Front matter
Most Godly Prayers Compiled Out of David's Psalms By Peter Martyr Vermigli Originally published in 1569 Published by Monergism Books P.O. Box 491 West Linn, Oregon 97068 www.monergism.com Copyright © 2026 Monergism Books The writings of Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562) are in the public domain.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Epistle Dedicatory ................................................................................................................... viii Psalm 1: For a Christian Life ............................................................................................................ 1
Psalm 2: For Comfort in Persecution ............................................................................................. 3
Psalm 3: Against Our Persecutors ................................................................................................... 4
Psalm 4: For a True Faith .................................................................................................................. 6
Psalm 5: Lead Me in Your Righteousness ...................................................................................... 7
Psalm 6: A Prayer in Distress ............................................................................................................ 8
Psalm 7: Against the Adversaries of the Gospel ............................................................................. 8
Psalm 8: in Trouble for the Favour of Christ .............................................................................. 10
Psalm 9: Against Our Enemies in Persecution ............................................................................ 11
Psalm 10: Against Enemies and Tyrants ...................................................................................... 13
Psalm 11: Against the Temptation of Faith ................................................................................. 14
Psalm 12: Against Human, False, Erroneous Doctrine ............................................................. 16
Psalm 13: That We Despise Not in Tribulation ......................................................................... 17
Psalm 14: On the Grace of Christ Against Original Sin ............................................................. 18
Psalm 15: That We May Persevere in the Number of True Christians ................................... 18
Psalm 16: That We May Not Perish by Faith, but Attain Unto Glory Thereby ................... 19
Psalm 17: That Our Enemies May Not Get the Victory Over Us ........................................... 19
Psalm 18: Deliverance Out of Great Distress ............................................................................... 21
Psalm 19: That We May be Partakers of God's Divine Word .................................................. 24
Psalm 20: the Prosperous Success of Christ's Kingdom Against the Enemies Thereof ........ 25
Psalm 21: For the Praise and Augmentation of the Gospel ....................................................... 26
Psalm 22: For God's Favor in Distress .......................................................................................... 26
Psalm 23: That God Would Both Feed and Defend Us ............................................................ 28
Psalm 24: For the Kingdom of Christ and a New Life ............................................................... 30
Psalm 25: For Constancy in a Troublesome Contention for the Word of God .................... 31
Psalm 26: That We Revolt Not from Christ ............................................................................... 33
Psalm 27: For Comfort in Faith Against Our Enemies .............................................................. 34
Psalm 28: For Comfort in Necessity Against Double Tongued Persons ................................ 34
Psalm 29: That We May Be Obedient to the Word of God ...................................................... 36
Psalm 30: That All Our Afflictions May Well Depart from Us, By God's Especial Grace .. 36
Psalm 31: In Distress and Trial of Faith ........................................................................................ 38
Psalm 32: That Our Sinful Crimes May Be Pardoned ............................................................... 40 iii
Psalm 33: Praise and Thanksgiving to God for His Omnipotence .......................................... 41
Psalm 34: Comfort in Distress ....................................................................................................... 43
Psalm 35: Against Enemies and False Prophets ........................................................................... 43
Psalm 36: Upright Justice ............................................................................................................... 44
Psalm 37: Constancy in Faith Against Such as will Hurt Us .................................................... 45
Psalm 38: Against Our Enemies and the Dread of Conscience ................................................ 48
Psalm 39: Against Vanity and the Haters of Man's Life and Safety ......................................... 49
Psalm 40: That Our Sins May be Pardoned Through the Merits of Christ ........................... 51
Psalm 41: Against the Enemies of God's Holy Word, and for the Works of Charity ........... 52
Psalm 42: Distress for the Comfort of the Gospel ...................................................................... 54
Psalm 43: In Necessity ..................................................................................................................... 55
Psalm 44: In Persecution, as well Against Corporal Enemies as Spiritual ............................... 57
Psalm 45: For Salvation Purchased unto Us by Christ ............................................................... 58
Psalm 46: For Victory in Temptation ........................................................................................... 60
Psalm 47: For the Good Success and Increasement of the Gospel ........................................... 61
Psalm 48: For the Christian Church and Congregation ............................................................ 63
Psalm 49: That We Abuse Not Temporal Goods ...................................................................... 65
Psalm 50: Remembrance in Distress of the Last Judgment and Promises of God ................ 66
Psalm 51: For Remission of Sins .................................................................................................... 68
Psalm 52: Against All Pernicious Reducement ........................................................................... 70
Psalm 53: For Deliverance Out of Trouble Through Faith ...................................................... 70
Psalm 54: Help in Necessity Against the Cruelty of the Ungodly ........................................... 71
Psalm 55: For Salvation Purchased Us by Christ ........................................................................ 73
Psalm 56: A Steadfast Confession of the Gospel ......................................................................... 74
Psalm 57: For the Advancement of the Gospel Contrary to Her Enemies Expectations ..... 76
Psalm 58: Against Our Natural Declinings From God & Crafty Layings await of the Ungodly ............................................................................................................................................. 79
