October 20

Fountain opened . . . . for sin and uncleanness.

Zech. xiii. 1.

THE prophet obviously referred to the Saviour's death upon the cross, when, by the shedding of his blood, full atonement should be made for the sins of a ruined world. There seems to have been a literal accomplishment of this prophecy, when the side of Jesus was pierced, and there flowed therefrom blood and water. Then it was manifest indeed that Jesus had expired, and in that death he opened the fountain for sin and uncleanness. Christ's merits have respect both to the guilt and pollution of iniquity. In his blood we have full remission of sins, being justified freely by his grace. That same blood also cleanseth from all sin, so that guilt and pollution are both erased by his precious blood. And its efficacy extends to guilt in all its enormity, and to pollution, however inveterate and universal. Publicans, and harlots, and thieves, found it all-sufficient to remove both the guilt and impurity of sin. Even those very individuals who were guilty of Christ's death, and who

21 imprecated his blood to rest upon them, found it to be sufficiently efficacious to atone for the crime of shedding it: hence, three thousand came to its saving power in one day. The Gentile nations, whose idolatrous system of worship decorated vice, to make it still more popular, were cleansed from all their filthiness by the application of Christ's precious blood, so that there is no case absolutely desperate and hopeless, if earnestly and believingly they do but come to this fountain, opened for sin and uncleanness.