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

222
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
hes planted in my saule,’ seimed to me ane mor pourful meane,
ane mor assured forruner of ane blissing, nor if heaven and earth
wald concurre to fortel and cause the contrary. Confesse, 0
saule, thou cannot utter the wonderful works of Gods Sprit
with the in this exercise eyther for praying or trusting; blissed,
blissed be his naime for it. At night the Lord assisted me
with meditations, strong cryes, and particular confessions; for,
O saule, remember, in al thir liberties of prayer, ever befor Gods
granting them he forced and assisted the to confesse parti¬
cularly, on by on, al the abhominations of thy youth, of thy
mariage, of thy adversitie, of thy widouhood, of thy second
ouing, and to acknoledge his merciful wayes in every on of
them. After this particular confession and acknoledgment
the spaice of ane houre or half ane houre, quhen thou cam to
thy petitions he granted the ay the libertie; remember this
was Gods order with the at this tyme the reading of Pauls
prayer in the 3 c. Ephes. 14 v.
May- On Foorsday al night my phantasie in my sleape was filled
with holy thoughts and divine imaginations, notwithstanding
the frequent interruption of my sleape. On the morning after
my particular passing over al Gods wayes for me, and myne
contrarie to him and his at my petitions, the devil cust ever in
my teeth, as ane sufficient cause of thair denyal, the sinnes of
my adversitie, widouhood, ouing, quherupon my saule retorted
1. that the Lord passed ever by my deserts, and ansuered my
desyrs, as apeared particularly in al my lyfe hitherto, 2. that
thos nou could neyther withhold good or drau doune evil on
me, becaus theyr pardon was subscryved by Chrysts blood and
sealed to my conscience both inwardly and outwardly in the
last comunion; quherupon my saule by a divine exilience’out
of my selth as it wer lifting up my tearful eies and greived
yet confident heart to Chryst Jesus, I challenged him of his
promise, and said, £Evin betueine the Chryst Jesus and thy
Fayther be it, if nou I be scourged for that for the quhilk thou
hes satisfyed; scheu then thy satisfaction applyed to me befor
thy Fayther, and tel him he cannot tak tuyse payment for on
debt, caive nou to me the pouer of thy intercession with him,
remember thou interceeded for the first, remember thou lot
me visibly seie the interceeding in the Cheins yairds for me