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

DIARY, 1637-1639
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in his airmes, with ane earnest desyre for spritual eyes to
discerne if my internal hopes of his outward blissings pro¬
ceeded from the Lord or not; if they did, that he wald con-
tineu me in my challenges and claimes, that quhen it so come
to passe, I might the mor admire his uncouth maner of dealing
be his providence with me; if not, that he wald maik me quyt
them. A1 this tyme for ane long houre and ane half I got ane
great libertie and motion ; blissed be the naime of the Lord for
it, and for his great reneued assistance with me in the publik
prayer after my exposition of our ordinary 13 Hezek : Lord,
maik me find this privat exercise both a fit praeparation to
the publik humiliation, and a sensible prognostication of the
Lords subsequent comunicating himselth to me in som neu
exigencies and difficulties eyther of doing or suffering.
On Saturday morning, meditating on the first half of the 15 Septem.
14 Hezek:, my saule harped on that phrase, ‘And ye schal
knou that I am the Lord’; marking that phrase, ‘Ye schal
knou,’ or ‘ That ye may knou, that I am the Lord,’ to be used
foor tymes in the preceiding chap, and thryse in the 12 ch.,
and frequently through al the prophets, quhilk convinceth our
ignorance, schaueth the excellence and absolut necessitie of
that fondamental deutie quhilk is the fontain of al uthers
for ignoti nulla cupido nec timor, etc., the end of al Gods
works eyther of justice or mercie, the treuth of that lyfe
everlasting to knou God and Chryst Jesus, the justice of
deserved damnation of ignorance of God in Thessalons., the
reason of the frequent exhortations to knouledge quhilk I
pressed upon myselth and familie in publik prayer, and resolved
to maik ane vou at this humiliation.
Upon the Saboth morning, being the solemne fast, I was 16 Septem.
castin doune for want of Saturdayes praeparation ; and, for thatfast'
mornings heavines, I went through in privat al my lyfe, and
admired the unexpressible longsuffering patience of God quho
had not cutted me of in my abhominations; his infinitly in¬
credible mercy in pardoning a infinit, infinit guiltines, filthines,
wickednes, vyldness, naughtines; his wonderful, outward pro¬
vidence and inward grace to restraine and reneu me from so
tyranizing corruptions as both to keep me inwardly from the
acts, and outwardly evin from the least suspicion of sik inclina-