THE KING'S MIRROR 287 



punishment into the hands of Moses, instructing him 

 that they must not wholly escape chastisement, though 

 it should not be so severe as God had threatened earlier. 

 Moses returned hastily to the camp and coming upon 

 the people in a tempestuous spirit and in fierce wrath, 

 he slew many thousand men in that day, and in this 

 way pacified the wrath of GodLNow this example shows 

 how God lessened a penalty imposed,\in that He ap- 



Moses' prayer. An^ it, 



that Tipi|W nf thp <jig^ rff| Truth or Jiifltfoft 



in her rights fry t.^js jnrlgm^nt, inqgnnnnli a s Moses slew 

 a great host to pacify the wrath of God. 



Mercy also had t.frqir rigMifij . flPP'^g ftinf lrtnn 

 than 



This is another instance that/shows how God has 

 modified a judgment already passed.] He sent Jonah 

 the prophet to Niniveh with orders to tell the king and 

 all the people of the city that within thirty days Nini- 

 veh should be destroyed with all that was therein. 

 Jonah did as God commanded and told these things as 

 true tidings. But when the king understood that the 

 people were of a truth in danger of divine wrath (for the 

 nation was full of whoredoms and wickedness of every 

 form) he descendedlrom his throne, laid aside his royal 

 robes, and did penance and fasted; and he bade all 

 men in the city do likewise, both young and old. And 

 when God saw that they repented of their wickedness 

 with sorrow and penance in many forms, He extended 

 mercy and destroyed neither the city nor the people 

 within it.* 



* Jonah, iii. 



