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<p>Behold the Lamb of God <i>taking away the sin of the world</i>, the sin of the church; for <i>therefore</i> was the Son of God manifested, to <i>take away our sin</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1John.3.5" href="/passage/?search=1John.3.5">1 John 3:5</a>.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. He takes away the guilt of sin by the blood of his cross (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.13.1" href="/passage/?search=Zech.13.1">Zech. 13:1</a>): <i>In that day</i>, in the gospel-day, <i>there shall be a fountain opened</i>, that is, provision made for the cleansing of all those from the pollutions of sin who truly repent and are sorry for them. <i>In that day</i>, when the Spirit of grace is poured out to set them a mourning for their sins, they shall not mourn as those who have no hope, but they shall have their sins pardoned, and the comfort of their pardon in their bosoms. Their consciences shall be purified and pacified by the <i>blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1John.1.7" href="/passage/?search=1John.1.7">1 John 1:7</a>. For Christ is exalted to give both repentance and remission of sins; and where he gives the one no doubt he gives the other. This <i>fountain opened</i> is the pierced side of Jesus Christ, spoken of just before (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.12.10" href="/passage/?search=Zech.12.10">Zech. 12:10</a>), for thence came there out <i>blood and water</i>, and both for cleansing. And those who <i>look upon Christ pierced</i>, and mourn for their sins that pierced him, and are therefore in bitterness for him, may look again upon Christ pierced and rejoice in him, because it pleased the Lord thus to smite this rock, that it might be to us a <i>fountain of living waters</i>. See here, 1. How we are polluted; we are all so; we have sinned, and sin is uncleanness; it defiles the mind and conscience, renders us odious to God and uneasy in ourselves, unfit to be employed in the service of God and admitted into communion with him, as those who were ceremonially unclean were shut out of the sanctuary. The <i>house of David</i> and the <i>inhabitants of Jerusalem</i> are under <i>sin</i>, which is uncleanness. The truth is, we are all <i>as an unclean thing</i>, and deserve to have our portion with the unclean. 2. How we may be purged. Behold, there is fountain opened for us to wash in, and there are streams flowing to us from that fountain, so that, if we be not made clean, it is our own fault. The blood of Christ, and God’s pardoning mercy in that blood, revealed in the new covenant, are, (1.) A fountain; for there is in them an inexhaustible fulness. There is mercy enough in God, and merit enough in Christ, for the forgiving of the greatest sins and sinners, upon gospel-terms. <i>Such were some of you, but you are washed</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1Cor.6.11" href="/passage/?search=1Cor.6.11">1 Cor. 6:11</a>. Under the law there were a brazen laver and a brazen sea to wash in; those were but vessels, but we have a fountain to ourselves, overflowing, ever-flowing. (2.) <i>A fountain opened</i>; for, whoever will, may come and take the benefit of it; it is opened, not only to <i>the house of David</i>, but to <i>the inhabitants of Jerusalem</i>, to the poor and mean as well as to the rich and great; or it is opened for all believers, who, as the spiritual seed of Christ, are of the house of David, and, as living members of the church, are inhabitants of Jerusalem. Through Christ all that believe are justified, are <i>washed from their sins in his blood</i>, that they may be <i>made to our God kings and priests</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rev.1.5,Rev.1.6" href="/passage/?search=Rev.1.5,Rev.1.6"><span class="bibleref" title="Rev.1.5">Rev. 1:5</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Rev.1.6">6</span></a>.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. He takes away the dominion of sin by the power of his grace, even of beloved sins. This evermore accompanies the former; those that are washed in the fountain opened, as they are justified, so they are sanctified; the water came with the blood out of the pierced side of Christ. It is here promised that in that day, 1. Idolatry shall be quite abolished and the people of the Jews shall be effectually cured of their inclination to it (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.13.2" href="/passage/?search=Zech.13.2">Zech. 13:2</a>): <i>I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land</i>. The worship of the idols of their fathers shall be so perfectly rooted out that in one generation or two it shall be forgotten that ever there were such idols among them; they shall either not be named at all or not with any respect; <i>they shall no more be remembered</i>, as was promised, <a class="bibleref" title="Hos.2.17" href="/passage/?search=Hos.2.17">Hos. 2:17</a>. This was fulfilled in the rooted aversion which the Jews had, after the captivity, to idols and idolatry, and still retain to this day; it was fulfilled also in the ready conversion of many to the faith of Christ, by which they were taken off from making an idol of the ceremonial law, as the unbelieving Jews did; and it is still in the fulfilling when souls are brought off from the world and the flesh, those two great idols, that they may cleave to God only. 2. False prophecy shall also be brought to an end: <i>I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit</i>, the prophets that are under the influence of the unclean spirit, to <i>pass out of the land</i>. The devil is an <i>unclean</i> spirit; sin and uncleanness are from him; he has his prophets, that serve his interests and receive their instructions from him. Take away the unclean spirit, and the prophets would not deceive as they do; take away the false prophets that produce sham commissions, and the unclean spirit could not do the mischief he does. When God designs the silencing of the false prophets he banishes the unclean spirit out of the land, that wrought in them, and was a rival with him for the throne in the heart. The church of the Jews, when they were addicted to idols, did also dote much upon false prophets, who flattered them in their sins with promises of impunity and peace; but here it is promised, as a blessed effect of the promised reformation, that they should be very much set against false prophets, and zealous to clear the land of them; they were so after the captivity, till, through the blindness of their zeal against false prophets, they had put Christ to death under that character, and, after that, there arose many <i>false Christs and false prophets, and deceived many</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Matt.24.11" href="/passage/?search=Matt.24.11">Matt. 24:11</a>. It is here foretold, (1.) That false prophets, instead of being indulged and favoured, should be brought to condign punishment even by their nearest relations, which would be as great an instance as any of flagrant zeal against those deceivers (<a class="bibleref" title="Zech.13.3" href="/passage/?search=Zech.13.3">Zech. 13:3</a>): <i>When any shall</i> set up for a prophet, and shall <i>speak lies in the name of the Lord</i>, shall preach that which tends to draw people from God and to confirm them in sin, his own parents shall be the first and most forward to prosecute him for it, according to the law. <a class="bibleref" title="Deut.13.6-Deut.13.11" href="/passage/?search=Deut.13.6-Deut.13.11">Deut. 13:6-11</a>, “<i>If thy son entice thee secretly</i> from God, <i>thou shalt surely kill him</i>. Show thy indignation against him, and prevent any further temptation from him.” His <i>father and his mother shall thrust him through when he prophesies</i>. Note, We ought to conceive, and always to retain, a very great detestation and dread of every thing that would draw us out of the way of our duty into by-paths, as those who cannot <i>bear that which is evil</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rev.2.22" href="/passag
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