Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023)
Article: Wariston At Prayer: Lessons On The Use And Abuse Of Prayer From The Diary Of A Covenanter
Author: David G. Whitla

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Wariston At Prayer: Lessons On The Use And Abuse Of Prayer From The Diary Of A Covenanter1

David G. Whitla

Professor of Church History
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Introduction

This paper examines several practical dimensions of prayer through a study of the devotional life of the Scottish Covenanter Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (1611–1663).2 He is best-known as the lawyer who largely composed the Scottish National Covenant of 1638, as one of the five Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, and as an unexpected collaborator with Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s. At the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, he fled Britain, living as a fugitive in France before being caught and hanged for treason in Edinburgh in 1663—making him one of the first Covenanter martyrs.

This paper also completes a series of three essays that uses Lord Wariston as a historical case study for the experiential application of each of the primary means of grace—“Wariston on the Word,” “Wariston at the Table,” and now, “Wariston at Prayer.”3 We have an unparalleled window into the “inner life” of this particular Covenanter because he has left us with one of the most exhaustive spiritual diaries of the early modern period,4 enabling us to tiptoe into his prayer closet

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and eavesdrop on his devotions. As we have seen regarding the other means of grace, Wariston’s diary has much to say on the use and abuse of prayer in a confessionally Reformed context, demonstrating how a right theology of prayer does not necessarily guarantee a consistent application of that theology in practice.5

Wariston’s Use Of Prayer: Contexts And Experiences

The Reformed—both British and Continental—have traditionally recognized three worship contexts in their churches: public worship, family worship, and private worship—in that order of importance.6 Prayer formed an integral part of each.

Prayer In Public Worship

The typical practice for public prayer that Wariston experienced is well summarized by the Westminster Directory for Public Worship (1645). According to the directory, there was normally to be a “Public Prayer Before the Sermon” (traditionally, this was called “the long prayer”). Rather than providing ministers with a prescribed liturgical f...