Psalm 59: Against the Pharisees and False Prophets ................................................................... 81
Psalm 60: For God's Help in Necessity ........................................................................................ 83
Psalm 61: Constant Faith in Christ Jesus ..................................................................................... 84
Psalm 62: True Faith and Contempt of Mutable Things ......................................................... 85
Psalm 63: In Distress for the Comfort of the Gospel ................................................................. 86
Psalm 64: Against the Wicked Enemies of the Godly ................................................................ 86
Psalm 65: For Sustenance and All Kinds of God's Benefits ...................................................... 87
Psalm 66: In Necessity to the Glory of God, for Letting us at Liberty .................................... 88
Psalm 67: For the Augmentation of the Gospel .......................................................................... 88
Psalm 68: For the Unity and Enlargement of the Christian Congregation ............................ 89 iv
Psalm 69: In Tribulation for the Glory of the Resurrection ..................................................... 92
Psalm 70: In Necessity ..................................................................................................................... 93
Psalm 71: That Our Faith Faileth Us Not in Age and Great Distress ...................................... 94
Psalm 72: That the Kingdom of Heaven May Come Upon Us Through the Preaching of the Gospel .......................................................................................................................................... 94
Psalm 73: That We May Not Repine at the Prosperity of the Wicked ................................... 95
Psalm 74: For the Churches Preservation Against the Adversaries of the Gospel ................. 96
Psalm 75: That We May Be Obedient to the Word of God ...................................................... 96
Psalm 76: That Our Courage Faileth Us Not in Affliction ....................................................... 98
Psalm 77: A Prayer of Consolation in Distress, by Considering the Wonderful Works of God ................................................................................................................................................... 100
Psalm 78: For Grace and Uprightness of Heart ......................................................................... 103
Psalm 79: For Obtaining of Mercy and Favor Against the Persecutors of the Church ...... 106
Psalm 80: For the Repairing of the Afflicted Church .............................................................. 107
Psalm 81: For Perseverance in Faith ............................................................................................ 109
Psalm 82: For a Good Magistrate ................................................................................................ 110
Psalm 83: That God Would Defend His Word in Despite of the Ungodly ......................... 112
Psalm 84: For the Increasement of Faith .................................................................................... 112
Psalm 85: For the Whole Congregation of Christ .................................................................... 113
Psalm 86: In Distress ...................................................................................................................... 115
Psalm 87: Reedifying of the Christian Congregation .............................................................. 116
Psalm 88: In the Trial of Faith ...................................................................................................... 117
Psalm 89: To Put God In Remembrance of His Promise ....................................................... 119
Psalm 90: Both to Attain Unto the Knowledge of God, and the Vanity of This Life Also
........................................................................................................................................................... 122
Psalm 91: In Temptation and Perils, for Deliverance and Preservation ................................ 123
Psalm 92: Against the Persuasion of such as Would have Justification to Proceed of Good
Works ............................................................................................................................................... 125
Psalm 93: For the Establishment of Christ's Kingdom ............................................................ 126
Psalm 94: Against Our enemies, Deceitful Teachers, and Cruel Tyrants ............................. 126
Psalm 95: For True Faith .............................................................................................................. 127
Psalm 96: Thanksgiving for Christ's Benefits Bestowed Upon Us ........................................ 128
Psalm 97: That We May Appear in the Day of Judgment With a Pure and Cheerful Heart
........................................................................................................................................................... 130
Psalm 98: For the Favour of Christ Through His Glorious Resurrection ............................ 132
Psalm 99: For the Justification of Faith, Against the Righteousness of Works .................... 134
Psalm 100: that We May In All Places Both Glorify God and Also Confess Him .............. 135 v
Psalm 101: For a Godly Life ......................................................................................................... 137
Psalm 102: In the Trial of Faith and Affliction of the Church ............................................... 138
Psalm 103: For a New Life ............................................................................................................ 140
Psalm 104: That We May Use the Creatures of God in Such Sort as We Are Willed ......... 141
Psalm 105: That We Be Not Ignorant of the Works of Our Redemption ........................... 143
Psalm 106: For A Perfect Confession, and That Grace Which God Hath Endued Us With May Have Much Rule Over Us ................................................................................................... 147
Psalm 107: For the Knowledge of God's Benefits, Contrary to All Worldly Lewd Things
........................................................................................................................................................... 150
Psalm 108: That the Godly May Have Grace to Withstand the Assaults of the Wicked ... 151
Psalm 109: Of the Godly for the Enemies of the Gospel ......................................................... 152
Psalm 110: For the Benefits of Our Redemption Purchased by Christ ................................ 155
Psalm 111: That God's Wonderful Works May be Made Manifest ...................................... 157
Psalm 112: That the Godly May Be Blessed .............................................................................. 159
Psalm 113: For the Comfort and Consolation of Christ's Church ....................................... 161
Psalm 114: For a True Faith by the Contemplation of God's Wonderful Works ............... 163
