BEsides my sorrowes (which pressed me very sore, and remaineth still upon me) the troubles and griefe that fell upon me for the lamentable breaches in the Church and State, and for your sacred Majestie and hopefull off-spring, filled up my sor­rowes: and in my thoughts I was grieved that those feares and desolations fell out in your dayes, I confesse, charitie suspects not, and the best minds thinks the least hurt, and the freer a man is from vice in himselfe, the more charitable he is of o­thers; and this is that which hath proved (for­merly) [Page 4] prejudiciall to your Majestie. But had your Majestie been the first, or the best, that had been misled, misinformed, or ill rewarded; it would be an hard thing to command patience, but griefe is asswaged either by precedents, or ex­amples. It is true of late dayes, your Majestie be­ing misinformed against some of your best Sub­jects, your Majestie thought to have dealt with them, as Joseph thought to have dealt with Marie, and so put them away farre from you, but with Marie, they travailing as it were with childe, and that that which they travailed withall might not appeare an illegitimate, but remaine innocent, the onely wise God, sent as it were an Angell unto you, (I meane your late Petitioners at York) to let you see, that like Marie, they being contracted un­to you in love, they have not as yet defiled their marriage bed, but remaine like Marie faithfull to their head and Soveraigne. And your Majestie having beene formerly seduced by false opini­ons from others against them, I hope you will now be reduced unto them (and by them) by true perswasions, and that you may be so, the onely wise God, that gave your Majestie your being, and so knew you better than your selfe, hath dealt with your Majestie as he did with Adam in para­dice, and so hath provided you a meet helper, when with Adam you thought no need of it, nor desired it, and your Majestie yeelding as Adam did (in sparing a superfluous rib, for to make him a meet helper) will become a great gainer; for your Majestie shall nor onely lose those who [Page 5] may be well spared, but you will gaine to your selfe, and your posteritie, a meet helper, that will indeavour by all lawfull means to ease you of ma­ny burdens, that otherwise might have laine hea­vie upon you, and this helper is many members of that body whereof your Majestie is become the head, and considering their paines and labour in love, you should doe them injustice if you should suffer any to accuse them. I hope there is none (or will be none) neare you (if neare you yet dares not) to ingrosse your favours any more to their owne advantage, whereby your good Subjects may be bereaved of those benefits that ought to be com­mon to all; as for your Commons, they goe not about to steale your favours, but to purchase them legally; and are become unto you as Abrahams ser­vant was to his Master, who would not either eate or drinke, untill he had done his Masters busines; and I dare say, if your Commons (as your late Monopolists and others) had, or did seeke them­selves, or their owne advantages (more then the good of King and Kingdome) they would have beene wearied (after so much labour) before now, but methinkes, I see your Commons following the counsell of God, Gen. 3.23, 24. and God having brought your Majestie and them together, they now say as Adam said, Let us be but one, and that it may be so, they are willing (not onely for a time to be separated from their lawfull and domestick imployments, but even) to for sake all and run ma­ny hazards, to cleave onely to your Majestie in a solemne contract; wherefore to make up the con­tract, [Page 6] methinkes, I see you to them as Rebecca was to the servant of Abraham, who asking water, made haste and drew water for his Camels also: It may be to make up this match, you must with Isaac part with something that was formerly neare unto you, and who will not be contented to spare a part to save the rest: being done, it will prove to your Majestie as comfortable and welcome as Rebecca was into Isaacks tent, and the Text saith, And Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarahs tent, and took Rebecca and she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his Mothers death. This happie match being made, it would not onely refresh your people, but make glad your heart in time of feares and dangers. It is true, there are many that have brought your Majestie into trou­bles and feared dangers, (and the more too blame they, for leaving your Majestie having brought you into them.) It is true, there are many with Orpha seeing your troubles have left you; but your Commons like Ruth are resolved to stick close un­to you, and will indeavour to helpe you out of them, if with David you will be advised by them (who blessed God for the seasonable counsell of a woman when he was upon a desperate designe) judge then of their loves and affections to your Majestie, by yours to them, and then tell me whe­ther they doe not truely love you; doubtles, yes, accounting their lives not deare unto them, so that they may but finish their work with joy, and so ac­complish their good ends concerning you, and I doubt not, but that I speak it in the name of many, [Page 7] and in truth, by your late yeelding and free expres­sion, you have stollen me from my selfe, yea and am now wounded within me, and like Moses, who was wounded in himselfe, and could hardly indure to look upon God when he descended in mercy. It is true, there is nothing ingageth a soule to God, or a subject to a King, as the appearance of love; this made Moses to say, How dreadfull is thy place O God, and this is that which hath stollen me from my selfe, so that now I am no more my owne but yours; yea, by this returne of yours to your peo­ple, you will winne them to obedience with kind­nesse, and by doing so, you will make good that which you were sent for, whose care ought to be imployed for the good of your Subjects, knowing that their love is your greatest safetic, and their prosperitie your greatest honour and felicitie, and this is that which will make your bed easie when you shall possesse the just title to the Crowne with the love of your people, and the continuance of it with the willing applause of the Subject, is the highest way to a blessing; and the hopes of this is that which hath brought me to renue and confirme the covenant that your Majestie made with me from your first entrance to the Crowne, and be­cause you could not sware by no greater, swore by the Eternall God, that you would defend me, and at the first of our contract we made but one, your power and all that you had was mine to defend me, and to doe me good, but there have been some of late, that have set your Majesty against me (I speak it in the name of many) and have perswaded you [Page 8] to beate me, and