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

DIARY 1637-1639
251
begoud to cry before tuelth hours at night. Haiving brought
up the L. Currihil, I begoud to say the prayer with unspeak¬
able fervencie, confidence, and libertie, crying,{ Abba, Fayther,
Gods mercie, thy wil be doone,’ and was interrupted. I gob
libertie and tears apairt. It pleased the Ahnightie beuixt
ten and elevin hours on Foorsday, 20 Apryle 1637, out of AP'Bo
extream great danger to delyver my wyfe of ane son quhom I
baptised that sam afternoone be Mr. Hery Rollok in the Old
Kirk, calling him James, for the quhilk blissed be the name of
God and the Lord maik him his servant.
On the Frayday, 21 Apryle 1637, Mr. Jhon Ray and Anna ^Ap.^ ^ ^
Hay was contracted in our [house]; the Lord blisse the match
both inwardly and [outwardly].1 A1 thir things I wryte to my
mother and to Mr. David Dick quhairin I got good; bot on
Sunday, 23 Apryle, in my auin chalmer it pleased the Lord to 23 Apryle.
comunicat himselth fully to my saule as I was mooved to
wryt it at lenth to Mr. David Dick, for to stand as ane testi-
monie against myselth in neu afflictions and tentations. Betuixt
3 hours and six at night in my auin chalmer, quhyle I was
walking al alone and meditating on the nature, essence,
naimes, attributs, words, works of a Dei tie, my quhol body
took a schuddring, and extream coldnes seased on al my joints
especyaly on the roots of my haire quhilk stood al steave, bent Ane exstasie.
up fra the croun of my head ; my eies stood brent open, never
closing albeit rivers of tears ran doun my scheaks; my tounge
strokin dumb; my hands at will nou reatched out as it wer to
receive a Deitie, nou glasped in as it wer to inclose and imbraice
a Deitie receaved ; this was the temper of my body, quhyl in al
this tyme my saul was transported out of myselth and fixed
upon the immediat vision and fruition of ane incomprehensible
Deitie, lyk lightnings glauncing in at a windou ; first his
nature in general, then the Unitie in Trinitie, Trinitie in Unitie,
then his attributs of justice, mercie, pouer, presence, wysdom,
treuth, then his works al in order first of creation then of
1 The contract of marriage between Mr. John Rae (Ray), advocate, and Anna
Hay, daughter of umquhil Sir Alexander Hay, Lord Foresterseat, bears date
April 21, 1637. It was recorded in the Books of Session March 5, 1639. Mr.
John Ray died II December 1637. See p. 283. Anna subsequently married
Andrew Hamilton, merchant in Edinburgh ; she died in June 1661. Greyfriars
Burials, 12 June 1661.—Edinburgh Tests., 27 Dec. 1647.