In June 1791, the Polish Sejm gathered in Grodno to ratify treaties defining the Second Partition of Poland. The proceedings were to be controlled by the supporters of Targowica (opponents of the Constitution of May 3, 1791), while external security was guaranteed by a contingent of Russian troops stationed on the outskirts of the city. Prompted by dramatic circumstances and the contemporary tradition of rhetoric, the deputies sought to enhance the appeal of their arguments by extensively using themes and symbols from the Bible. Since the speakers needed episodes that would emphasize the great danger and the need for repentance in the current situation, they usually turned to the Old Testament and symbolic narratives from the Book of Genesis, Isaiah, or the Psalms. The Bible provided a context in which the legislative activity of the Sejm was typically criticized: obviously, the acts adopted by the fallible assembly fell short of the perfection of the Divine Law revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. Borrowing words from the Psalms, the parliamentarians directed their prayers and entreaties to God, the rock and fortress of the righteous. Some members justified their resignation with Ecclesiastes' reflections on the vanity of human endeavors and the inscrutability of God's plans. The parliamentarians of the Sejm of Grodno found in the Bible a unique source of situations and symbols that could be invoked to enhance the appeal of their message and an invaluable guide in making difficult political decisions.