mine haste I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes nevertheless Thou hearest the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee If Thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss who can abide it But there is Mercy with Thee that thou mayest be feared therefore shall sinners fly unto Thee I acknowledge my Sins before Thee which have the aggravation of my Condition the eminency of my Place adding weight to my Offences Forgive I beseech Thee my personal and my peoples Sins which are so far Mine as I have not improved The Power thou gavest Me to thy Glory and my Subjects good Thou hast now brought Me from the glory and freedom of a King to be a Prisoner to my own Subjects Justly O Lord as to thy over-ruling hand because in many things I have rebelled against Thee Though Thou hast restrained my Person yet enlarge my Heart to Thee and thy Grace towards Me. I come far short of David 's Piety yet since I may equal David 's Afflictions give Me also the Comforts and the sure Mercies of David Let the penitent sense I have of my Sins be an evidence to Me that Thou hast pardoned them Let not the Evils which I and my Kingdoms have suffered seem little unto Thee though Thou hast not punished us according to our Sins Turn Thee O Lord unto Me have mercy upon Me for I am desolate and afflicted The sorrows of my Heart are enlarged O bring Thou Me out of my Troubles Hast Thou forgotten to be gracious and shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure O remember thy Compassions of old and thy loving kindnesses which have been for many Generations I had utterly fainted if I had not believed to see thy Goodness in the Land of the Living Let not the sins of our Prosperity deprive us of the benefit of thy Afflictions Let this fiery tryal consume the dross which in long Peace and Plenty we had contracted Though Thou continuest Miseries yet withdraw not thy Grace what is wanting of Prosperity make up in Patience and Repentance And if thy Anger be not yet to be turned away but thy hand of Justice must be stretched out still let it I beseech Thee be against Me and my Fathers house as for these Sheep what have they done Let my Sufferings satiate the malice of Mine and thy Churches Enemies But let their Cruelty never exceed the measure of My Charity Banish from Me all thoughts of Revenge that I may not lose the reward nor Thou the glory of my Patience As Thou givest Me a heart to forgive them so I beseech Thee do Thou forgive what they have done against Thee and Me. And now O Lord as Thou hast given Me an heart to pray unto Thee so hear and accept this Vow which I make before Thee If Thou wilt in mercy remember Me and my Kingdoms in continuing the light of thy Gospel and settling thy True Religion among us In restoring to us the benefit of the Laws and the due execution of Justice In suppressing the many Schisms in Church and Factions in State If Thou wilt restore Me and Mine to the ancient Rights and Glory of my Predecessors If Thou wilt turn the hearts of my People to Thy self in Piety to Me in Loyalty and to one another in Charity If Thou wilt quench the flames and withdraw the fewel of these Civil Wars If Thou wilt bless us with the freedom of publick Counsels and deliver the Honour of Parliaments from the insolency of the Vulgar If Thou wilt keep Me from the great offence of enacting any thing against my Conscience and especially from consenting to Sacrilegious Rapines and spoilings of thy Church If Thou wilt restore Me to a capacity to glorifie Thee in doing good both to the Church and State Then shall my Soul praise Thee and magnifie thy Name before my People Then shall thy Glory be dearer to Me than my Crowns and the advancement of true Religion both in purity and power be my chiefest care Then will I rule my people with Justice and my Kingdoms with Equity To thy more immediate hand shall I ever owe as the rightful Succession so the merciful Restauration of my Kingdoms and the glory of them If Thou wilt bring Me again with Peace Safety and Honour to my chiefest City and my Parliament If Thou wilt again put the Sword of Justice into my hand to punish and protect Then will I make all the world to see and my very Enemies to enjoy the benefit of this Vow and Resolution of Christian Charity which I now make unto Thee O Lord. As I do freely pardon for Christs sake those that have offended Me in any kind so my hand shall never be against any man to revenge what is past in regard of any particular injury done to Me. We have been mutually punished in our unnatural Divisions for thy sake O Lord and for the love of my Redeemer have I purposed this in my heart That I will use all means in the wayes of Amnestie and Indemnity which may most fully remove all Fears and bury all Jealousies in forgetfulness Let Thy Mercies be toward Me and Mine as my resolutions of Truth and Peace are