Who knows whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"
 And now shall I tell you what I think was the hope which the poor king of Nineveh really had? I have set before you his discouragements, and now I will set before you his encouragements. They were very slender, but still they seemed to have been sufficient. Perhaps the king said in his heart, or he might have said to his councillors "Sirs, there is one thing which ye cannot deny, we are come to the worst, and if we repent and cry for mercy, at least that cry will not be to our disadvantage. We shall be none the worse off even if we are not heard." Now sometimes I have known a trembling sinner take comfort even from that. The words of our hymn suggest the full idea. 