A fountain for sin and uncleanness (Quality: Poor)

[0:00] The book of the prophet Zechariah, chapter 13, verse 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

[0:30] The dear Lord in his holy and blessed words has been pleased to use often very simple figures to convey unto us very deep and profound truths which his words contain.

[1:00] And in our text this evening a fountain is spoken of and we know what a fountain is.

[1:15] It is an unceasing flow of water. It is not like a spring that may fly up but one that continues to get water.

[1:37] And the suffering of the dear Lord Jesus and his wonderful merits are set before us in this figure of a fountain.

[1:58] And the text speaks of it as being a fountain opened. One that is acceptable by poor unworthy sinners and that by that precious grace of faith which the dear Lord gives to all his dear people.

[2:29] But this fountain was not opened for everyone as some say it was.

[2:43] But the text makes it clear that it was opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

[2:57] And again in our text the greatest reason is given why this wonderful fountain was opened.

[3:10] wonderful fountain was opened for the house of God the Father and his dear Son that this fountain should be opened for sin and uncleanness.

[3:35] had there been no sin my dear friend there would have been no need of this wonderful fountain.

[3:48] But you see there might have been sin and no fountain for a poor guilty sinner to repair a way unto.

[4:06] But such was the wisdom, the love, and the compassion of that great God that he made in his dear Son that rich provision for all his dear people.

[4:28] our text commences in that day. And often in the Old Testament we read about that day.

[4:44] God did as it were point his dear people to that wonderful day.

[4:56] the most wonderful day this poor world has ever known. God gave his life as a ransom for many.

[5:16] And when he shed his precious blood upon the cross. God and when his sacred side was cheered by that source.

[5:30] Now that was the day that was referred to often in the Old Testament.

[5:42] that those who were graciously minded might have hope that they might be encouraged something for them to look forward to.

[6:00] And the dear Lord himself said in his ministry and Abraham beheld my day and was last.

[6:13] The old patriarchs, he looked forward to that wonderful day of which we read together tonight in the 19th chapter of John's Gospel.

[6:32] Abraham's faith enabled him to look forward to that day. Abraham's faith and Abraham's faith took place on that wonderful and memorable day.

[7:01] Abraham's faith took place on that wonderful and memorable day. Abraham's faith looked forward believingly to those things to those things which God who could not lie had promised his dear people and Abraham firmly believed that that day appointed by God before the foundation of the world his dear son his dear son would open that blessed fountain and there Abraham's sin would be washed away.

[7:47] Oh, blessed faith God gives the same faith to his dear people today.

[7:58] The only difference is this that if God gives to us that grace of faith our faith will enable us to look back and believe that those wonderful things were done for our souls' eternal good.

[8:22] Without that wonderful grace of faith without that wonderful grace of faith that wonderful grace of faith these things recorded in God's Word are nothing more to us than historical facts.

[8:41] We may so far believe them because they are in the Bible but God's dear people they want something more than that.

[8:58] They want that blessed grace that shall enable them to believe that what did take place on this wonderful day on this wonderful day took place for them.

[9:17] How many of us here this evening feel our need of the dear Holy Spirit to lead us savingly into these precious truths and to apply them to our hearts.

[9:40] I hope most of us feel our need of this wonderful blessing being conveyed home unto us in that day that blessed day there shall be of the certainty of this all out written many years before this fountain was actually open yet the Holy Spirit by the pain of his servants he said in that day there shall be a fountain open know perhaps about it no uncertainty about it because it was a promise made by that great God who cannot lie who will please speak to the saints under the old dispensation in such a wonderful way so that they were enabled to anticipate this day and this wonderful fountain being opened

[11:25] I said at the commencement that the dear Lord has used many figures figures in the word in a simple way so that we may as it were craft at least to some extent what the dear Lord means by these things and thus we believe this wonderful fountain was open that is what the dear Lord Jesus came on earth expressly for that as the son of God and the son of man he might as it were open this wonderful fountain and when it was once opened it could never be closed and will never be closed no the efficacy of his precious blood that flows when his fountain was open will never lose its almighty power no it remains the same and will forever and forever

[13:14] I believe this will be one of heaven when God's dear people are enabled to set their eyes upon this wonderful person the Lord Jesus Christ and to behold those wounds he received when here on the view that size which was here now we read tonight what the apostle John had to say about this all important matter and I don't believe that dear man the apostle

