Grant, Almighty God, that as we have not only been redeemed from Babylonian exile, but have also emerged from hell itself; for when we were the children of wrath you freely adopted us, and when we were aliens, you in your infinite goodness opened to us the gate of your kingdom, that we might be made your heirs through your Son--O, grant that we may walk circumspectly before you, and submit ourselves wholly to you and to your Christ, and not feign to be his members, but really prove ourselves to be his body, and to be so governed by his Spirit, that you may at last gather us together into your celestial kingdom, to which you daily invite us by the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(a prayer of John Calvin, in his Commentary on Hosea, translated into English in 1846 and updated by me into modern English)
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