SERMON XLIX.

ZECHARIAH iii. 2.-And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan ! even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee ! Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

ZECHARIAH prophesied at the time when the Jews had lately returned from their captivity in Babylon. The people, notwithstanding this happy restoration, were in most abject and destitute circumstances; and their state of mind was at once selfish and despondent. Their Church, more especially, seemed to be in a hopeless condition. In the chapter before this, the Lord endeavours to raise their hope of better times by direct promises. Here he does the same by a striking vision. The Jewish Church is represented by its head, the High-priest Joshua: various objections are brought against it, but the Lord over-rules them all; declaring his will, that it shall be restored to His favour, notwithstanding its past guilt, or present degradation.

But what is all this to us?' Much, my brethren ! The Jewish Church was a type of God's spiritual Church throughout the world: and in that spiritual Church, each individual member is dealt with on the same terms as the whole collective body. Consequently this transaction, in which Joshua appears the person chiefly concerned, represents to us the way in

which every true child of God becomes a partaker of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." 1

From the passage before us, then, we may learn

I. THE CHRISTIAN'S WOEFUL NATURE.

1. He is exposed to Condemnation.

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CONDITION BY

It is the condition of us all. Sent into the world as creatures of God, to be his stewards and servants, and with an excellent law as the rule of our conduct, we have" broken his bands asunder, and cast away his cords from us.' Does not your Conscience acknowledge, that you have done this? Yet you are too proud to own yourself guilty! Well-it is before the Lord that the trial must take place and consider whether you can there " answer him to one charge of a thousand." 3 For you also, like Joshua, will find an adversary there "to resist you." Whether it be Satan, whose temptations you followed-or the holy law, which you despised—or the Spirit of God, whom you grieved—or the Saviour, upon whose blood you trampled; all, all will resist your claim for acquittal -all will condemn you.

It is the condition even of the true Christian. In himself, he has no reply to the accusations of Satan. Not only before but since his conversion, he has given many a handle to that "accuser of the brethren ;" and it appears that every possible advantage will be taken—" night and day he accuseth them before God." 4 Remember, then, O child of God, thy real deserts, should the Lord ever listen to the charges against thee. Amid all thy privileges and hopes, thou art still, in thyself, a sinner condemned. 1 Jude 21. 2 Psalm ii. 3. 3 Job ix. 3. 4 Rev. xii. 10.

2. He is an object for God's abhorrence.

"Joshua was clothed with filthy garments," as he "stood before the angel." His very appearance would excite disgust.-That this is the condition of unconverted man, requires little proof. With no desire to please God, and a heart overflowing with impure, selfish, worldly desires-how is it possible that the Creator should not abhor him? To him, in its fullest sense, the epithet "filthy" may be applied; as it is, in the book of Job-" How abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water!"

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But even Joshua-the Church-the sincere Christian, if viewed in his own real colours, is as truly deserving of abhorrence, before Him who "is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." And for this reason he is here set before us, "clothed in filthy garments. And what are those offensive garments? His sins? Yes; his appetites and passions, but half mortifiedhis remaining self-will-his frequent backslidings, in heart if not in conduct.. All these are foul spots, which grieve the Spirit of God and if the Lord, for Christ's sake, do not utterly abhor thee for them, O Christian, yet it certainly behoves thee to "abhor thyself, and repent in dust and ashes."1_But it is no less true of the Christian's duties, that they deserve the name of “filthy garments :" hence that humiliating confession of the Church in Isaiah-" All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' They are so mingled with sin, so imperfect, so scanty; our love is so cold, our zeal so inactive, our "humbleness of mind" so vain and self-sufficient; that it is a wonder the Lord doth not altogether loathe us, and banish us from his presence. - Now if such be the deservings even of a Christian man, you cannot doubt that, in strict justice, 2 Job xv. 16. 3 Isaiah lxiv. 6.

1 Verse 3.

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3. He is on the very brink of destruction: so near to it, indeed, that he is here described as a brand actually in the fire-a coal already kindled.

This, I say, has been the condition of every real believer; and, were he dealt with on the score of merit, it would be so even now.-It is the condition of all the unconverted; and that, in more senses than one. Are you the servant of sin and Satan? Do you swear, defraud, and break the holy Sabbath? Are you living unchastely, or in malice, envy, and strife? Then I say, your hell is already begun! The fire of your lusts, the heat of God's anger, is already upon you: but you die without being converted from this state, a far worse burning awaits you; a fire, never to be quenched -in which, like the bush seen by Moses, you will for ever burn, yet not be consumed.1 "Now consider this, ye that forget God; lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver!" 2

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But now, from viewing the Christian's woeful condition by nature, let us pass on to contemplate

II. HIS HAPPY ESTATE BY GRACE.

It might seem impossible, that all these fatal circumstances should meet together in the same individual, and leave a single ray of hope. But this vision of Joshua proves, that nothing is impossible, where God determines to shew mercy. In spite of every hindrance, Joshua is accepted-the Christian is saved. 1. His conviction is quashed.

It is not urged, that there are no grounds for condemning him. When Satan resists the sinner's admission to favour, no reply is made in order to disprove the charges. They are tacitly allowed to be true; and the sinner is convicted, as by the strict justice of God,

1 Exodus iii. 2.

2 Psalm 1. 22.

so by his own conscience and confession also. But, at this critical moment, there is an arrest of judgment: the Accuser is forbidden to proceed-"The Lord rebuke thee!" Now what is this, but the gracious declaration of the Gospel-that "there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus?" not, none deserved; but, none inflicted. Let Satan accuse as he may; yet "every tongue that shall rise up in judgment" against the people of God" shall they condemn."2 The Lord will "rebuke him."

Observe, moreover, the only ground which is assigned, for this exemption from punishment: nothing but the Lord's free and unmerited choice! "The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee!" Brethren, if God has from the beginning chosen you unto salvation," and has declared that choice, by your "sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,"3 then his own free love shall secure you against every charge and to nothing else must you ever ascribe your deliverance.

2. He is clothed afresh, through the merits of the Saviour, and with the graces of the Spirit of God.

The "filthy raiment" of guilt is what we cannot lay aside but Christ took it away, when he "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." He then "brought in an everlasting righteousness," even "the righteousness of God, which is unto all and upon all them that believe." It is their "wedding garment." It hides their deformity and pollution. It is "made white in the blood of the Lamb." He that wears it his transgression is forgiven, and his sin covered;" and it is to him a "robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation." At the same time, he begins to be "renewed after the image of him that 1 Rom. viii. 1. 2 Isaiah liv. 17. 3 2 Thess. ii. 13. 4 Rom. iii. 22.