[14:17] John would utter anything but the truth and the Holy Spirit has recorded what John wrote and he said in that chapter but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water and he that saw it bear record and his record is true and he knoweth that he saith true that ye might believe so wonderfully substantiated by those who were witnesses greatest witnesses of these things that took place before their very eyes now

[15:29] John informs us that when this fountain was opened by the sword piercing the side of the dear Lord Jesus forthwith their flowed out blood and water how careful John was to record these things very minutely for the comfort and the instruction of God's dear people and that when that fountain was opened and that precious blood of incarnate God flowed forth that precious blood made a complete atonement and of that water that flowed forth as we sometimes sing the first to atone still cleanse us the latter the fountain but one so we believe when this fountain was opened complete atonement was made for all the sins of God's dear people and we believe their iniquities were all removed by that living water that likewise flowed forth from

[17:28] Jesus pierced child now this is the only hope for a poor lost unworthy sinner of ever reaching heaven I have felt my praying very often that I do long will be led by the dear Holy Spirit nearer to Jesus cross and by faith to view that wounded side and to feel that most precious blood and that living cleansing water for me ah that's it it comes down to us very personally whether we are ministers or private

[18:38] Christians God's dear people want to feel they want to know that that fountain was opened for it was opened for the dying see he could doubtless actually look upon that fierce body of the Lord Jesus Christ so could the seed that was lost but the seed that was saved one thought that must have been to him as he entered at least a little into what that really meant to him being on the verge of eternity having lived an ungodly life

[19:43] Jesus assured him in answer to his request his prayer this day thou shall be with me in paradise and his soul was doubtless washed in this precious fountain clean from all its sins and taken safe to heaven then in the next place we have in the text who this wonderful fountain was opened for and we are informed it was opened till or for the inhabitants of Jerusalem now our text doesn't mean that it was opened only for

[20:53] David or for David's house there were some of David's house who were not gracious and this fountain was not opened for them but I believe this house of David fits for all God's dear people from the least of them was was a man after God's own heart and we believe that all those that comprise spiritually the house of David will be through grace men and women after

[21:59] God's own heart will be after the same blessing that David was after the same spiritual cleansing that David felt to me shall we understand our text to be really the spiritual household of all God's dear people and the inhabitants of Jerusalem we cannot understand this clause literally because we know that not every dweller in a literal Jerusalem the great gracious person but

[23:02] I believe this sets forth before us those who shall be those gracious blessed inhabitants of the new Jerusalem that Jerusalem above those made made manifest in this life as being the dear people of God so this fountain being opened it is limited to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem we have to say blessed inhabitants of Jerusalem we have to say blessed inhabitants of the true and spiritual

[24:12] Jerusalem we have to say blessed men blessed women blessed blessed children who are inhabitants of this truth and this spiritual Jerusalem I believe one of the evidences of being of the house of the inhabitants of the blessed to see their blessedness what a favored and wonderful people they are so that the feelingly far off child of God praise numbered with them may I be now in eternity blessed blessed inhabitants blessed people not with standing all our trials and all our difficulties and our tribulations because this wonderful fountain was opened for them oh the love the

[25:46] Lord Jesus had towards his dear people towards his chief oh wonderful love greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends the dear who had such wonderful love towards these poor wretched undone sinners that he willingly voluntarily gave his precious love for their redemption that he might make a complete atonement for all their sins can you see and feel something of the blessedness of these people who are interested in this wonderful fountain do you portion us long to get near to this fountain do you pray sometimes that you may have the witness of the holy spirit that this fountain was open for you personally are

[27:23] God's people they have a most personal case and they feel there is but one thing that can fit and prepare them for heaven that is to feel the wonderful power of the precious blood of Jesus that flowed so freely from this sacred fountain I believe many child of God is deeply tried about this all important matter why the precious blood of Jesus is the life of the church and it's the life of every individual member of that church and some of you may have prayed many many times that this fountain may be set before your eye of faith and that you may be favoured to draw nigh unto it and receive what it was opened for and that the last thing really in the text it was opened for sin and uncleanness wonderful statement this wonderful and blessed truth this the grace the gracious jew who was required to attend to the prescribed ritual under the old law the shedding of blood the offering of the various sacrifices would never any trust or any confidence in those things he or she would know full well that the blood of a lamb could not take away sins could not clean their conscience the untreen of sins no but do you think the godly