to force to obedience, though of my selfe willing to obey, being of a nature sooner wonne than compelled, and this is that which hath sore troubled me, yet this is not all, but when an oath with an &c. was put upon me, it wounded me; for, by the oath that I had taken already, I was bound fast enough, but the truth is, when these things befell me, I was afraid that some evill min­ded men like Potiphers wife, seeing mine innocen­cy, and more faithfull to you my husband than themselves, had complained against me without cause, and this I could hardly beare; for, by this means our great Adversaries, Devill and Pope, have laboured to sow contentions and jealousies between us, and this is that which will be a means to undoe us both, when your Majestie (which is become my head and husband) speaks kindly un­to me, and is ruled by those that love us both, my heart is inflamed with a love unto you, but when your Ministers abuse your Majesties kind­nesse, and become tyrants to their fellow servants; yea, when they shall goe about to justifle them­selves, and men like themselves, and lay all their villany upon your Majesty: this I can hardly beare; for, by this means, I am deprived of my marriage­bed, and of my wonted societie, and am troubled in my selfe, when I see your Majestie (which is become my head & husband) strange unto me, but I hope every former breach, will unite love the stronger, knowing that a little shaking of the tree will preferre the growth of it: wherefore being now reconciled to your Commons, feast, live, love [Page 9] and die together, and be more firme in your neare union, than ever divided in your heartie unkind­nesse, so shall you meet in the end, and never part; But be like Rachell and Leah, which two built up the house of Israel. You are now in the way, and it is said, Gen. 24.27. That whilst the fervant of A­braham was in the way, God blessed him; the same God blesse you; and for your comfort and incou­ragement know, by so much shall you grow to per­fection, by how much you draw neare to unitie; I confesse, had the Balaacks and Balaams of our times, been so evill as they would have been, and intended to have been, the world had been over­run with evill, but such is the wisdome of GOD, that oft-times he hides from evill men those times and seasons that might prove prejudiciall to his people: so when Saul sought for David. It is true, the good God might have destroyed the Balaams and wicked Sauls of our times, but many times he will not, for God hath something more for them to doe; and it is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men, as to use their evill to his owne holy purposes, and gaineth many times more glo­ry by working good by evill instruments, than by destroying of them presently in their wicked pur­poses: and this use I make of it, that it fussiceth a good man, that he resisteth the evill actions of the wicked, whilst they love their persons. I confesse, our Balaams, and our Sauls, had gone very farre, but in some things God permits in indignation, not for that he gives leave to the act, but that he gives a man over to the sin in the act; and yet this [Page 10] sufferance implyes not favour but judgement, and God is contented the [...] should wi [...] him­selfe credit (sometimes) where he means to judge. I confesse, our Sauls and our Balaams, like Sisera, trusted in their strength, but like Sisera many of them run away, yet in spight of them all the Lord hath made a seasonable and hopefull provicion for his people; and to that purpose the wife God (in spight of our Sauls) have brought your Majestie and Commons together. It is too true, by the means of our Sauls, your Majestie became to your Commons, as the Angel was to Gideon, and so made them afraid; but like the Angel that made Gideon afraid, your Majestie hath returned to their comfort; and as God, as he useth, where he loves, he imployes, and like Christ himselfe, you are now willing to enjoy them by a willing contract, and not by a ravishment; and by this meanes you ap­peare now to your people, like Moses, who had more glory by his vale, than by his face; and I doe not doubt, but when all things shall be made ma­nifest, but that one faithfull David, will be in more account with your Majestie, than either the Sauls or Balaams whatsoever. It is time, by the meanes of our Sauls, the Crowne is become full of cares, and your Majestie having been almost even wea­ried by them, would faine now take some rest; and that your Majestie may rest, I will take unto mee that large promise, Isa. 45.10. (and with Ja [...] will give God no rest untill he have blessed you.)

Thus saith the Lord the holy One of Israel, and his Maker. Aske me of things to come, concern­ing [Page 11] my sonnes, and concerning the worke of my hands, command yee me, nay, that is not all that I will doe for you, but I will commend you to the Honourable House of Commons, and tell them, Right Wise, Right Worthy, you see with Abra­ham his Majestie is willing to resigne, to winne the affections of his people by his justice in govern­ment; the thing that I shall desire of you (for his Majestie) is but this, that your Soveraigne which is become your head, being full of care and trou­bles, that you would make his bed easie for him, that (notwithstanding your care in removing some that are about him) if there should still remaine any about him, that should goe about to trouble him, againe the thoughts of you when he wakes may make him lye downe againe, and take another nap. And the doing of this for him, will bring him from Marah to Elim, and you will become as sweet and pleasant to the Church, and the three Kingdomes, as the tree that God shewed to Moses (which when he cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet) (which formerly were bitter) and then shall the Church of God sing the song of Moses, Exod. 15. I know that thankfulnesse and love, can doe more with good men, than merit or necessitie; and me­thinkes, I see you like our Saviour, who thirsted after the salvation of mankinde, and I beleeve it was not so much out of drinesse as out of love; Goe you and doe so likewise, knowing, that mo­dest beginnings, and hopefull proceedings, makes happy endings. And for your comfort know, that God whose battels you fight, will provide a due [Page 12] reward of your patience: and for my owne part, I shall doe with you as Jeptha did with his sword, and whilst he used it, trusted to God: and with Job, will be willing to wait the appointed time, for the accomplishing of those things, that con­cernes both the good of Church, and Common­wealth; and so I commend the saying of Salo [...]on unto you, Eccle. 9.10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with thy might; for there is no worke, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdome in the grave, whi­ther thou goest.