He set apart the first Friday of July, August and September as days of fasting and for prayer for the nation and for the army.
In about ten days after this, at the beginning of June, he embarked at Elfsnabbe, surrounded and cheered by a concourse of weeping relatives and friends, but sent forward with their blessing and best wishes.
CHAPTER IX.
GUSTAVUS IN GERMANY.
A continued southwest wind kept the fleet from making progress, and the ships were obliged to return to port. Their provisions ran out and had to be renewed from seaport towns. On account of contrary winds, it took five weeks to make that short distance. The landing took place on June 24th, 1630, the one hundredth anniversary of the day on which the Augsburg Confession had been presented to Charles V., Emperor of Germany, in the presence of the leading ecclesiastics and ruling princes and dukes of all Germany. Gustavus looked upon this as a good omen, for his coming was at a time when all those principles set forth in that Confession were endangered.
He landed his troops on the islands of Wollin and Usedom. Stepping on shore he fell on his knees, and in the presence of his staff thanked God in these words: "O Thou who rulest over the heavens and the earth, over the wind and the sea, Lord, how can I worthily thank Thee for Thy miraculous protection which Thou hast graciously vouchsafed to me during this dangerous passage? My heart is full of gratitude for all Thy benefits. Oh, deign to bless this enterprise undertaken for the defence of Thy distressed Church, and the consolation of Thy faithful servants. Let it redound, not to my glory, but to Thine. O God, who triest the hearts and the reins, Thou knowest the purity of my intentions. Grant me favorable weather and a good wind, which will cheer my brave army, and allow me to continue Thy sacred work. Amen."
A man may talk with reservations to his fellowmen, but who would presume to be false in prayer before his God? That prayer reveals beyond all possibility of doubt the real reason of his undertaking this great war.
Joshua himself did not more implicitly rely upon his God than did this brave king. He so trusted on God's assistance that he marched with scant supply of food and money, and with what now seems like a mere handful of soldiers, against the trained troops of a great empire which for twelve years had met and conquered every foe on its triumphant march from the south of Germany to the Baltic Sea.
He asked his officers and soldiers to pray much. He said: "The more you pray the more victories will be ours. Incessant prayer is half a victory."
When Gustavus had finished his prayer, he took a spade and began to work at the intrenchments. Colonel Munro, commander of the Scots, says: "Gustavus was ever impatient till his soldiers were guarded from their enemies, and when he had the fewest soldiers he took more pains with intrenchments." He well understood the duties of a civil engineer, and when no other was at hand, directed in person the intrenchment of his army. When the intrenchments were done he addressed his troops:
"Do not believe I undertake this war for myself or for my kingdom. We march to the relief of our oppressed brethren. You will by brilliant victories accomplish this generous project and acquire immortal glory. Be not afraid of the enemies whom we are going to meet, they are the same whom you have already defeated in Prussia. Your gallantry has just forced Poland to conclude a truce of six years. If you show the same courage, the same perseverance, you will procure for the Evangelical Church and for our German brethren the peace which they need."