[30:30] Jew would speak like this perhaps to his friends and loved ones he would say well God is required that this blood should be offered but this blood can never take away sins can never purge the conscience from dead work to serve the living God may things he would say my friend my loved greater importance this death whole blood which is infinitely more precious than the blood of earth this lamb this death whole the precious blood of him the son promise shall come here on earth and shed his blood for remission of sins that is how the godly israelite the godly jews would speak they would be the inward and the experience of his heart and so with god's people today they put no confidence in mere external things in religion none whatever although they all desire their fruit to god's honor and glory for they put no confidence in their own work but they turn by faith to that which

[33:03] Jesus accomplished when here on earth first of the what will that be to you what will that be to me if we have not been convinced of our sins we shall be satisfied with mere theory in religion if we have not been you have you been convinced that you are a sinner before a most holy and heart searching God do you believe have you felt have you experienced something of what he said in the 51st

[34:09] John behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me do you believe what he said also behold thou desirest truth in the inward part and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom now my friends this is the holy spirit's work to mercifully and graciously convince the sinner of his sins may appear twofold to you you may most solemnly feel that you have sinned in disobeying

[35:12] God's commandment why you feel you stand before him having broken in thoughts if not in word and deed every one of those commandments and when you observe what God justly requires you feel how solemnly you have omitted to do those things and more than that you most solemnly the life that sin solemnly defiles are that setting forth sin as it truly is it defiles and when

[36:18] Adam willfully transgressed pressed his maker's command he became completely defiled defiled defiled from head to foot by skin completely ruined you feel have you felt this inward defilement my friends have you had thoughts of heaven's day and considered the holiness of God and the holiness of that habitation and the holiness of its inhabitants and you have looked at yourself and you have said I fear I a defiled wretch will never get there shall never see the face of the dear

[37:33] Lord Jesus with joy in heaven oh sinner this fountain for thy sin and we believe that when it was opened the iniquities of all God's people were in God's mind completely removed and all their sins forgiven and their uncleanness washed eyes but this is what God's dear people pray that they may experience this precious truth in their own heart there is such an experience you take the case as he journeyed on with the burden of sin as it were upon his back but he lost it and he said blessed cross blessed sepulchre and here his burden rolled away and by precious faith you are unable to look to the dear

[39:16] Lord Jesus and to feel your interest in that precious life you may raise some objections and say but I'm such a great sinner I'm such a black sinner you don't know how I stand against heaven and how unclean I really am well my friends the apostle answers that argument with these wonderful words the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from old sin though the blackest the fellest wretch who really inwardly graciously smart understand who feel their uncleanness are welcome to this precious fountain they are indeed it cleanses us from all sin when this fountain was open then provision was made for the things of all good dear people man man man how deeply shamed man was by reason of his sins how unclean he felt to be but he had faith in that fountain we read the

[41:23] Lord cast seven devils and that poor woman she was clean she was forgiven all her sins and the uncleanness of sin is set forth in God's word symbol of leprosy a person who was a leper was ceremonially unclean he was barbed from society he had to cry out if anyone was in the vicinity unclean unclean unclean unclean unclean unclean that they are leprous so they speak all over all together honestly

[42:28] David felt it he experienced it but you see that wonderful faith that he had enabled him to sleep with God his his pleading and he said purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow he had in the sound in the precious blood of Jesus he knew what it was to feel sin upon his heart and conscience he knew what it was to feel and to be unclean before

[43:36] God but he was not left to despair and I don't believe any of God's dear people will be left to despair the vilest sinner out of house who lives to feel his need is welcome to the throne of the heart to flee why my dear friends we don't have to take any price in our hands forgiveness pardon cleansing cannot be bought but God gives it freely this fountain though is quite clear the poor the wretch the welcomer here come needy come guilty come loathsome and bear can't come too guilty come just as you are this the love it takes out all stains the water flows sweetly with virtue divine that cleansed souls completely though leprous as mine and encouragement there is for poor guilty unclean sinners to come to this precious sacred fountain of Jesus' precious life amen the precious life amen more natural r