The same passage. — 'Since there is none who can deliver out of Thy hand.' 73. The humble entreaty of one scourged. — As if he openly said: What remains to Thee but to spare, seeing that none can withstand Thy power? For inasmuch as there is none who by the merit of his own strength can hold back Thy chastisement, so much the more easily let Thy loving-kindness require of itself that it spare. But since we, conceived in offense, brought forth in iniquities, either hurtfully commit wickedness, or, even in doing right, incautiously transgress, we have nothing whereby the strict Judge may be made placable toward us. But since we cannot present our own work as worthy in His sight, it remains that, for His appeasing, we offer to Him His own work. Whence it is added: