By Captain S. V. Henslowe
Ere these lines are in the hands of the printer, that which is so occupying men’s minds at the present moment, the “General Election of 1922,” will be a thing of the past. Would that with it all the jealousies and heart-burnings gendered by the strife of party had also sunk into oblivion — or rather would that they had never arisen! For sad it is to see and to hear the hard speeches and cold looks which party feeling calls up, even between those who are children of God; whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20, 4:5), and whose only business with the politics of this world surely should be, to be subject to the powers that be, and to pray for all sorts and conditions of men (Rom. 13:11Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1); 1 Tim. 2:1, 21I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1‑2)).
The remark, or rather exclamation, at the head of this paper was called forth from a dying man, in consequence of one’s noticing on his table an envelope containing a circular from an election agent asking for this poor fellow’s vote and interest in the coming election for the borough. Having had a similar application I recognized the same handwriting, and remarked: “So they have been at you for your vote?” to which he nodded assent.
“But you will not be able to go to the poll, you’ll never get off that bed. The only one who can do you any good is the Man whom the world rejected and cast out. The only One I could vote for, is the One who died for such sinners as you and I are, and whose precious blood, God says, cleanseth from all sin — will you have Him?”
With a great effort (for heart disease and consequent dropsy made every breath he drew, and every word he gasped out, a matter of intense pain) he exclaimed: “I’ll plump for Him!”
Thank God! One had often visited the dying man and had stuck to that one truth, “the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin,” with various experiences of hope and sorrow. But this seemed to express a good deal in a few words. “I’ll plump for Him!” He voted for Jesus, the sinner’s Saviour, God’s Lamb.
Ah! dear reader, let me ask you, after all the conflict and strife, after all the combat of opinions, what good to your precious soul can or will the man do, you fancy you have helped to send to Parliament? Did he die for you? If he would, would this have met the claims of that Holy God you have sinned against? Not one claim. But that other Man! What of Him? He has died — is risen — and now from the right hand of the majesty on high speaks, to your immortal soul this moment, and begs you to accept Him as your Substitute, Surety, and Representative. Not at St. Stephen’s, Westminster, but before the throne of God. Will you “plump for Him?”
It is not too late. Absence from home, sickness, or a hundred other things may have, to your disappointment, hindered you from going to the “polling-booth” to record your vote just now; but it is not too late, if availed of “now,” this instant, to accept Him, to vote for Him; for God says, as to this, “Now is the accepted time.”
How often one sees placards, “Poll early.” Yes, indeed, “the children of this world are wiser in their generation,” than the children of light; they believe in “now” in this matter of such puny moment when compared to the eternal welfare of a never-dying soul. May you be as wise and “poll now” just as you are. Don’t change your work-a-day clothes for your Sunday finery. “Just as you are,” all begrimed with the soot and grease and sweat of sin, earning the devil’s wages (“the wages of sin is death”), accept God’s Man, His Christ, His great salvation on the spot.
Why not?
From how many almost death-beds were men dragged to vote! Your pet candidate didn’t care how sooty you made the ticket as long as the “x” was against his name. So, thank God, even at your last gasp,’ though steeped in sin, there is a Person and a work which have met the claims of God; so that He it is who offers you “now” pardon and peace, and is just in doing it, as His righteousness has been satisfied, so that He can be “Just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)).
What trouble you took to see that your name was correctly entered upon the voters’ list! Again and again have you pored over those sheets of printed matter affixed to church and chapel doors containing the corrected list of those entitled to the franchise. Have you taken one instant’s thought, or made inquiry as to whether your name is in the “Lamb’s book of life,” or “enregistered in heaven!” Now have you? I often think (as I have seen dear souls running their fingers down the lists, turning over page after page to see if the registration office has put them down all right), of what the Lord Jesus said to the seventy, when they returned to report to Him the result of their mission and exclaimed, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name” (Luke 9:1717And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. (Luke 9:17)). Ah! yes, man loves power. Fine thing to turn out demons. You would go a long way to do this, or even to see it done, but what did that One who was “crucified through weakness” reply? “In this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:2020Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20)).