The Parliament Dissolved
Where strife and contention are, there is confusion and every evil work. The late dissolution of parliament, no way that I know of, affects my private interest. Scarce any such as I could have freedom to choose for my representative, viz., “able men, fearing God, and hating covetousness,” will be turned out, and perhaps as few brought in, by the change. But wThen I consider the terrible scenes of deceit,
bribery, drunkenness, ignorant and profane swearing or perjury, that will be thereby occasioned, it sinks my spirits, and I look on the dissolution as a means of hastening our ruin. Alas, what numerous, what heavy curses of Jehovah, the King of nations, the wickedness committed in the electioneering work will draw down! And what court, what kingdom, can prosper under so many fearful curses of almighty God! It is neither N. nor F. nor P. that I either fear or trust, but a long-provoked, and exceedingly angry God. Who may stand before him if once he be angry? Who knows the power of his wrath? If he be against us, who can be for us? Till our madness and profligacy in diversions, elections, and many things else, and the fearful murder, deceit, and robbery, committed in our East India trade, and our hatred and contempt of Christ and his gospel, be turned into weeping, mourning, and girding with sackcloth, I cannot expect any blessed prosperity for Britain. Nay, I am astonished that God, in his infinite patience, hath borne so long with us, and hath not dissolved us from being a nation.
But turn thine eyes, O my soul, to a much more solemn scene. In a little, our lower world shall be dissolved; the heavens shall pass away with a great noise; the elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the earth and the works therein shall be burnt up. The great archangel shall sound his awful trumpet, calling all the quick and the dead to their last judgment. Not one ambitious wretch shall then post through countries, to secure votes for himself or his friend. No carousing and drunkenness, no unruly or selfish polls, no frantic shouts of carnal joy, shall take place. But graves shall open; seas, earth, and hell, shall give up their dead. While thousands of angels fly every where, to gather God’s elect from the four winds of heaven; millions unnumbered of ransomed men shall be caught up to meet their Lord Christ in the air, and to be set down with him on his great white throne. Meanwhile, countless multitudes of those who had pushed themselves into places of power and trust in church and state, and of those who had helped them forward, shall be left behind on the earth, weeping, wailing, and gnashing their teeth, — cursing the day and means of their advancement, as well as of their birth; and that they, for a paltry bribe of money, friendship, or liquor, contributed to set up a manifest enemy of the Lord and his Christ, to be his deputy in the state, or ambassador in the church. But hark! how the King eternal, by his final sentence, 44 Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;” and, 44 Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” dissolves the vast assembly of mankind. And 44 these (wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” Ah, what principalities and powers, kings, nobles, and other rulers, shall then be cast down into tenfold depths of destruction! — how political com-LIFE AND REMAINS OF
binations shall be turned into mutual hatred and rage! — how jovial roarings shall be changed into dreadful howlings! and bribes of every form shall, like fire, torment the consciences of both givers and receivers, and that to all eternity!
And, my soul, what shall be my lot in that great day of the Lord? Shall I appear with Christ in glory? Shall I sit at his right hand? Shall I, clothed with his own righteousness and grace, attend him from his judgment-seat into his heavenly palace? Shall I be for ever with the Lord, and enter into his joy? Shall I for ever sing hosannas to the Son of David, u Hosanna in the highest? salvation to our God that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb?” O grace, grace, grace, unto it! Not unto us, not unto me, but to thy name, O Lord, be the glory, for thy mercy and thy truth’s sake.