Deep Fountain of peace and glory
Opened to all shall be.
The prophet again in beholding the glory and purity of that day says: “In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the lord.” Zech. 14:20.
The prophet did foretell a day,
Through which extends a holy way,
Where walk the ransomed of the Lord,
Made pure in heart, through Jesus' blood.
Another man of God is permitted to look down through the darkness and see the glory of this day of cleansing. “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mal. 3:2, 3. In that day there shall be a fountain of cleansing, or a fire of refining, when hearts shall be made pure as gold and silver is refined and made pure. It is the day in which Isaiah says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isa. 1:18.
The day foretold by this holy train of Old Testament prophets was spoken of as a day of “peace and rest”; a day of “praise and salvation”; a day of “refining”; a day when a “cleansing fountain shall be opened”; a day when “scarlet stains shall be made white as snow”; a day when “the lame man shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing,” and the deaf ears shall hear, and blind eyes be made to see; a day when the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come unto Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; a day when “the desert shall blossom as the rose”; a day when the wolf and the lamb shall dwell together; a day when the “Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious.” Praise God!
That day seen so far away by those righteous men awakened songs of praise in their hearts. They were not speaking of the eternal day in the glory world; neither of a supposed millennial age, but of this present glorious dispensation of grace and salvation. It requires only two texts to clearly prove this. The first is Isa. 49:8: “Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee.” The second is found in 2 Cor. 6:2. Paul here quotes this promise the Lord made, and then says, “Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Again in Rom. 13:12 the apostle speaks of his having arrived at that day. He says, “The night is far spent, [pg 027] the day is at hand, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” How beautiful! The Christian's armor in the “day of salvation” is one of light, the darkness is flown away. The Old Testament writer said that in that day God would send a Savior. In the New Testament it is recorded that “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The Savior God had promised was the Christ, and the day was now come.