92
ZION*S LANDMARKS
Macomb, III., 3869.
Walking About Zion.
NINTH VISIT.
Brother Bodenhamer:—I have
been very solemnly impressed with
the things I saw and learned while
at the city of the great King the
eighth time, and have, therefore, re^
turned to make further discoveries,
and to inquire into those things which
are written of this remarkable place.
The reader will remember how
shamefully and unaccountably the
inhabitants of the original city and
commonwealth forsook their King
and his laws; how they provoked
Him to anger by their inventions ;
how they mixed and married with
the enemies of the King, and learned
their evil ways ; how He had warned
them from time to time, through his
servants, of their approaching doom
if they repented not, saying: “Amend
your ways and your doings, and I
wull cause you to dwell in this place;”
“obey my voice and I will be your
God, and ye shall be my people.”
(Jer. T : 3, 23.) “But they hearken
ed not, nor inclined their ear, but
■walked in the counsels and in the
imagination of their evil heart, and
•went backward and not forward.”
(verse 24.) And when it is considered
that their King had taken them, when
but a little nation, from a state of
bondage, and had set them on high
above all the nations of the earth,
and given them such wholesome and
righteous laws, it is not strange that,
after they had so provoked Him he
Avould cause them to suffer to the ut
termost. 1 was struck with the sol
emn appeals made to them by their
King, reminding them of their blind
ness and rebellion, and of their im
pending doom and righteous judg
inent. Hear his language to the
rebellious city and its inhabitants:
“Oh that my people had hearkened
unto me, and Israel had walked in
my ways
“Oh that thou hadst
heai-kened to my commandments 1
then had thy peace been as a river,
and thy righteousness as the waves
of the sea.” (Psl. 81 ; 13; Isa. 48 :
18.) “Be thou instructed, 0 Jex'usa-
lem, lest my soul depart from thee;
iest I make thee desolate, a land not
inhabited.” (Jer. 6 : 8.) “If thou
hadst known, even thou, at least in
this tliy day, the things which belong
unto thy peace I but now they are
I'.ii from thine eyes.” “0 Jerusalem,
Je usaJem, thou that killest theproph-
C. and stoned thorn which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens uns
der her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate.” (Luke : 19 : 42 ; Math.
23 ; 37, 38.)
But it should be observed that,
while the King of this city and na
tion, poured out hrs unmixed wrath
and indignation upon this rebellious
and ungrateful people, yet there wei e
a few of his subjects who remained
true to their King, and faithful to
his laws—a remnant—who, at differ
ent times were exempted from the
calamities which fell upon the nation
at large. Indeed, I learned that
there never was a time, even during
the greatest rebellions and insurrec
tions, when there were not a few who
stood up for their King. These faith
ful subjects were always known to
the King, and they were often deliv
ered from their enemies, and from
the common destruction falling upon
the wicked, in the most signal and
remarkable manner. See Gen. 7:1;
and 19 : 15 ; 1 Kings 17 : 3, 4 ; and
19 : 18 ; Dan. 3 : 27 ; and 6 : 22;
Math. 24: 22 ; Bom. 9 : 27 ; Bev.
18 : 4.
The above citations prove conclu
sively that the King has, in all ages,
most wonderfully and mercifully de
livered his true and faithful servants
who trust in him, and the reader will
do wmll to turn to and read these won
derful records at his leisure. Some
of the watchmen on the walls inform
ed me that the former subjects of the
King, did not, as a general thing,
openly oppose the laws and authority
of their Law-giver at the first; but
began by little and little to disregard
what they termed non-essentials, and
to make little innovations, and intro
duce one tradition after another till
the whole law was well nigh set aside,
and the authority of their King ig
nored. This was generally done by
leading and designing men who caus
ed the multitude to go astray, and
thuv« destroyed the way of their paths
and brought them to ruin. But
there was a particular violation of
their la'v^', vhich, I was told, was
more dangerous to their peace, and
more provoking to their King than
any thing else ; and that w'as mixing
and contracting marriages with other
nations, and thus were they ensnared
and led to commit many of their
abominations, and to forsake their
own King. This had been positively
forbidden by she King, and the most
sore punishment threatened for its
violation ; and yet, in defiance of this
most solemn prohibition, this rebelli
ous people often formed affinities with
the enemies of their King, and paid
homage to other princes. After learn
ing all this and beholding the signs of
the former glory of this once happy
people, and seeing the remains of the
ancient city noAV in rains, I could but
adopt the language of another be
holder and say : “The Lord hath ac
complished his fury; he hath poured
out his fierce anger, and hath kindled
a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured
the foundations thereof.” (Sam. 4 :
11.) “Even so. Lord God Almighty,
true and righteous are thy judg
ments.” (Bev. 16 : 7.)
