First, Great Britaines Confession. Second, Great Britaines Intercession. Third, and the Authours earnest desire for the Kings Majesties happy and speedy returne to his high Court of Parliament.
Great Britaines mournfull dolefull lamentation,
Because of sin, and sinfull occupation.
Craving of God true righteousnesse and peace,
Faith, hope and love, unto her joyes increase.
VVOes me
great Britain, what becomes of me
That have offended in so high degree,
By sins committed? fearfull sins indeed,
Which makes my soule and body much to bleed.
I have forsaken God, the God of love,
Well may Christ Jesus my ill deeds reprove.
I have forsaken God, the God of peace,
Well may Christ Jesus fearfull woes increase.
I have forsaken truth, peace, righteousnesse,
By fearfull hainous sins and wickednesse.
I have forsaken Jesus Christ my Saviour,
By my most base and filthy foule behaviour
I have abused Gods most holy Spirit,
By my refusing of Christ Jesus merit.
I have so much defended my ill cause,
That of Christ Jesus I get small applause.
Whereas I should in humble wise confesse
My sins to God, and all my wickednesse.
I have defended sin, and sins condition,
That well I may be throwne into perdition.
I with a brazen face have fronted God,
I well may suffer his most fearfull rod.
I have excus'd, whereas I should accuse,
Condemne and judge my selfe for my abuse.
I have abus'd Gods patience by my sin,
Well may my sorrowes miseries begin.
By pride, oppression, I have sins committed,
Which in true justice scarce can be remitted.
If mercy plead not for my sinfull case,
I shall become most filthy, foule, and base.
By drinking, eating, riot, and excesse,
I have committed fearfull wickednesse.
By swearing, lying, idlenesse, and sloth,
I have offended, broken faith and troth.
By Idoll service, fearfull to behold,
I have offended, I may be comptroll'd.
By great injustice I have much transgrest,
The poore mans cause I have not in request.
By wrongfull dealing, bribery, extortion,
In hell I doe deserve to have my portion.
By whoredome, loosnesse, idlenesse, and ease,
By gaming, sporting, I my God displease.
By crisping, curling, pondring, frizling haire,
I seeme a russian rude, without compare.
By digging, delving in the depth of sin,
Well may my sorrowes miseries begin.
By sins in secret, and in publique done,
I grieved have both Father and the Son.
I grieved have my Gods most holy Spirit,
Death and destruction well may be my merit.
I have so prov'd my selfe base Cavalleer,
That I deserve to have sad whipping cheer.
I have so much rebell'd against my God,
He may full justly plague me with his rod.
I have beene such an enemy to peace,
That well Christ Jesus may my woes increase.
The peace of God I slenderly regarded,
I for my sins may justly be rewarded
With war, with famine, misery and woe,
Because my sins I will not quite forgoe.
By Idoll service, Romish occupation,
I doe deserve to have no longer station.
By Image-worship, Idoll gods adoring,
I from Christ Jesus basely run a whoring.
By swearing, cursing, blasphemy, and lyes,
My fearfull oathes infected have the skies.
By much prophaning of Gods Sabbath day,
I well deserve to be cast quite away
By my dishonouring of my parents deare,
I much deserve to have sad whipping cheare,
By killing, slaying, murdering, hating, wounding,
My fearfull sins are super much abounding.
By base adultery, spirituall fornication,
By whoredomes base, and soule abomination
I sinned have, I have offended God,
He wel may plague me, make me feele his rod.
For robbing, plundring, cozning, cheating, stealing
God well may plague me for my unjust dealing.
For bearing witnesse false, unjust, untrue,
My wretched case my sinfull soule may rue.
For coveting, and craving things unjust,
I justly suffer, and I suffer must.
Unlesse Gods mercy doe appeare to me
In Jesus Christ, I shall forsaken be.
Good God forgive me these my sinfull crimes,
In mercy turne thee unto me betimes.
Turne me unto thee by my sins forsaking,
That of true joyes my soule may have partaking.
Grant this good God for Christ his sake thy Son,
Forgive my sins I have against thee done.
To whom with thee, and blessed holy Spirit,
Who onely dost eternity inherit,
Be glory, honour, power, thanks, and praise,
On earth, in heaven, without end of dayes,
Amen.
Great Britaine prayes for pardon, for remission
Of sins, transgressions, filthy foule condition:
She craves Gods mercy, righteousnesse, truth, peace,
Faith, hope, and love, unto her joyes encrease.
I Sigh, I sob, I sorrow, mourne, lament,
My sins committed make me to repent.
My God is angry, he offended is,
For sins, transgressions, for things done amisse.
What will become of me Great Britaines Land,
That have offended with so high a hand?
I have abus'd my God, my selfe, my friends,
By sinfull actions causing fearfull ends.
I am asham'd to looke God in the face,
Because my sins have brought me in disgrace.
Good Lord forgive me mine offences all,
My fearfull sins, transgressions great and small.
My sins of thought, my sins of word and deed,
Good God forgive them, they still make me bleed.
Lord heale my griefes, my wounds are festred sore,
My fearfull sins still make me cry and rore.
I much lament my filthy foule condition,
Which brings my soule and body to perdition.
Remove my sins out of thy pretious sight,
In sins committed thou tak'st no delight.
