Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 2.djvu/132

104 works, for He is the Searcher of our hidden things, and the Discerner of our thoughts, lest He find us sunk in the laxity of lusts, and say unto us, 'I know you not, depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity. From the service in the Khudhra for the Monday of the Baootha d'Ninwâyé.

§ 5. "Whilst we continue in this transitory world, and whilst the door of mercy, and of the forgiveness of sins, is open, let us reconcile the Righteous one by our conversion from doing evil to doing good works, that we may escape the awful judgment, the sentence of which is severe, and the punishment of which is long." From the Khudhra, ''ut supra. ''

§ 6. "Fasting, and prayer, and the repentance of the soul, reconcile, and His , and His ." From the Liturgies, and appointed to he said whenever the Eucharist is offered.

§ 7. "When the full term of my life shall have arrived, and the Law shall appear to call my soul to account for all that I have done, what property or what wealth, can then aid me there where shall sit upon the throne of His glory? The abundance of riches shall not profit the rich man if he be devoid of good works, nor shall poverty profit the poor man if his works be not pleasing to . I pray Thee, therefore, O, to have pity upon me here, and there to forgive me my sins, and to have mercy upon me." From the Khudhra, from the Monday of the Baootha.

§ 8. "Let us prepare ourselves in fear and in love to partake of the awful gift of the mysteries of, and let us ornament ourselves with [good] works wherewith we reconcile the Judge of all, that He may have pity upon us when He cometh to judge all the nations of the world." From the service for Tuesday of the Baootha, in the Khudhra.

The above extracts, taken alone, appear at first sight to militate against the doctrine of our Church in her Twelfth Article; but, taken together with the declarations contained in the quotations given in the preceding chapter, they seem to teach the scriptural truth, that 's grace is the procuring cause of man's salvation, (as is more largely set forth under Chap. VI.)