Profiting by these examples, and
being established on better premises,
with their city and its charter en
larged, the inhabitants of Zion for a
while enjoyed many blessed privi
leges, and it prospered greatly; and
although, as I stated in a former
visit, they were surrounded by ene
mies, yet, as long as the watchmen
on the walls, the porters at the gates,
and the citizens were vigilant and
faithful, they were safe and happy.
While in this happy condition they
loved their King supremely and one
another fervently, and were ready to
do all Ho had commanded them with
pleasure. They often consulted His
laws, inquired after his will, and
spake often one to another of the
glory of their King, and of the great
ness of his kingdom. The watchmen,
too, were all of one mind and one
soul, laboring together for the good
of the inhabitants, and for the glory
of their King. These rratchmen of
ten held meetings in the different
wards of the city, at which the citi
zens were wont to gather, at which
times the watchmen would instruct,
encourage and exhort them to faith
fulness in their duties to one another
and to their King. At the times of
these assemblies, every citizen was
ready to drop his daily avocation, and
go to the place of meeting at an ear
ly horn’, to join in celebrating the
name of the King, and inquiring af
ter the order and welfare of the city.
This he did both from duty and inter
est. The law of the King says, “For
sake not the assembling of yourselves
together, as the manner of some is.”
‘Ifyc knoiv these things, happy are ye
if ye do them.’ I was deeply impressed
in beholding the love, peace and or
der at these meetings. But one would
speak at a time, and the rest ■would
hear; and although several watch-*
men were present at the same meet-
inp, yet each one seemed to modestly
prefer another. No envy, prejudice
or malice appeared to have taken
root in any of their hearts; but all
endeavored to “keep the unity of the
spirit in the bond of peace.” I heard
them frequently sing:
“We have our mutual woes.
Our mutual burileus bear ;
And often for each other flows,
The sympathetic tear.”
At these meetings many would come
and join themselves to the assembly,
and take the oath of allegiance to
the King of Zion. On such occasions
the watchmen were particularly vigi
lant, and, indeed, all present were on
their guard, and required the appli
cant to produce a certificate of char
acter ; the party, if true to the King,
always having this in his bosom, in
the King’s hand writing. (See Heb.
8 : 10.) But for fear of this being
counterfeited the party before the
council was sometimes required to
pronounce, distinctly the watchword
^^Shibboleth.” (Judges 12 : 6.) This
being done he was bid a hearty well
come to their company, and was ready
to obey the laws of the King. Thus
the city prospered, and thus they re
joiced while® walking in the fear of
their King, but I regret to inform
the reader that, in my next a cloud
will arise upon Zion, and distress-
will be seen in the city. We post
pone this gloomy picture till another
time. Till then pray for
A VISITOB.
Spalding- County, Ga., 1
October 6th, 1861. f
Bear Aunt:—I feel too unworthy
to write any thing, but by your re
quest I will try to give some of my
trials and blessings. For of ail poor
mortals, I think I have the greatest
reason to praise God for his wonder
ful mercy which he has shown unto
me.
When I was very young, mother
gave me warnings I shall never for
get. I often thought of religion, but
in this way : “I am too young now ;
religion is too troublesome ; I will
attend to it wffien I get older.” 1
■ft'ent on in this way until I was fifteer.
years old. I then had some serious
thoughts concerning my soul’s wel
fare ; so I said to myself thac I ■would
wait till I got married, and then i
will have a better chance—being
then engaged. But after I was
married I found no time to fulfill irv
tf
promise. Thus I made and broke
promises for six months. One day-