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

DIARY, 1637-1639
297
the whol commissioners.1 At night the Lord lot me seie his
finger, in his mornings motion layed a neu chairge upon me
with the honest man to think on the Hie Commission, quhairin
Lord inaible me find himselth.
Upon Tuesday, after earnest prayer in my familie, I put my
L. Thresaurers signator of my hand, quhlik eased my mynd of
a peice of fascherie. After my L. Thresaur: and Justice Clerks
(to quhom I had comunicat the conclusion and with quhom the
whol Information was to be sent) waygoing to Court, I wryte
ane long letter to my Lord Laudin and visited D. Jollie.
Upon Wedensday morning, haiving lyen long waiking I arose
about half fyve hours,2 and in my chalmer spent tuo hours in
praysing and praying; for the Lord brought so suddainly to my
mynd ane epitome of al his former dealings with me, especyaly
in my calling, threie moneth in Dalkeith, threie moneth in
Castres, threie moneth befor my first mariage, al the tyme of
the wakning of my mynd in my widouhood, every week or day
or occasion quhairin my heart hes bein walking and talking
with God, and of thos earnest, importun, constant, desyres and
prayers, quhilk at al thos seasons he maid me poure out befor
God, that the Lord wald be pleased to glorifie himselth in my
lyfe and death, and cast me in that course of lyfe and calling
quhairin I might proove ane profitable member in kirk and
comonwealth (I doubting ay most of my life and least of my
death) that, if the Lord had nothing adoe with me for his
glory, his worschip, his churche, or the comonwealth, he
wald put ane end to my sinful dayes, quhairin I feared ever my
corruption wil break forth to the dishonor of his naime, the
sclander of my profession, and schipwrak of my conscience; or,
if he prolonged my lyfe, his Majestie wald deinzie both to im-
ploy it, and to schau me that he wald and sould imploy it, in
som acts and exercises immediatly and sensibly tending to his
glory, the weal of his churche and of this comonwealth, as is
oft set doune in my preceiding diarium as the continual desyre
of my heart; and the fear of the contrary was ever the greatest
cause of my melancholy at al tymes and evin in my widou¬
hood ; and my doublings of taiking myselth to this my present
1 See Rothes’s Relation, p. 42.
Half-past four.