Yet let our sins be ever more grievous to us, then thy judgments; and make us more willing to repent, then to be relieved; first give us the grace of penitent consciences, and then the tranquillitie of united Kingdomes.
In the Sea of our Saviours Blood drown our sins, and through this red sea of our own Blood bring us at last to a state of Piety, Peace and Plenty.
As my publick relations to all, make me share in all my Subjects suffering; so give me such a pious sense of them, as becoms a Christian King, and a loving father of my people.
Let the scandalous and unjust reproaches cast upon me, be as a breath, more to kindle my compassion; Give me grace to heap charitable coales of fire upon their heads to melt them, whose malice or cruel zeal hath kindled, or hindred the quenching of those flames, which hath so much wasted my three Kingdoms.
O rescue and assist those poor Protestants in Ireland, whom thou hast hitherto preserved.
And lead those in the ways of thy saving Truths, whose Ignorance or Errors have filled them with rebellious and destructive Principles, which they act under an opinion, That they do thee good service.
Let the hand of thy justice be against those, who malitiously and despightfully have raised or fomented these cruel and desperate Wars.
Thou that art far from destroying the innocent with the guilty, & the erroneous with the malicious; thou that hadst pitty on Niniveh for the many children that were therein, give not over the whole stock of that populous and seduced Nation, to the wrath of those, whose covetousness makes them cruel; nor to their anger, which is too fierce, and therefore justly cursed.
Preserve, if it be thy will, in the midst of the furnace of thy severe justice, a Posterity which may praise thee for thy mercie.
And deal with me, not according to mans unjust reproaches, but according to the innocency of my Hands in thy sight.