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ZION’S LANDMARKS
119
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that the Lord of hosts hath come
'down “t'- fight for Mount Zion, and
for the hill thereof.'’ (Isa. 31 ; 4.)
■“Be strong in the Lord, and the
power of his migiit. Put on the
whole armor of (jod, that ye maj^ be
able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.” (Eph. 6 : 10, 11.) “Behold
£ send you as sheep in the midst of
wolves: be ye therefore wise as ser
pents, and harmless as doves.”-—
(alath. 10 : 16.) The King then, in
the prdsence of ail his hosts, caused
to be read a special commendation to
each of his faithful watchmen, wdio
had stood ■up for his la'\vs through
nvil report, and good report; say
ing, “Well done, thou good and
laithful servant; enter thou into the
joys of thy Lord.” “Be thou faith
ful unto deatlg and 1 will give thee
a crown of life.” The King then
commanded his servants to go
■hrough the laud, and buiy ail the
■lead whom they had slain in battle,
even every bone of the enemy, that the
land might be cleansed, and they
wmre buried in the “Valley of Ha-
.mon—Gog.” (Ezek. 39 : 11, 16.)
After this great victory over the
combined forces Of the enemy, a
iicrald "was sert through the city,
•uying with a loud voic*A, Alining,
'Tlbjoice over her, thou heaven, and
yo holy apostles and prophets; for
God hath avenged you on her.” (Rev.
IS : 20.)
This Avas a great day for the city
of Zion, and it closed with the fol-
l-jAving song of victory :
“Now we’]! march up the golden street,
And ground our arms at Jesns’ feet,”
This was enough for one day to
A \-LSlTOR.
body. Our churches were well re
presented and their letters show some
ingathering, while peace and union
and brotherly love seem to abound.
Our correspondence has been tol
erably full, and the preaching has
been Avith the liberty of God’s spirit,
while the hearing car and the under^
standino; heart seems to have been
O
given ; and Ave trust the Avord spoken
may yield good fruit in the hearts of
God’s dear children. Brethren, Ave
desire a continuation of your corres
pondence and an interest in your
prayers, that God Avould enable his
chosen and faithful, cveryAYbere, to
contend earnestly for the faith that
Avas once delivered to the Saints.
The next session of this body wdll be
lield Avith FelloAvship Church, Hous
ton county, three miles from No. 2,
SoutliAvcstern Railroad, on Saturday
before the third Sabbath in Septem
ber, 1869, when Ave hope to meet
Avith a goodly number of you.
JOHN HICKEY, Moderator.
D. W. Simmons, Clerk.
—
Circular Letter-
“ Let your light so shine before men,
that tliey may see your good wmrks, and
glorify your Father Avhich is in heaA'en.”
—Mattheiv 5 : 15.
Avrought the effect is visible to all, but
as to the cause or motive poAver which
produced it, the person can only say
like one of old ; “One thing I knoAv,
thatAvhereas I Avas blind, noAV I see.”
When Christians are said to shine,
it is evidently meant that they shine
only by reflecting the light of the
Son of righteousness, as the moon
shines by reflecting the light of the
natural sun. We cannot see any
object merely by Avilling or Avishing
to sec it; therefore Avlien the eye is
said to be the light of the body, it is
evidently meant that it is only the
medium through Avhich light is com
municated to the senses or mental
faculties. In like manner Avhen Chris
tians are said to be the light of the
Avorld, it is evidently meant that they
are only the medium through Avhich
Divine light is ordinarily imparted
to those Avho, being thus illuminated
and “Called out of dai'kness into his
marvelous light” and inducted into
the visible church, become, to an
extent commensurate with the degree
of piety exercised by them, reflectors
of that light, and are as a city set
upon a hill which cannot be hid; be--
cause every Ausible body upon which
particles of light fall, reflects vibra-
The Saviour, in all His divi??PttTons of that light in every direction
from its illuminated surface.
In order that Ave may see any
object, it is necessary that liphtpass
from that object to the eye, and that
the eye be open, and that no opaque
body be interposed ■^o intercept the
light, and that the eye he turned
towards the object; because rays or
Wilsoi], W. C., July 1.
ELDER L. 1. BOJ£ENHAMEK,
KDITOR.
Having a number of i hie commu
nications on hand. Editorial remarks
are again omitted. On behalf of our
readers, Ave thank the brethren and
•^i,sters avIio Avrite, for their many edi-
i’ving communications.
Corresponding- Letter.
