body that we may laud prayse thee here on earth for a time and for ever in the Heavens O Lord Iesus Christ succour vs in this sickly time for those bitter paines that for our sakes thou sometimes enduredst make intercession for vs with thy heavenly Father defend vs against the heavie wrath of God forgiue vs our trespasses giue thine innocency vnto vs. Call to minde in this grievous plague-time how much our Redemption cost thee and suffer not that thy bloud-shed for vs to be lost or become in vaine O Holy Ghost vouchsafe thou to descend sweetly into our languishing hearts refresh thou and recreate our soules And if it so fall out that this plague strike vs also then take thou the cure of our soules in that houre in which we must depart out of this life lay vs in the most sweete bosome of Christ our Redeemer that we may be there partakers of eternall joy and quietnesse Fulfill all thy most sweete promises in us which are in thy Word made unto vs. Take from us all unbeliefe doubting and impatience make us ever readie to obey the will of God even thou who with the Father and the Sonne livest one God world without end Amen Of forgiuenesse of Sinnes and of the Lords Supper O Good Lord Iesus Christ I am no way able eyther in words or thought sufficiently to make expression of thy great loue which thou hast declared towards me at such time as thou receivedst me miserable sinner into grace and hast made me to eate and drinke of thy true body and bloud vnto euerlasting life Accept in the meane time this sacrifice of Thankesgiving of my heart and mouth which in this mortall bodie I am able to pay unto thee untill I come home unto thee where I shall for ever praise thee Giue thy Holy Spirit unto me who may teach me to know how much good thou hast alreadie wrought in me that so in faith charitie hope patience I may begin to leade a new life vnto thy prayse mine owne amendment and the good of my neighbour Grant this for the merit of thy precious bloud and the redemption which thou thereby hast made Amen And these be some of those devout prayers with which this most pious Prince teaches his Army to call vpon the Lord of Hosts and Victory Now vnto these good prayers let all religious Readers that wish well vnto this King adde this or the like for a close vnto the rest The Lord heare thee in the time of trouble and the name of the God of Iacob defend thee be vnto thee a Shield and Buckler against thine enemies arme thee with the sword of Gideon and the Lord of Hosts goe forth with thine Armies that the Victories which God shall giue thee may bring freedome and justice vnto the innocent and oppressed inlargement to Religion liberty to Germany and the benefits of a sweet and a lasting peace vnto all Christendome This grant vs for the Prince of Peace his sake Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ANd now that you may know that the King of Sweden doth not onely enjoyne others to pray but that in his owne person he practises these devotions by himselfe I will here subjoyne you two severall prayers conceived no doubt in his owne more private and premeditated consideration and uttered in publicke and extempore as it seemed The first was at his Majesties first landing upon the coasts of Germanie where so soone as ever he out of his long boate set his foote upon the dry Land he thus by prayer and thankesgiving in Gods Name tooke possession of the Countrey himselfe whilest his men were landing stepping a little aside and before them all upon his knees uttering these words of devotion O most great God that commaundest what ever thou pleasest both in heaven and earth and in the surging Seas what thankfulnesse am I now bound to render unto thee for that thou hast preserved me thus safely in all this so perilous a voyage Againe and againe doe I from the very bottome of my heart and soule giue thankes unto thee and here I humbly beseech thee that seeing as thou very well knowest I haue not undertaken this expedition for any private end of mine owne but onely for thine honours sake and to be some comfort and assistance unto thine afflicted Church so if so be the time which thy selfe hast appoynted be alreadie come thou wouldst now be pleased to favour and blesse me hereafter also and that especially thou wouldst send me a fayre winde and a prosperous that the Army yet left behinde which out of so many people and Nations I haue gathered together I may with joyfull eyes shortly here behold and with a happie beginning promote with them the glory of thy holy name Amen When his Counsellors and Commanders then next his person saw their devout King thus on the bare ground upon his knees and heard with what a fervencie of spirit he uttered these devotions an inward comfort and an holy joy they tooke at it wrought more with them than their enemies could yet ever doe that is even forced and pressed teares out of their manly eyes This his pious Majestie then perceiving Forbeare to weepe sayes he to them but heartily conjoyne your prayers with me for the greater the army of prayers is the greater and more assured shall the victory be He that prayes diligently hath in part overthrowne the enemy already and already gotten the victory Thus having sayd he out of two hundred long boates lands his men then on the shoares side and then sends them to his shippes to fetch more and God so heard him and the winde so favoured him that according to his former prayers his whole Army very shortly and very safely arrived I will not here compare this prayer of this pious and victorious Prince vnto that