Page:Light and truth.djvu/86

84 but continued to dwell with them. [And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amarites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.] —(Josh, xviii. 28; Judg. iii. 5, 6.) Although the Israelites took possession of the surrounding territory, the Jebusites still held the castle of Zion, or upper town, until the time of David, who wrested it from them.—(2 Sam. v. 7—9) [So David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city So David waxed greater and greater, for the Lord of Hosts was with him.]

Jerusalem was the place selected by the Almighty for his dwelling, and here his glory was rendered visible. This was the "perfection of beauty," and the "glory of all lands." Here David sat, and tuned his harp, and sung the praises of Jehovah. Hither the colored tribes came up to worship. Here enraptured prophets saw bright visions of the world above, and received messages from on high for guilty man. Here our Lord and Savior came in the form of a servant, and groaned, and wept, and poured out his soul unto death, to redeem us from sin, and save us from the pains of hell. Here, too, the wrath of an incensed God has been poured out upon his chosen people, and has laid waste his heritage.

. (Josh xi. 18 ) A royal city within the bounds of Manasseh, in the valley of Jezreel, where the tidings of Saul's death, in the battle at Gilboa, were first announced, (2 Sam. iv. I,) and where his son Ishbosheth reimed after his father's death.—(2 Sam. ii. 9.) It is worthy of remark, that the fountain in Jezreel, where the Israelites encamped before the battle of Gilboa, (1 Sam xxiv 1,) was the very spot where the crusaders encamped in 1183, when on the eve of a battle with Saladin. Ahab and Joram resided at Jezreel, )1 Kings xviii. 45; 2 Kings ix. 1—3,) and Jezebel and Joram were slain there, by Jehu.—(2 Kings ix. 21—33) There was also a city in Judah of this name.—(Josh, xv 56.)

, (Num. xxii. 1,) one of the oldest cities in the