toward my People Hear my Prayer O Lord which goeth not out of feigned lips Blessed be God who hath not turned away my Prayer nor taken his Mercy from Me. O my Soul commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to pass But if Thou wilt not restore Me and Mine what am I that I should charge Thee foolishly Thou O Lord hast given and thou hast taken Blessed be thy Name May my People and thy Church be happy if not by Me yet without Me. His MAJESTIES Declaration After the Votes of no further Address Carisbrook Jan. 18. M DC XLVII To all My People of whatsoever Nation Quality or Condition AM I thus laid aside and must I not speak for My self No I will speak and that to all My People which I would have rather done by the way of My two Houses of Parliament but that there is a publick Order neither to make Addresses to or receive Messages from me And who but you can be judge of the differences betwixt Me and My two Houses I know none else for I am sure you it is who will enjoy the Happiness or feel the Misery of good or ill Government and we all pretend who should run fastest to serve you without having a regard at least in the first place to particular Interests And therefore I desire you to consider the state I am and have been in this long time and whether My Actions have more tended to the Publick or My own particular good For whosoever will look upon Me barely as I am a Man without that liberty which the meanest of My Subjects enjoyes of going whither and conversing with whom I will as a Husband and Father without the comfort of My Wife and Children or
Cause and Clearness of my Conscience before God and toward my People will carry Me as much above them in God's decision as their Successes have lifted them above Me in the Vulgar Opinion who consider not that many times those undertakings of men are lifted up to Heaven in the prosperity and applause of the world whose rise is from Hell as to the Injuriousness and Oppression of the Design The prosperous winds which oft fill the sails of Pirats do not justifie their Piracy and Rapine I look upon it with infinite more content and quiet of Soul to have been worsted in my enforced Contestation for and Vindication of the Laws of the Land the Freedom and Honour of Parliaments the Rights of my Crown the just Liberty of my Subjects and the true Christian Religion in its Doctrine Government and due Encouragements than if I had with the greatest advantages of Success over-born them all as some men have now evidently done what-ever Designs they at first pretended The Prayers and Patience of my Friends and loving Subjects will contribute much to the sweetning of this bitter Cup which I doubt not but I shall more chearfully take and drink as from God's hand if it must be so than they can give it to Me whose hands are unjustly and barbarously lifted up against Me. And as to the last event I may seem to owe more to my Enemies than my Friends while those will put a period to the Sins and Sorrows attending this miserable Life wherewith these desire I might still contend I shall be more than Conquerour through Christ enabling Me for whom I have hitherto suffered as he is the Author of Truth Order and Peace for all which I have been forced to contend against Errour Faction and Confusion If I must suffer a Violent Death with my Saviour it is but Mortality crowned with Martyrdom where the debt of Death which I owe for Sin to Nature shall be raised as a gift of Faith and Patience offered to God Which I humbly beseech him mercifully to accept and although Death be the wages of My own Sin as from God and the effect of others Sins as men both against God and Me yet as I hope My own Sins are so remitted that they shall be no ingredients to imbitter the cup of my Death so I desire God to pardon their Sins who are most guilty of my Destruction The Trophees of my Charity will be more glorious and durable over them than their ill-managed Victories over Me. Though their Sin be prosperous yet they had need to be penitent that they may be pardoned Both which I pray God they may obtain that my Temporal Death unjustly inflicted by them may not be revenged by God's just inflicting Eternal Death upon them for I look upon the Temporal Destruction of the greatest King as far less deprecable than the Eternal Damnation of the meanest Subject Nor do I wish other than the safe bringing of the Ship to shore when they have cast Me over-board though it be very strange that Mariners can sind no other means to appease the Storm themselves have raised but by drowning their Pilot. I thank God my Enemies Cruelty cannot prevent my Preparation whose Malice in this I shall defeat that they shall not have the satisfaction to have destroyed my Soul with my Body of whose Salvation while some of them have themselves seemed and taught others to despair they have only discovered this that they do