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

DIARY, 1637-1639
381
Upon Sunday I ryde out of Wairiston and heard Mr. George Vfol. ^.]
Hamilton1 on 24 Josua, ‘Nou therfor feare ye the Lord, and 9Septem.
serve him in sinceritie and treuth; and put away the Gods
quhom your faythers worschiped in zEgipt beyond the river’;
and, aftemoone, by reason of the great throng of huge numbers Sermon in the
of people in the College hall and Kirkafeild, I was forced to Kirk offeild-
deale with Mr. Henry Rollok to preatch in the kirkyaird,
quhilk he did to ane verry great auditorie with ane great motion
both in speaker and the hearers ; quhilk motion was furthered
by the verry uncouthnes of the place and way. The Lord as¬
sisted him wonderfully in his tuo prayers, as also in his sermon
upon a most pertinent text, in the first chap, of Hosea, 41 wil
haive mercy upon Judah, and I wil saive him by the Lord thair
God, and I wil not saive him by bou, or axe, or battel, or horse,
or horsmen ’; quhairin I sau Gods present hand in the casting
thir, and siklyk extraordinar, occasions to wacken and stirre
up the mynds of his people quho perhaps, in thair ordinary
churche and seat, wald haive sleiped or vaiged ; and forsau the
hand of God, eyther befor hand praepairing his people for
siklyk feild exercises in subsequent real necessities, or els
prsepairing his people, by the verry odnes of this place and
maner, to firmely ryvett in thair memories this passage and
promise, That quhen the Lord, quho hitherto hes doone al this
work by himselth alon without the helpe of the witt and
strenth of man, schal perfyte it also be himselth alon by
immediat changing our foes hearts lyk the heart of Cyrus and
Darius, or by immediat confounding them lyk Rabschakeths
armeis; that then the people may the mor solidly remember and
apply and acknouledge that the Lord had verefyed his promise
to Judah upon Scotland, by halving mercy on hir and saiving hir
by the Lord hir God, and not by pick or musket, battail or hors¬
men, by the witt, courage, or strenth of man. The Lord doe
it that al may seie and read it, and admire and adore the
Lord.
I got good that night in the recomending of my familie; hot
especyaly on Mononday night after super, quhairin the Lord i° Sept,
assisted me pouerfully to aply thos abhominations quhilk the
Minister of Newburn.