Place in which thou hast set me;
who art the lifter up of my head, and my Salvation._

_Lord, by thy Grace, lead me to thy Glory, which is both true and
eternall._

* * * * *

22. _Upon His Majesties Leaving_ Oxford, _and going to the_ Scots.

Although God hath given me three Kingdoms, yet in these He hath not
now left me any place where I may with safety & Honor rest my head:
shewing me that himself is the safest Refuge, and the strongest Tower
of defence, in which I may put my trust.

In these extremities, I look not to man so much as to God: He will
have it thus, that I may cast my self, and my now distressed Affairs
upon his mercy, who hath both hearts and hands of all men in his
dispose.

What Providence denies to Force, it may grant to Prudence; Necessity
is now my Counsellor, and commands Me to study My safety by a
disguised withdrawing from my chiefest strength, and adventuring upon
their Loyalty, who first began my troubles. Happily, God may make them
a means honorable to compose them.

This my confidence of them, may dis-arm & overcom them; my rendring
my person to them, may engage their affection to me, who have oft
professed, _They fought not against me, but for me_.

I must now resolve the riddle of their Loyalty: and give them
opportunity to let the world see, they mean not what they do, but what
they say.

Yet must God be my chiefest Guard; and my Conscience both my
Counsellor and my Comforter: Though I put my body into their hands,
yet I shall reserve my soul to God and my self; nor shall any
necessities compell me, to desert mine honour, or swerve from my
Judgement.

What they fought to take by force, shall now be given them in such a
way of unusuall confidence of them, as may make them ashamed not to be
really such as they ought, and professed to be.

God sees it not enough to desert me of all Military power to defend my
Self, but to put me upon using their power, who seem to fight against
me, yet ought in duty to defend me.

So various are all humane affairs, & so necessitous may the state
of Princes be, that their greatest danger may be in their supposed
safety, and their safety in their supposed danger.

I must now leave those that have Adhered to me, and apply to those
that have Opposed me; this method of Peace may be more prosperous
then that of War, both to stop the effusion of bloud, & to close those
wounds already made: and in it I am no