agonie my heart cryed, £ Lord, the mater of my
1 The Doctrine of Faith, 1.627, by John Rogers, a Puritan divine for many
years Vicar of Dedham, Essex.—Diet, of Nat. Biog.