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

DIARY, 1637-1689
327
upon he preatched most sensibly. Afternoone J. Lauson, Ja.
Murray, etc., and ye conferred upon the sermon; ye fand the
Sprit of God assisting you, with ane continual long assistance,
in your familie exercise of reading 9 Daniel and praying thair-
after, lykas in the grace after supper.
On Sunday, the 18 day of Merch, 1638, after motion in 18 Merch 1638.
your familie prayer ye went to Rothau, heard Mr. J. Hamilton
follou out his text verry sensibly. Ye went with sense to the
second taible of the morning service ; got motion and tears at Comunion and
the taible; ryde presently away with your familie and Riccarton,
conferring on the sermons til we came to Currie, quhair Mr.
Jhon Chairtres minister was reading the 28 and 29 of Deuteron.,
quhilk he pressed in his exhortation. He preatched on 17 Genes.
1 v., ‘ I am thy alsufficient God; walk thou befor me, and be
perfyte.’ After sermon, being a solemne fast day apoynted for
subscription of the Covenant, he read it al over again as he
had doone the Sunday of befoir; he syne explained to the
people al the pairts of it. Thairafter, to schau his warrand for
seiking, and thairs for giving, ane oath at the renovation of the
Covenant, he pressed the 10 ch. Nehem. v. 28 and 29, ‘ Al the
rest of the people, thair wyves, sons, and daughters, every on
haiving knouledge and understanding; they claive to thair
brethren, the nobles, and entred into a curse, and unto ane
oath to walk in Gods lau ’; and the 2 Chron. ch. 15 v. 12,
‘ And they entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of
thair faythers with al thair heart and al thair saule; that
quhosoever would not seek the Lord God of Izrael sould be
put to death, whither great or small, man or woman. And they
suare unto the Lord with a loud voyce, with schouting,
trumpets, and cornets. And al Judah rejoyced at the oath : for
they had suorne with al thair heart, and sought him with thair
whol desyre; and he was found of them: and the Lord gaive
them rest round about1; quhairof applyed verry weal every
word. Yet in al this tyme thair was no motion nor tears in any
of the congregation; hot immediatly thairafter at his lifting up
of his hand, and hisdesyring the congregation to stand up and
lift up thair hands and sueare unto the aeternal God, and at
thair standing up and lifting up thair hands, in the tuinkling