Chapter I.—He Proclaims the
Greatness of God, Whom He Desires to Seek and Invoke, Being
Awakened by Him.
1. 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.