Sharon CiinKCH, Monroe Co., Ga., I
September 21, 1868. /
^7ie Echdevnnee Association to her
Sisters ivitU whom she corresponds,
sends g'l’eeiivg:
Dkar Brethren :—Through the
mercy of God Ave have been permit
ted to hold another session of our
teachings, adopted that figurative
style of language which is calculated
to convey to the mind the most cor'-
rect ideas of things, by comparing
spiritual things Avith such natural
things as the human intellect is ca-^
pable of understanding. Throughout
the Book of God, the active princi
ples of Christianity are spoken of in i \dhrations of light, Avhether passing
comparison Avith natural light, and [from a luminous or an illuminated
the Author of Christianity in com-; body, proceed in straight lines. So,
parison Avith the fountain of natural; it is only in the straight forAvard
light. j path of duty, casting behind us the
Light being impcnderahle, it cannot' intercepting cares of the Avorld, and
bo confined and examined by itseif: j Avith the eye of soul, as it Avere, turn-
therefore the philosopher and the I ed toAvards God in fear and loAm,
chemist, after the most critical in- | looking to him as the source and
vestigations, are compelied to admit i fountain of all light, the author of
that, as to the immediate nature and i every blessing and our supreme hiAv.--
composition of light, all that is knoAvn ! giver, that Ave may expect the light
is little more than conjecture. The | of his countenance to be lifted upon
effects produced by it, however, are i us, “I being in the Avay, the Lord led
Avithin reach of the comprehension ofime to tiic house of my master’s
every rational being. So it is in re-j brethren.”
gavd to the light of Christianity. As j That part of a body A-thich is turn-
to its immediate nature, aside frem ! ed from the light is not illuminated
the efi'ects produced by it, all that the | thereby. So, if Ave turn aAAm,y from
Avisest and ablest divines knoAv is: God, Ave may not expect him to cast
little more than conjecture. They Aipon us the illuminating rays of
cannot comprehend the motive poAver ■ Divine light, Avithout Avhich Ave can-
by Avhich a person is changed from a: not reflect the light of Christianity,
course of wickedness to a life of | The best reflectors of natural light
godliness; yet Avhen such a change is are bodies of firm texture, smooth
and uniform polish, kept misoiled are:!
unspotted. So, Cln-istians, in order
to reflect the light of Christianity,
efficiently, sliould maintain not only
a firmness and oribodoxy of princi
ple, but a smooth, and exemplary
deportment ami clmracter, keeping
themselves unspotted from the Avorld,
and making themselves an. example
unto others to follow Christ and the
Apostles, providing thiiigs lioncst in
the sight of all men, and acting in
that Avay that tluy^ of the contrarjv
part may havenot vii tilings to say
of them; giving none offence, neither
to the JcAV’S, nor to the Gentiles, nor
to the chui'cli of God.
Natural liglit being essential to
the Avell-being and normal develop
ment of both persons and plants, Avhen
either are deprived of its salutary in
fluence, they exhibit a Avcakly and
sickly appearance, and abnormal
condition. So, Avhen Christians get
into darkness, bj’ permitting the rays
of Divine light to bo intercepted from
them by the cares of the Avorld-—the
deceitfulness of sin—the vanity of
riches—tlie folly of political aspira
tion, &c., the church becomes cohi
and barren, and loses its moralizing
influence Avith the Avorld, and chuveh-
£•■'.rstbecume ' “xVgaiii ciiianglett"
With T.lie yoke of bondage,”* by turn
ing away from God, fail to reflect'
that light Avbich is essential to tin;
moral Avelfare of civilized society and
social ha-ppiness; AAhiJo the Avorld,
enveloped in darkness, is tending-
more and mors to infidelity, selfish •
ness a;;d heathenism.
All the truly valuable privilliges
and blessings that Ave enjoy, Avhether
civil orreligious—social or individual,
depend upon the moralizing, and
Avhen attended by an application of
the atoning merits of a. crucified and
risen Saviour, the christianizing
influence of the light of Christianity.
Beloved in Ghrist, seeing these
things are so, “Wliat manner ofner-’
sons oughL- yc to be in all holy con
versation and godliness?” And
“Seeing ye knoAV these things before,
bcAvare lest yc also, being Jed aAvar/
Avith the en-or of the Avicked, fail
from your OAvn steadfastness. Bun
grow' iu grace, and in tlic knowledg -
of onrLord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'
To him be glory both now and fot-
ever. Amen.
JOHN DICKEY, Moderator.
D, W. Sl.At.MONs, Clerk.
^ -
We should be pleased to'receive notices
of tlie lime and places of meetiiig of the
various Associauonis ot our order, for ptii.--
pcatioiqin time to give due nol ce o: same.