of the great Iosuah at whose request the Sunne stood still as the winde here did at his but that you may see that God did indeed heare the prayers of this King too I will now giue you a more eminent example of it The Papists had one of theirs done it would undoubtedly haue cryed out A miracle and well they might for few such they haue but I will onely thinke of it as of a present and a visible blessing sent from that great God to whom the windes and the Seas obeyed And thus it was The King a little after this having a designe upon Stetin and his Army now readie upon the shoare and his boats readie upon the River to imbarke them the winde behold was contrary and so had beene for some dayes before This the King observing turning a little aside he before his Army with bended knees and hands lift up to Heaven uttered these words O thou most just God! full well thou knowest that this enterprise I did not at first undertake out of any rashnesse or ambition but for the glory of thy most holy Name and the defence of the truth of thy Word here therefore now call I vpon thy Godhead and most humbly doe I beseech thee that with the ayre of thy favour and with a prosperous winde thou wouldst vouchsafe to breath vpon this my vndertaking Amen No sooner was this prayer ended but the winde suddenly as a man might say chopt about and swel'd the Swedish sayles with so hard a gale that the whole Fleete passing the Swing or arme of the Oder was in two houres space runne full sixe Germane myles twentie of ours perchance if not more and all on the sudden when they were little looked for came to an Anchor within an English myle of Stetin to the great admiration of the beholders and the greater defeate of the hopes and purposes of the Imperialists who had a designe within two dayes after to haue layd siege to the same Towne had not God thus miraculously prevented them And thus much though I now giue you out of a Latine Copie yet to confesse the truth did I in the writing of my former Booke finde mentioned in one of the weekly Currantoes how that the Kings Fleete was by a strong and a sudden Northerly winde strangely advanced through the Oder even to the very walles of the Citie But this I durst not then write vpon the bare credite of a common Curranto nor durst I with this winde though a strong one it were adventure to stemme the tyde of popular opinion which I found not onely to runne against but to vse the language of the Sea with a stiffe currant strongly to be set against the credite of these weekly Currantoes Which warinesse of mine made me indeed to leaue out many notable particulars which I since finde reported in the Booke called Arma Suecica God Almightie that hath so graciously both heard and granted these two prayers of this pious King heare all the rest also both those that himselfe makes and what other good Christians make likewise for him And those Englishmen that will not I wish they would say Amen vnto it FINIS
same purpose ALmightie and everlasting God Creator of Heaven and Earth we thy poore children doe from the bottome of our hearts in the name of thy beloved Sonne Iesus Christ entreat thee that by the power of thy Spirit thou wouldst be pleased to direct thine owne Christian Church with all the true servants of it that with constancy they may cleaue unto thy Word so increasing in faith hope charitie and patience unto to the end that they may be saved Vouchsafe thy divine grace also unto all Christian Kings Princes and Governours and especially the King our Soveraigne Lord and to all their Counsellours and chiefe Officers that they may so rule their Subjects thy people well and according to thy good pleasure as that peace good dealing and righteousnes may be cherished troubles injustice and all wickednesse may be banished and quite taken out of the way Looke mercifully upon our enemies and upon all those that persecute us cause that both they and we may seriously repent us of our sinnes grant them and us and all the whole Christian world such a minde to the loue of peace that we may serue thee O holy God in all pietie and honestie Comfort moreover all those that are afflicted poore sicke sorrowfull distressed captiues troubled in minde those that suffer persecution or temptation that they may beare the crosse patiently and obtaine at last a happie issue out of all their troubles Blesse the fruits of the earth also unto us for the necessary nourishment of our bodies and preserve them from all danger and ill weather And especially be thou present with us in this our expedition pardon our sinnes and mercifully turne away from us these punishments which we haue deserved Keepe safe moreover our Lord the King from all dangers both of soule and body preserue all his Captaines Commanders higher and lower together with his whole Army and our fellow-Souldiers Grant us O Lord our God unanimous and sincere minds wise direction happie proceedings and our desired end in all our actions and endevours So as may best make to the glory of thy holy Name the quietnesse peace comfort joy and happinesse finally both temporall and eternall of our selues Countrey and all these afflicted Christians which professe the Orthodox and true faith Shew us some token for good Psal 86.17 that they which hate us may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen us and comforted us These blessings that thou wouldest vouchsafe unto us we thy poore children entreate thee humbly by the death passion of thy onely Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee world without end