To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
O Powerfull and Eternall God! to whom nothing is so great that it may resist; or so small, that it is contemned; look upon My Misery with thine eye of Mercy, and let Thine
infinite power vouchsafe to limit out some propor∣tion of deliverance unto Me, as to Thee shall seem most convenient; let not Injurie, O Lord, triumph over Me; and let my faults by Thy hand be cor∣rected; and make not my unjust Enemies the Mi∣nisters of thy Justice: But yet my God, if in Thy Wisdome this be the aptest chastisement for my un∣excusable transgressions; if this ingratefull bon∣dage be fittest for my over-high desires; if the pride of my (not enough humble) heart be thus to be broken, O Lord, I yeeld unto Thy will, and chearfully embrace what sorrow Thou wilt have me suffer: Onely thus much let me crave of Thee, (Let my craving, O Lord, be accepted of, since it even proceeds from Thee) that by Thy good∣nesse which is Thy selfe, Thou wilt suffer some beame of Thy Majestie so to shine in My Minde, that I, who in My greatest Afflictions acknow∣ledge it My Noblest Title to be Thy Creature, may still depend confidently on Thee. Let Calamity be the exercise, but not the overthrow of My virtue. O let not their prevailing power be to my destructi∣on. And if it be Thy will that they more and more vex Me with punishment; yet, O Lord, never let their wickednesse have such a hand, but that I may still carry a pure minde, and stedfast resolution ever to serve Thee, without feare or presumption, yet with that humble Confidence which may best please Thee; so that at the last I may come to Thy eter∣nall Kingdome, through the Merits of Thy Son our alone Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
ALmighty and most mercifull Father, looke down upon me Thy unworthy servant, who here prostrate my selfe at the Foot-stool of Thy Throne of Grace; but look upon me, O Father, through the Mediation and in the Merits of Jesus Christ, in whom Thou art onely well pleased; for, of my selfe I am not worthy to stand before Thee, or to speak with my unclean lips to Thee most holy and eternall God; for as in sinne I was conceived and born, so likewise I have broken all thy Com∣mandements by my sinfull motions, unclean thoughts, evill words, and wicked workes; omitting many duties I ought to doe, and committing many vices which Thou hast forbidden, under pain of Thy hea∣vy Displeasure: as for my sinnes, O Lord, they are innumerable, wherefore I stand here liable to all the miseries in this life, and everlasting Torments in that to come; if Thou shouldest deal with me according to my deserts. I confesse, O Lord, that it is Thy Mercy, (which endureth for ever) and Thy compassion (which never fails,) which is the cause that I have not been long agoe consumed: but with Thee there is mercy and plenteous Re∣demption; in the multitude therefore of Thy mer∣cies, and by the Merits of Jesus Christ, I intreat Thy Divine Majesty, that Thou wouldst not enter into judgement with Thy servant, nor be extreame to mark what is done amisse, but be Thou mercifull
unto me, and wash away all my sinnes with that precious bloud that my Saviour shed for me. And I beseech thee, O Lord, not onely to wash away all my sinnes, but also to purge my heart by Thy holy Spirit, from the drosse of my naturall corruption; and as Thou doest adde dayes to my life, so good Lord, I beseech Thee, to adde repentance to my dayes, that when I have past this mortall life, I may be partaker of Thy everlasting Kingdome, through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALmighty and most mercifull Father, as it is onely Thy goodnesse that admits of Our imperfect Prayers, and the knowledge that thy mercies are infinite, which can give Ʋs any hope of Thy accepting or granting them; so it is our bounden and necessary duty to confesse our sins freely unto Thee; and of all men living, I have most need, most reason, so to doe, no man having been so much obliged by Thee, no man more grie∣vously offending Thee: that degree of knowledge which Thou hast given Mee, adding likewise to the guilt of My transgressions. For was it through ig∣norance, that I suffered innocent bloud to be shed by a false pretended way of Justice? or that I permit∣ted a wrong way of Thy Worship, to be set up in Scotland? and injured the Bishops in England?
O no; but with shame and griefe I confesse, that I therein followed the perswasions of worldly wis∣dome, forsaking the Dictates of a right-informed Conscience: Wherefore, O Lord, I have no excuse to make, no hope left, but in the multitude of Thy mercies; for I know My repentance weak, and My prayers faulty: Grant therefore mercifull Father, so to strengthen My repentance, and amend My prayers, that Thou mayest cleare the way for Thine own mercies, to which, O let thy Justice at last give place, putting a speedy end to My deserved af∣flictions. In the meane time, give Me Patience to endure, Constancie against Temptations, and a dis∣cerning spirit, to choose what is best for Thy Church, and People, which thou hast committed to My Charge. Grant this, O most mercifull Father, for thy Sonne Jesus Christs sake, our onely Saviour. Amen.
O Most mercifull Father, though My sinnes are so many and grievous, that I may ra∣ther expect the effects of thy anger, than so great a deliverance, as to free Me from My present great danger; yet, O Lord, since Thy mer∣cies are over all Thy workes, and Thou never failest to relieve all those who with humble and unfeig∣ned
repentance come to Thee for succour, it were to multiply, not diminish My transgressions to despaire of Thy heavenly favour: wherefore I humbly de∣sire Thy Divine Majesty, that Thou wilt not onely Pardon all my sinnes, but also free Me out of the hands, and protect Me from the malice of My cruell Enemies. But if thy wrath against My hai∣nous Offences will not otherwayes be satisfied, than by suffering Me to fall under my present afflictions, Thy will be done; yet with humble Importunity, I doe and shall never leave to implore the assistance of Thy heavenly Spirit, that my cause, as I am Thy Vicegerent, may not suffer through my weak∣nesse or want of courage. O Lord, so strengthen and enlighten all the faculties of my minde, that with clearnesse I may shew forth Thy Truth, and man∣fully endure this bloudy Tryall, that so my suffer∣ings here may not onely glorifie Thee, but likewise be a furtherance to my salvation hereafter. Grant this, O mercifull Father, for his sake who suffered for Me, even Jesus Christ the Righteous. A∣men.
SIR;
HAving no means to come to the know∣ledge of your Majesties present con∣dition, but such as I receive from the Prints, or (which is as uncertain) Report, I have sent this Bearer Seamour to wait upon your Majestie; and to bring me an account of it: that I may withall assure your Majestie, I doe not onely pray for your Majestie ac∣cording to my dutie; but shall alwayes be ready to doe all which shall be in my power, to deserve that blessing which I now humbly beg of your Majestie upon
SIR;
Your MAjESTIES most humble and most obedient son and servant CHARLES.
Hague Jan. 23. 1648.
The Superscription was thus,
For the King.