_To thy more immediate hand shal I ever own as the rightfull succession, so the mercifull restauration of my Kingdoms, and the glorie of them._ _If thou wilt bring me again with Peace safetie 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 charitie, which I now make unto thee O Lord._ _As I do freely pardon for Christ's 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 injurie done to me._ _We have been mutually punished in our unnaturall 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 waies of amnesty, and indempnitie; which may most fullie remove all feares, and burie all jealousies in forgetfulnesse._ _Let thy mercies be towards me and mine, as my resolutions of Truth and Peace are towards my people._ _Hear my praier O Lord, which goeth not out of feigned lips._ _Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, or 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, ô Lord hast given, and thou hast taken, Blessed be thy name._ _May my people and thy Church be happie if not by me, yet without me._ * * * * * 26. _Upon the Armies surprisall of the King at_ Holmby, _and the ensuing distractions in the two Houses, the Army, and the City._ What part God will have me now to act or suffer in this new and strange scene of affaires, I am not much solicitous; some little practise will serve that man, who only seeks to represent a part of honesty and honour. This surprize of me tels the world, that a KING cannot be so low, but he is considerable, adding weight to that party where he appears. This motion, like others of the Times, seems excentrique and irregular, yet not well to be resisted or quieted: Better swim down such a stream, then in vain to strive against it. These are but the struglings of those twins, which lately one womb enclosed, the younger striving to prevail against the elder; what the Presbyterians have hunted after, the Independents now seek to catch for themselves. So impossible it is for lines to be drawn from the center, and not to divide from each other, so much the wider, by how much they go farther from the point of union.