Psalm 58: Against Our Natural Declinings From God & Crafty Layings await of the Ungodly
PSALM 58: AGAINST OUR NATURAL DECLININGS FROM
GOD & CRAFTY LAYINGS AWAIT OF THE UNGODLY
(Prayer 1) The princes of this wretched world (O most mighty God) do grievously assault thy blessed Church, because sound and upright judgment is not given upon divine and heavenly things, by such as continually imagine mischief in their minds, and only practice violence against thy elect and chosen servants. But how should they do otherwise, that even from their mothers womb are borne wicked into this world, and have a most noisome venom (like unto poison of Serpents) naturally graffed in them, which could never by any exhortations or friendly warnings at gods hand be taken out of them: for they put those things after none other sort from them, than do the deaf Adders that shun the charms of the Charmers. Our heinous sins therefore have very well deserved that the outrageous enemies of thy faith and doctrine should afflict us, which now we both heartily confess, and also (for thy infinite mercies sake) earnestly require thee to pardon and forgive. Furthermore we fervently desire this at thy merciful hands, that thou wouldest break in pieces and gnash the Lions teeth, to the intent they may shed away as water, and be like broken shafts, neither let those men hurt thy faithful servants anymore, but cause them to wither away as a Snail in her shell, and be weak as the untimely fruit of a woman. And finally, let their outrage fade away even so easily as a flame made of thorns is quenched. But cheer thou up (O good God) thy faithful servants, who (seeing the great revengements which thou thyself takest upon the sworn adversaries of thy blessed religion) may right well perceive that thou hast a reward laid up in store for thy faithful believers, and let their well doing be established, when as they shall assuredly know and perfectly understand that thou executest straight judgment upon the earth, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Prayer 2) Antichrist with all his adherents do imagine none other thing in their mind against thy sacred Church (O most good and merciful God) than mischief and most wicked devices: but whereas they make a goodly show to the intent they would be accounted godly and religious, yet in very deed they imagine
nothing but lies, going astray from thee, even from their birth, having always hitherto marvelous great delight in erroneous things. Now at length are they desirous to spew out and cast forth their venom which they (like the Adder) have kept in a readiness, neither could they so be charmed with the sayings of the holy
Scriptures, as to cease from their own lewd desires. Surely (O heavenly father) we are not they that deserve not to be destroyed by them for our evil deeds and lewd behavior, for so much as (through thy excellent mercy) we have well known the way of truth and life, albeit we have continually started aside therefrom, and given ourselves to vain imaginations and wicked desires. But deal thou with us according to the glory and honor of thy name, and vouchsafe to yield unto us not that which we have deserved, but that which by thy promises benight us.
Overthrow, grind to powder, and utterly make void the subtle devices, outrageous force, and devilish power of the enemies of thy glorious name and sincere doctrine, so that the godly may perfectly rejoice when as they see thee take their cause in hand, and shall perceive that there is some fruit of righteousness, while thou dealest by upright judgment, through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.
(Prayer 3) The behaviors of the wicked (O most mighty God) are so corrupt and naughty, that very little wholesomeness or none at all can seem to be in their decrees: they practice deceits, they offer wrong, and now from their childhood have both fallen from thee, and also live in subjection to their own cankered maliciousness: in fierceness, in hardness of heart, in furious mood, in outrage of mind and in unbridled cruelty, they may be likened unto stinging Serpents, roaring Lions, and such kind of ravenous beasts: therefore (we earnestly require thee) not to suffer us for to fall as our heinous sins have justly deserved, into such an extreme madness, that (forsaking thee who art the Well and Fountain of all good things) we may put our trust and confidence in them, neither permitting us to follow their lewd decrees and fond fantasies, which were so perilous a thing as the other. Cause us (we humbly require thee) to dissent wholly from them, and in the meantime let their power in doing any hurt be utterly abated, so that as men altogether unarmed, although their desire to do mischief be not assuaged, yet both ability and knowledge to fulfill their wicked desire and extreme