Amen Another Prayer to the same purpose OMnipotent and eternall God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Creator and preserver of all things most humbly we entreate thee together with thy beloved Sonne and holy Spirit that thou wouldest be pleased to be favourable unto us even for the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ whom in thy wonderfull counsell thou hast given us to be a Sacrifice for our sinnes and whom thou hast appoynted to be our Advocate and Mediator that by Him thou mightest expresse thy justly conceived anger against the sinnes of the world and thy mercies towards us Sanctifie Lord and guide us by thy Holy Spirit gather governe and preserue thy Christian Church giue us thy grace that according unto what thou hast in thy holy Word prescribed us we may liue holily and unblamedly in this present world Preserve our Lord the King The Queene of Swedens name is Maria Eleonora sister unto George William now Marquesse Elector of Brandenburg This young Lady their Daughter being the onely childe of the King of Sweden now liuing is named Christina who was by the States of Sweden in the Parliament of Stockholme An. 1627. received for their Queene in case the King should dye without other Issue our soveraigne Lady the Queene their royall Daughter and all the regall Family unto the glory of thy Name and the generall comfort and protection of us all Grant us a good government in the Common-wealth and whatsoever els is necessary for our wel-being Peace namely a happie government with a good and an honest neighbourhood Blesse finally our counsells our enterprises and that through Iesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Spirit one God true and coequall Amen Another Prayer to the same purpose MOst mercifull God and heavenly Father wee giue unto thee all thankes for those thy benefits which untill this day thou out of thy Fatherly goodnesse hast bestowed upon us And first of all for that thou hast redeemed us by thy Sonne and hast in thy Word revealed him unto us in whom thou offerest remission of sinnes righteousnesse and everlasting life unto all men that with a penitent heart and true faith embrace it Preserue we beseech thee pure and uncorrupt thine owne holy Word Sacraments in these dangerous times against all Hereticks and false Teachers Especially against the Papists who at this present with many bloudy slaughters and inhumane tyranny doe like ravening Wolues roaring Lyons undeservedly scatter and devoure thy poore Christian flooke Looke downe O Lord upon the miserable condition of thy people refraine the insolency of their enemies hinder thou their bloudy purposes that so they may perceiue that thou thy selfe fightest for thy holy Church nor wilt giue it for a prey unto them Next O Lord pray we for all those Deputies of thine to whom thou hast committed the government of the Cōmon-wealth and the sword of justice For our own King first of all whom thou in mercy hast set over us to be our head and protector Preserue his Majestie from all perills as well secret as open grant prosperitie of successe unto him victory and deliverance against the enemies of his person and Kingdome Defend him Lord with the strength of thy right hand in this present and dangerous expedition which for the safetie of his owne Kingdome and for the obteyning of a good Peace he hath undertaken and graunt that the Warres being brought unto a happie end both himselfe and his whole Army may safely returne againe into their owne Countries Nor lesse earnestly doe wee recommend unto thee our Soveraigne Lady the Queenes Majestie with her royall Daughter Blesse Lord both him and her and keepe them both with thy Fatherly goodnesse and mercy Wee recommend unto thee in like manner the Right Honourable the privie Counsellours and chiefe Magistrates of his Kingdome so governe and direct them all with thy Holy Spirit that they may preferre thy glory before all and with an honest and a good heart study the prosperitie both of King and Kingdome Pray we also for his Majesties Army and Navy and for all his Mettall mynes and all things else which may be beneficiall unto the Cōmon-wealth and commodious unto the Subject Turne away for thy Christs sake what ever may eyther destroy or endanger them
and giue a blessing unto any thing that may any wayes advance the truth of our Religion and our Country in generall Looke favourably O heavenly Father upon all the Professors of the same true religion with us who being sorely at this present oppressed by the Papists suffer the losse both of their liues and fortunes Succour them Lord that they may bee delivered from these troubles Keepe us in health from the noysome pestilence from sudden and unhappie death from dearth famine scar-fires mutinyes disagreements amongst our selues and from hayle and tempest Infuse into our hearts concord faithfulnesse and mutuall charitie Comfort all those that are afflicted sicke in prison or calamitie Succour and comfort all widowes and fatherlesse women with childe and that giue sucke Be thou guide unto all those that travell eyther by land or by water that they walking in thy right paths and having prosperously dispatched their owne businesse may safely returne at length unto their owne families Deliver us Lord God from all evill and when our fatall houre of death shall come mercifully receiue us into thy Kingdome translate our soules out of this vale of misery into thy heavenly Paradise where we may laud and prayse thee for it world without end Amen II. A Prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes O Lord God heavenly Father who delightest not in the death of a sinner nor wouldest that he should perish but that he should be converted and liue we humbly entreate of thee mercifully to turne from us those punishments which our sinnes haue deserved and that thou wouldst be pleased in plentifull manner to bestow thy mercy upon us thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Another Prayer to the same purpose O Wel-beloved Lord Iesus Christ haue mercy upon us miserable sinners and looke with the eyes of compassion upon us as thou somtimes diddest upō Mary Magdalene that penitent sinner when lying at thy feete shee from the bottome of her heart sincerely bewayled her owne transgressions and the Publican in the Temple when he smote upon his breast and implored thy favour and the Theefe upon the Crosse when he entreated and obteyned thy pardon Lord grant us to receiue the same this day from thee absolue thou us in Heaven forgiue us our sinnes O God thou author of all comfort Cast us not away from thy presence but cause us so to walke in thy feare that in faith and loue wee may serue and please thee thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen III. For Peace and Concord GIue peace in our time O Lord because there is no other that fighteth for us but onely thou O God Giue peace unto our King and all other Princes direct them rightly to govern the Cōmon-wealth and grant that under them wee may liue a quiet and a peaceable life in all pietie and honestie Amen Another O Lord God heavenly Father from whom all courage of minde good counsayle and just workes doe proceede giue unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot giue that both our hearts may depend vpon thy Commandements and also that being safe under thy protection wee may passe our time in rest and quietnesse thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Another O Almightie and eternall God King of glory and Lord of Heaven and Earth by whose Spirit all things are governed and by whose becke and providence all things are directed thou onely art the God of peace from whom all peace and concord doe proceede wee humbly beseech thee to forgiue us our sinnes and to giue us thy holy peace and true concord that in thy feare we may serue thee and for ever laud praise thee who together with the Sonne and Holy Ghost livest and reignest one true and eternall God Amen IV. For the King ALmightie God heavenly Father for Iesus Christ thy beloved Sonne we beseech thee favourably to looke downe upon our King guide him with thy holy Spirit keepe him with a guard of thine Angels against all dangers both of soule and body keepe him safely from all misfortunes so bring it to passe that by the expedition which he now makes we may be delivered from our enemies and that by his safe returne we being made joyfull may from thenceforth laud honour and prayse thee world without end Amen Another THe King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord Psal 21. exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation Thou hast given him his hearts desire and not denyed him the request of his lippes For thou hast filled him with the best of thy blessings and hast set a Crowne of pure gold upon his head He asked life of thee and thou gavest him a long life even for ever and ever His honour is great in thy salvation glory and great worship hast thou laid upon him For thou hast filled him with all kind of blessings for ever and thou shalt make him glad with the joy of thy countenance Heare him Lord Psal 20.1 in the time of trouble let thy Name set him in a safe place Send him helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen him out of Sion Remember also all his offerings and accept his burnt Sacrifice Grant him his hearts desire and fulfill all his mind Helpe Lord thine Anointed and heare him from thy Sanctuary through Iesus Christ Amen Another GRant peace O God unto our King and all his Officers well to governe the Common-wealth that vnder them we may lead a Christian a quiet and a peaceable life in all devotion and in honestie Amen Another O Eternall and mercifull God heavenly Father that hast the hearts of all Kings in thy hands and bowest them which way thou pleasest so bring it to passe that by this troublesome warre the meanes of making a good agreement and of establishing a sure peace may be found out all heart-burning offences and dissention removed Thou from whom all helpe in earch commeth helpe us that so we may liue peaceably and quietly in all devotion and honestie We haue to confesse the truth plucked downe all thy plagues vpon our selues by our sinfulnesse faultinesse and transgressions But rebuke vs not in thine anger neyther chasten vs in thy heavie displeasure Correct vs to amend vs but not vtterly to destroy vs. Enlighten our eyes that we sleepe not in death Returne at length and be gracious vnto vs satisfie vs with thy goodnesse that we may rejoyce be glad all the dayes of our life Comfort vs according to the time thou hast afflicted vs and the yeares wherein we haue suffered adversitie Remember not our former iniquities Haue mercy vpon vs and that soone for wee are brought very low Helpe vs O God our helper for the honour of thy Name Deliver vs and forgiue vs our sinnes for thy Names sake because thou are the Lord the highest aboue all the world thou art long-suffering of great goodnesse and gratious nor art thou prone vnto anger and to vengeance seeing to those that repent thou hast promised remission of all their sinnes So