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I. GREAT art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great
is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is no end. And man, being a
part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee, man, who bears about
with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that
Thou "resistest the proud, " yet man, this part of Thy
creation, desires to praise Thee. Thou movest us to delight in
praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts
are restless till they find rest in Thee. Lord, teach me to know and
understand which of these should be first, to call on Thee, or to
praise Thee; and likewise to know Thee, or to call upon Thee. But
who is there that calls upon Thee without knowing Thee? For he that
knows Thee not may call upon Thee as other than Thou art. Or
perhaps we call on Thee that we may know Thee. "But how shall they
call on Him in whom they have not believed? or how shall they believe
without a preacher?" And those who seek the Lord shall praise Him.
For those who seek shall find Him, and those who find Him shall
praise Him. Let me seek Thee, Lord, in calling on Thee, and
call on Thee in believing in Thee; for Thou hast been preached unto
us. O Lord, my faith calls on Thee, that faith which Thou
hast imparted to me, which Thou hast breathed into me through the
incarnation of Thy Son, through the ministry of Thy preacher.'
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