Good God passe by them, pitie my distresse,
Forgive my sins, and all my wickednesse.
I am become like one that is diseas'd
With falling sicknesse, that would faine be eas'd,
Who wounds his head, his body, and his heart,
And trembles, quivers, shakes in every part,
Beating and thumping with such fearfull blowes,
His brest, his stomack, belly, face, and browes,
And findes no rest, untill the fit be gone,
Which makes him weepe his fit to think upon.
This is my case, this is my sad disease,
To free me from it Lord thee let it please.
Thou hast the power, none but thee alone,
Thou well canst heale my malady and mone.
Thou canst defend my head and members all,
Preserue Great Britaine that it may not fall.
Lord heale those members that infected are,
Thou in sweet mercy art without compare.
Speake thou the word; do thou perform the deed,
Thy healing Spirit send to me with speed.
Lord spread thy mercy over thine handmaid,
Who hath by sins beene fearfully betraid,
And lyes a bleeding in most fearfull wise,
Lord in thy mercy doe not me despise.
I am a sinner I my selfe confesse,
And am arraign'd for sin and wickednesse,
To plead not guilty if I make deniall,
My sins cry out against me in my triall.
I am found guilty, I my selfe submit,
My sins confesse, Christ Jesus them remit.
I humbly pray thee for thy mercies sake
Of thy sweet merits let my soule pertake.
Make well my head, Lord, make my body found,
Let no ill member in the same be found.
Let head and members in such wise agree,
That I true service may performe to thee.
My head, my body make so perfect well,
That I may live in peace, in safety dwell,
That so I may be thankfull unto thee,
Who mak'st me sound and safe in each degree,
That soule and body both may well consent
To hold with thee a blessed Parliament.
That so my sins transgressions swept away,
I may thee truly serve both night and day.
Grant this good God for Christ his sake, thy Son,
And his sweet merits he for me hath done.
To whom with thee, and blessed holy Spirit,
Be thankes and praise, who heaven dost inherit,
Be glory, honour, power, thankes, and praise,
On earth, in heaven, without end of daies.
Amen.
To bring our King to his grave Parliament
John Cragge hath written this with hearts consent,
Praying to God he may returne with speed,
To cure the fretting wound which still doth bleed.
COm home, com home, sweet soverain
Charlemain
Come chear your subjects harts w
ch much complain,
By reason of your absence causing war,
Which in Great Britaine makes a fearfull scar.
Full many a hundred thousand pound is spent
This Civill war, which causeth discontent,
Which might have beene bestow'd a better way,
Then thus to bring your kingdomes to decay.
Besides the losse of many a gentle heart,
Whose losse to friends brings sorrow, wo & smart.
Your comming home will be accepted well,
Why should you thus against your selfe rebell?
Why should you strive against your Parliament,
Which in true justice seekes to give content
To God and man, to neighbour, friend, & brother,
Yea to your selfe in Christ above all other.
I dare be bold, there's not a man doth live
In Parliament but would contentment give
Unto your Majesty, in such a way
As might for ever make you win the day
Against your foes that Antichrist maintaine,
Such foes subdue your Parliament would faine.
The grand Militia which they take in hand,
Is for the health and welfare of the Land,
Not any wayes to derogate at all,
Nor take from you, nor make your scepter fall.
Their strength is yours, if you will side with them,
They doe esteeme you for their pretious Gem.
Their sending forces is to fetch you home,
To bend your force against the force of Rome;
Not to molest you, nor your person teare,
But to conduct you for your safety here,
From such as have abus'd your kingdomes Crown
And would the Law and Gospell quite put downe,
The Law of God, and Jesus Christ his Son,
To make your kingdomes three be quite undone.
Come then sweet Soveraign, friendly give consent
And well accord with your grave Parliament.
What if you did in presence of them all,
Before Christ Jesus let your Scepter fall,
And yeeld to him what is his due by right?
It would advance you in Christ Jesus sight.
What if you did confesse your selfe to be
A sinfull man against his Majestie?
And one that had not done so good a deed,
As to Christ Jesus might contentment breed?
And that you sory are for what is done
Against Christ Jesus under Britaines Son.
This is the thing Christ Jesus doth desire,
Your humblenesse is all he doth require.
If you submit to him, he yeelds to you,
And will your foes for ever quite undoe.
There's not a man in your grave Parliament,
But with their heart will give you good content.
Nay if before them all you should lay downe
Your Diadem, your Scepter, and your Crowne,
There's none but would fall down upon their knee
And with your Majestie full well agree,
And much advance you for your royal deed,
Wch thing would stench the wound that still doth bleed
This thing no doubt would such contentment give
To God in Christ, that you should peacefull live,
And in your soule should such contentment finde,
No thing on earth should more content your mind,
No King on earth should such contentment have,
You shall not want what you can wish or crave.
Your subjects love in Christ shall be your gaine,
And then in Christ you shall full sweetly reigne,
In faith, in truth, in righteousnesse and peace,
In love, in honour, to your joyes encrease.
Then come sweet Soveraigne, come to London town,
It will advance your Scepter, and your Crowne,
By siding with your wise grave Parliament,
Will give true Christian hearts full sweet content.
Which that you may in Christ perform with speed
Christ Jesus blesse you for such Princely deed.