Wesley Corpus

How powerful a means this is to avert the wrath of God, we may learn from the remarkable instance of Ahab. "There was none like him who did sell himself" -- wholly give himself up, like a slave bought with money -- "to work wickedness." Yet when he "rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and went softly, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days." It was for this end, to avert the wrath of God, that Daniel sought God "with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes." This appears from the whole tenor of his prayer, particularly from the solemn conclusion of it: "O Lord, according to all thy righteousness," or mercies, "let thy anger be turned away from thy holy mountain. -- Hear the prayer of thy servant, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate. -- O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do, for thine own sake." (Dan. 9:3, 16, &c.)