not much desire it Whose uncharitable and cruel Restraints denying Me even the assistance of any of my Chaplains hath rather enlarged than any way obstructed my access to the Throne of Heaven Where Thou dwellest O King of Kings who fillest Heaven and Earth who art the fountain of Eternal Life in whom is no shadow of Death Thou O God art both the just Inflicter of Death upon us and the merciful Saviour of us in it and from it Yea it is better for us to be dead to our selves and live in Thee than by living in our selves to be deprived of Thee O make the many bitter aggravations of my Death as a Man and a King the opportunities and advantages of thy special Graces and Comforts in my Soul as a Christian If Thou Lord wilt be with Me I shall neither fear nor feel any evil though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death To contend with Death is the work of a weak and mortal man to overcome it is the Grace of Thee alone who art the Almighty and Immortal God O my Saviour who knowest what it is to die with Me as a man make Me to know what it is to pass through Death to Life with Thee my God Though I die yet I know that Thou my Redeemer livest for ever though Thou slayest Me yet Thou hast incouraged Me to trust in Thee for Eternal Life O withdraw not thy Favour from Me which is better than Life O be not far from Me for I know not how near a violent and Cruel Death is to Me. As thy Omniscience O God discovers so thy Omnipotence can defeat the Designs of those who have or shall conspire my Destruction O shew Me the goodness of thy Will through the wickedness of theirs Thou givest Me leave as a man to pray that this Cup may pass from Me but Thou hast taught Me as a Christian by the example of Christ to add Not My will but Thine be done Yea Lord let our wills be one by wholly resolving Mine into Thine let not the desire of Life in Me be so great as that of doing or suffering thy Will in either Life or Death As I believe Thou hast forgiven all the Errours of my Life so I hope Thou wilt save Me from the Terrours of my Death Make Me content to leave the Worlds Nothing that I may come really to enjoy All in Thee who hast made Christ unto Me in Life Gain and in Death Advantage Though my Destroyers forget their Duty to Thee and Me yet do not Thou O Lord forget to be merciful to them For what profit is there in my Blood or in their gaining my Kingdoms if they lose their own Souls Such as have not only resisted my just Power but wholly usurped and turned it against My self though they may deserve yet let them not receive to themselves Damnation Thou madest thy Son a Saviour to many that crucified Him while at once He suffered violently by them and yet willingly for them O let the voice of his Blood be heard for My Murtherers louder than the Cry of Mine against them Prepare them for thy Mercy by due Convictions of their Sin and let them not at once deceive and damn their own Souls by fallacious pretensions of Justice in destroying Me while the conscience of their unjust Vsurpation of power against Me chiefly tempts them to use all extremities against Me. O Lord Thou knowest I have found their Mercies to Me as very false so very cruel who
Believer is a King and a Priest invested with the honour of a Royal Priesthood yet as to Ecclesiastical Order and the outward Polity of the Church I think confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every mans turning Priest or Preacher as it will in the State where every one affects to rule as King I was alwayes bred to more modest and I think more Pious Principles The consciousness to my Spiritual defects makes Me more prize and desire those Pious assistances which holy and good Ministers either Bishops or Presbyters may afford Me especially in these Extremities to which God hath been pleased to suffer some of my Subjects to reduce Me so as to leave them nothing more but my Life to take from Me and to leave Me nothing to desire which I thought might less provoke their Jealousie and offence to deny Me than this of having some means afforded Me for my Souls comfort and support To which end I made choice of men as no way that I know scandalous so every way eminent for their Learning and Piety no less than for their Loyalty nor can I imagine any exceptions to be made against them but only this That they may seem too able and too well-affected toward Me and my Service But this is not the first service as I count it the best in which they have forced Me to serve My self though I must confess I bear with more grief and impatience the want of my Chaplains than of any other my Servants and next if not beyond in some things to the being sequestred from my Wife and Children fince from these indeed more of humane and temporary Affections but from those more of Heavenly and Eternal Improvements may be expected My comfort is that in the enforced not neglected want of