GOD'S SENTENCE MAY BE CHANGED

GOD'S SENTENCE MAY BE CHANGED. And when we see the plagues of God, as hunger, pestilence, or war coming, or appearing to reign; then should we, with lamentable voices and repenting hearts, call unto God, that it would please his infinite mercies to withdraw his hand; which thing if we do unfeignedly, he will, without doubt, revoke his wrath, and in the midst of his fury think upon mercy; as we are taught in the scripture, by his infallible and eternal verity. As in Exodus, God says, "I shall destroy this nation from the face of the earth" (Ex. 32:10, 28). And when Moses addressed himself to pray for them, the Lord proceeded, saying, "Suffer me that I may utterly destroy them." And then Moses falls down upon his face, and forty days continued in prayer for the safety of the people, for whom at the last he obtained forgiveness (Deut. 9:14, 18). David in the vehement plague, lamentably called unto God (2 Sam. 24:17). And the king of Nineveh says, "Who can tell? God may turn and repent, and cease from his fierce wrath, that we perish not" (Jonah 3:9). Which examples and scriptures are not written in vain, but to certify us that God, of his own native goodness, will mitigate his plagues (by our prayers offered by Jesus Christ), although he has threatened to punish, or presently does punish. Which he does testify by his own words, saying, "If I have prophesied against any nation or people, that they shall be destroyed; if they repent of their iniquity, it shall repent me of the evil which I have spoken against them" (Jer. 18:7-8). This I write, lamenting the great coldness of men, who, under so long scourges of God, are nothing kindled to pray by repentance, but carelessly sleep in a wicked life; even as though the continual wars, urgent famine, and quotidian [daily] plagues of pestilence, and other contagious, insolent [unaccustomed], and strange maladies, were not the present signs of God's wrath provoked by our iniquities.