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

148
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
Then I heard Mr. Archibald Scaldee exhortation on the 4 c.
4 v. Math., ‘Bot Jesus ansuered, Man schal not live by bread
alone, bot by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of
God 1; as bread for our body, so the word to our saule avayleth
nothing without Gods particular blissing. Thairafter I heard
him preatch on 11 v. 34 Ps., ‘ I wil teatche the fear of the Lord’;
quhair he urged the deutie of thos quho would be teatchers
and preatchers to be instructed with ane body of solid knou-
ledge for to instruct, reproove, exhort, comfort, 2 Timoth. 3 c.
16 v.; of the quhilk knouledge my conscience testifying that
I was void confirmed me yet mor in the choyse of my calling.
Quhairupon I resolved to look som treatise concerning the
deuties of ane minister quharof I am uncapable, that I might
. be the mor setled in my calling. Then I voued, if ever God
called me to the chairge of ane family againe, every Sunday to
repeat with them the sermons quhilk I marqued with my kill-
, avyne penne; as also I voued that, if ever God delyvered me
from al my troubles, I sould be as cairful to keap som privat
dayes of thanksgiving as nou I doe of fasting, and to read good
treatises of thankfulnes as nou I read of affliction.
After sermon, in thy chalmer according to the Practise of
Pietie direction I repeated both the sermons and then con¬
fessed al particularly unto God. Thairafter, reading the ends
of fasting in the said book, I was extraordinary mooved
by earnest prayer to God, first, that he wald pardone al the
imperfections of my fast quhilk nou I was to close up ; secondly,
that he wald let me find that sam efficacy and pouer in my
fast both for averting the judgement of affliction already lying
on me, and the jugement of tentation quhilk was threatned and
I feared, as also for drauing doune Gods blissings on me as
fasting and praying did to Hanna, 1 Samuel 1 c.; 1 Kings 21 c.
29 v., unto Achab ; to the Izraelits, 1 Sam. 7 c. 6 v.; to Reho-
boam, 2 Chro: 12 c. 7 v.; to Jehosophat, 2 Chro: 20 c. 17 v.;
to Hezekiah, 2 Chron: 32 c. 20 v.; to Manasses, 2 Chro: 33 c.
13 v.; to Ezra 8 c. 22 v.; to Nehemiah, 1 c. 5 v.; to Esther, 4 c.
16 v.; to Daniel, 9 c. 21 v.; to the Ninevites, 3 c. Jonah 10 v.
Then most confidently I put up al my petitions unto God,
finding as it wer ane inward ansuer in my mynd unto every on
of them. First, I craived pardon of al my sinnes ; A. God som-