Psalm 115: For a Constant Confession of the Gospel .............................................................. 164
Psalm 116: To the Like Effect of the Psalms Which Goeth Next Before.............................. 164
Psalm 117: For the Perfect Knowledge of God ......................................................................... 165
Psalm 118: That We May Be Comforted in Faith .................................................................... 166
Psalm 119: In Necessity, Anguish, and Distress ........................................................................ 168
Psalm 120: Against the Enemies of God's Divine Word ......................................................... 181
Psalm 121: In Necessity for God's Divine Preservation ........................................................... 182
Psalm 122: That the Christian Church May (Through Faith & Charity) Be Restored ..... 184
Psalm 123: For the Mercy of God ............................................................................................... 185
Psalm 124: Against Violence and Deceit .................................................................................... 188
Psalm 125: For the Preservation and Long Continuance of Faith ......................................... 190
Psalm 126: That We May Be Delivered from Thralldom & Attain to the Glory of God .. 192
Psalm 127: For Sustentation and Safe Keeping ......................................................................... 194
Psalm 128: That We May Fear God & Lead a Blessed life ....................................................... 196
Psalm 129: Against the Counterfeit Holiness of Such as Would be Justified By Their Works
........................................................................................................................................................... 198
Psalm 130: For Grace in the Time of Need ................................................................................ 199
Psalm 131: That We May Have Humility and Despise Arrogance ....................................... 200
Psalm 132: That the Gospel May Reign Among Us ................................................................ 201
Psalm 133: For Christian Charity ................................................................................................ 203
Psalm 134: For Faith in Our Daily Petitions .............................................................................. 205 vi
Psalm 135: Against a Vain and False Confidence ..................................................................... 206
Psalm 136: For the Knowledge of God's Omnipotent Goodness ......................................... 208
Psalm 137: Against Such as Be Enemies and Deriders of the Gospel ..................................... 210
Psalm 138: That All Men of Great Power and High Authority May Embrace the Word of God ................................................................................................................................................... 211
Psalm 139: For the Knowledge of God's Divine Providence .................................................. 213
Psalm 140: Against the Venemous Tongues of the Ungodly ................................................. 214
Psalm 141: Against Hypocrisy ..................................................................................................... 214
Psalm 142: For Comfort in Persecution ..................................................................................... 216
Psalm 143: In Temptation for the Avoiding of Desperation .................................................. 218
Psalm 144: Against Wicked Doctrine and Idolatrous Worshiping ........................................ 219
Psalm 145: For the Glorifying of God's Works in Us with the Preservation of the Church and Comfort of the Faithful ......................................................................................................... 220
Psalm 146: For the Acknowledging of Our Duties in Praising God and Trusting in Him, of Our Weakness, and of God's Protection Over All Sorts of People ........................................ 221
Psalm 147: That the Word of God May Be a Great Force in Us ............................................ 222
Psalm 148: That God May Be Commended in All His Creatures ......................................... 222
Psalm 149: For the Advancement of the Gospel ....................................................................... 224
Psalm 150: That We May Praise God With a Cheerful Heart ................................................ 225
vii
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY
Josiah Simler sendeth hearty greeting to the right worshipful and his singular good friend Doctor Herman Folkersheimer Friselander.
When as the last yere (most courteous Herman) I perused the writings of the exceeding godly and notable learned man Peter Martyr my schoolmaster, and had gathered together out of his library every small pamphlet noted with his own hand, I lighted by chance upon certain papers cast a side and laid apart, wherein were diverse holy prayers of his own hand writing. And when I had perused these diligently over, I thought it meet to put them forth in print: for although I certainly knew he did not make them to that intent, yet nevertheless there be divers causes which move me to go on with my former determination. The first is, that when the Counsel of Trent began, there rose up both grievous and deadly war in Germany for Religion, at which time Martyr finished these prayers which he openly used in the Schools at Strasborow at the end of his lectures, and are now very convenient to be set forth in these days, wherein it behooves us to make fervent prayers unto almighty God, that the like to the Counsel of Trent being now ended be not kindled again. Moreover, the prayers contained in this small book, are both plain, and do very little disagree from the words of the Psalms, which I accompt to be highly esteemed amongst prayers. For diverse arguments of many
Psalms are briefly and evidently expounded in these prayers, and a number of dark and hard places made plain with a notable Paraphrase. Wherefore I doubt not but that such as be desirous to read this short little book, shall reap far greater commodity thereby than many would suppose. Now have I dedicated this small book unto thee (my dear Herman) that thou mayst have both our Martyrs token of remembrance and mine also. For seeing that thou did honor and reverence
Doctor Martyr (so long as he lived) like a father: and moreover loudest me so exceedingly hitherto, as I may rightfully place thee in the number of my dearest viii
friends: I verily think that thou wilt take this book in right good worth, (although it be of a very small volume) which I send unto thee being written in both our names. For so oft as you shall look in this book (which of your godly disposition you will do very oft) so many times shall you call to mind the remembrance of your old friends, not altogether to thee unpleasant (as I hope.) Neither can the death of Doctor Martyr cause us to be anything forgetful of him: nor yet the distance of place be any breach of our unfeigned good will so long as we have life, that we should retain any whit less the friendship heretofore begun with letters and a friendly recordation of old acquaintance.
Fare well at Zurich the 20th day of June in the year of our Lord 1564. ix