Jonah iii. 8 — 10. Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth; and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God ivill turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not ? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way : and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them ; and he did it not.
MEN of profane minds pour contempt on national fasts, under an idea that they can be of no use for averting of national judgments. But in my text there is abundant proof that God will hear the prayers of the contrite, and be gracious to them at the voice of their cry.
Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, was an exceeding large city, so large, that it would occupy a man three days to walk round it and through its principal streets. The wickedness of it was great ; and God, having determined that in the space of forty days he would involve it, with all its inhabitants, in destruction, he sent his servant Jonah to advertise them of their impending ruin. The prophet had proceeded but one day's journey into the city, and behold, all ranks of people, from the highest to the lowest, having heard his message, trembled at God's displeasure, and united in humbling themselves before him, if peradventure they might prevail upon him to " turn from his fierce anger." The success of their efforts leads me to set before you the conduct of the Ninevites, I. As a record for our instruction —
[Though addressed by a perfect stranger who belonged to a despised nation, the people believed his testimony, delivered to them as it was in Jehovah's name ; and, though they were heathens, unused to acknowledge the one true God, they set themselves to implore mercy at his hands, and to deprecate his threatened judgments. The king and his nobles proclaimed a
a A Fast Sermon.