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

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DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
man exhorteth man, as Moyses and Joschua the Izraelits;
somtymes man exhorteth himselth, 103 Ps., ‘ My saule, prayse
thou the Lord1; 116 Ps., ‘ Returne to thy rest.’ He added that
dulcia non meruit, so the apostle put them in mynd of thair
bygon estaite for to mak thair present the mor comfortable;
he added that we sould not upbraid any man propter injirmi-
tatem sed propter peccatum, as 4 c. 3 v. After sermon I went
to Liberton and tuyse discoursed of death with neighbours, and
resolved to doe al the good I could doe in Christianite without
youe. taking on the heavie chairge of ane minister, and vouing that,
if God delyvered me, I sould wonderfully exhort al uthers his
saints perfytly to trust in him. At night befor supper, haiving
desyred God for to direct me in my entrance to my calling and so
in the choyse of my speatch, I was presently brought in mynd
that the fittinest mater for me was ipsum advocati officium.
Then, haiving ended my prayers and prayses, after supper I
meditated on som quho put thair hoi trust in secondary
means, never looking unto God or primum movens; som againe
trusted only unto God, never looking unto secondary means,
quhairof I am on, for in al my perplexities and doubts my
only recours with Abraham is Deus providebit. Then, with
many tears and unutterable groans, I remembred this tyme
hualmonth hou largly and bountifully God had provyded for
me, suppose then I had not sutch need as nou, quhairon I
called to mynd the 31 v. of 1 c. Deutero: quhilk I had read befor
supper, ‘ In the wildernes, quhairin thou lies seien hou that the
Lord thy God baire the, as a man doeth bear his son, in al the
way that ye went, until ye cam unto this plaice,’ as also I
remembred that speatch of the mornings sermon quherby men
may be bold to remember God. Then, on my knees, instantly
I prayed to God for my uncles lyfe, as also for children unto
him, protesting to God that, tiios hoops being broken, yet stil
I would depend on him; many unspeakable tears sched I that
night unto him, and not being aible to sleap I had many con¬
ceptions and meditations about M and the L C.
28 Aug. On Wedensday morning, going in to the long aylay, medi¬
tated on 8 v. 17 c. Genes., ‘ I wil give unto the and to thy seed
the land quherin thou art a strainger.’ After privat exercises I
heard M A Thomson on Mark 7 c. 30 v., quharon he urged