ordinary means God is wont to afford extraordinary supplyes of his Gifts and Graces If his Spirit will teach Me and help my infirmities in Prayer Reading and Meditation as I hope he will I shall need no other either Orator or Instructor To thee therefore O My God do I direct my now solitary Prayers What I want of others help supply with the more immediate assistances of thy Spirit which alone can both enlighten my darkness and quicken my dulness O thou Sun of Righteousness thou Sacred Fountain of Heavenly Light and Heat at once clear and warm my Heart both by instructing of Me and interceding for Me. In Thee is all Fulness from Thee is all Sufficiency by Thee is all Acceptance Thou art company enough and comfort enough Thou art my King be also my Prophet and my Priest Rule Me teach Me pray in Me for Me and be Thou ever with Me. The single wrestlings of Jacob prevailed with Thee in that Sacred Duell when he had none to second him but Thy self who didst assist him with power to overcome Thee and by a welcome violence to wrest a Blessing from Thee O look on Me thy Servant in infinite Mercy whom Thou didst once bless with the joint and sociated Devotions of others whose fervency might inflame the coldness of my Affections towards Thee when we went to or met in thy House with the Voice of joy and gladness worshipping Thee in the unity of Spirits and with the bond of Peace O forgive the neglect and not improving of those happy Opportunities It is now thy pleasure that I should be as a Pelican in the wilderness as a Sparrow on the house top and as a Coal scattered from all those pious glowings and devout reflections which might best kindle preserve and encrease the holy fire of thy Graces on the Altar of my Heart whence the sacrifice of Prayers and incense of Praises might be duly offered up to Thee Yet O Thou that breakest not the bruised Reed nor quenchest the smoaking Flax do not despise the weakness of my Prayers nor the smotherings of my Soul in this uncomfortable loneness to which I am constrained by some mens uncharitable denials of those helps which I much want and no less desire O let the hardness of Their Hearts occasion the softnings of Mine to Thee and for them Let their Hatred kindle My Love let their unreasonable denials of my Religious desires the more excite my Prayers to Thee Let their inexorable deafness encline thine ear to Me who art a God easie to be entreated thine Ear is not heavy that it cannot nor thy Heart hard that it will not hear nor thy Hand shortned that it cannot help Me thy desolate Suppliant Thou permittest men to deprive Me of those outward means which Thou hast appointed in thy Church but they cannot debar Me from the communion of that inward Grace which Thou alone breathest into humble hearts O make Me such and Thou wilt teach Me Thou wilt hear Me Thou wilt help Me the broken and contrite heart I know Thou wilt not despise Thou O Lord canst at once make Me thy Temple thy Priest thy Sacrifice and thine Altar while from an humble Heart I alone daily offer up in holy Meditations fervent Prayers and unfeigned Tears My self to Thee who preparest Me for Thee dwellest in Me and acceptest of Me. Thou O Lord didst cause by secret supplies and miraculous infusions that the handfull of Meal in the vessel should not spend nor the little Oyl in the cruise fail the Widow during the time of drought and dearth O look on my Soul which as a Widow is now desolate and forsaken let not those saving Truths I have formerly learned now fail my memory nor the sweet effusions of thy Spirit which I have sometime felt now be wanting to my Heart in this Famine of ordinary and wholesom food for the refreshing of my Soul Which yet I had rather chuse than to feed from those hands who mingle my bread with ashes and my wine with gall rather tormenting than teaching Me whose mouths are proner to bitter Reproaches of Me than to hearty Prayers for Me. Thou knowest O Lord of Truth how oft they wrest thy Holy Scriptures to my destruction which are clear for their Subjection and My Preservation O let it not be to their Damnation Thou knowest how some men under colour of long Prayers have sought to devour the houses of their Brethren their King and their God O let not those mens Balms break my head nor their Cordials oppress my heart I will evermore pray against their Wickedness From the poison under their tongues from the sndres of their lips from the fire and the swords of their words ever deliver Me O Lord and all those Loyal and Religious hearts who defire and delight in the prosperity of my Soul and who seek by their Prayers to relieve this Sadness and Solitude of thy Servant O my King and my God Penitential Meditations and Vows In The KINGS Solitude at Holdenby GIVe ear to my words O Lord consider my Meditation and hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto Thee will I pray I said in