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

MEMENTO QUAMDIU VIVAS
137
passage, 20 v. 7 c. 1 Corinth: in my prayer brought unto my
memoire as ane ansuear thairunto; and hou then God ansuered
al the objections that I could pretend against the sayd calling,
quhilk ansuears this same aftemoone he recalled unto my
memoire. As to the first,—Quherfor God ever seimed for to
crosse me in the study of this calling, Ansuear, becaus I had not
so instantly until non saught Gods direction and blissing to
it, as I had doone to my voyage and mariage; bot nou, seing
I haive bein so instant with God, I may say with David,
1 Samuel 17 c. 37 v., ‘ The Lord haith delyvered me out of the
pau of tiie lyon, and out of the jaues of the bear, he wil delyver
me also out of the hand of this Philistin ’; so the Lord that
protected me in my voyage, directed me in my mariage, wil
blisse me also in my choyse, and in my calling, and that the
mor that, on the on pairt, the mater of my prayer in it tends
mor to his glory, the weal of his servants, and my salvation;
and, on the uther pairt, the maner of it is mor humble, mor
frequent, and fervent nor ever befor. To my second objection
about my entrance by ane speatch, quherin schamfastnes wald
schaim me,—Ansuear, that wer to distrust Gods assistance,
quhilk he wald not refuise unto any verry desyrous thairof, not
only in divine discourses (as forthink not quhat ye schal say
befor them) bot also in wordly tending to his glory and the weal
of the comonwealth. Thridly—To my doubt about the distrac- U°l- 7^1
tions thairof, Ansuear, that my devotion, not being ever bent,
might be the benter quhen it was imployed in Gods service.
4. To that about the tentations of the calling, Ansuear, the
tentations thairof was lesse dangerous nor eyther in medecine
or theologie, for thair they endaingered eyther the saule or the
body, heir only the purse; secondly, thos tentations wald be as
many priks in my syde to hald me ever wakned, and to hold
Gods graces in exercise, and to entertainy my tendernes of con¬
science quhilk never being stirred wald grou obdured. Therfor,
haiving setled my mynd to the laues, I remembred that it was
also on ane Foorsday after the Comunion in Liberton that God
setled me in my mariage the last year, then I resolved never to voue.
put on the goune bot after ane private fast or ane comunion,
or after both if I had the occasion of both. I voued then ever voue.
to keape Wedensdays fast until my delyvrie from my troubles, voue.
and I voued that, if God ever delyvred me from al, that then