Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-11-15
THE LOOKING GLASS.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Says the Cos
pei is Mirror
Wherein Mans Sins Are Put Before His
Eyes IL Does Not Distort or Platter
the Features-Only a Glance In
the Mirror Shows Man just
How He Is in the
Eyes of God.

fcCt VI Ms idbcSt scrmOn through tne
press, "The Looking Glass" his text
being Exodus xxxviii, s:
And he made the LAYER of brass. and the foot
Of II was brass, of the looking glasses OF the
women assembling.
We often hear about the Gospel in
John, and the Gospel in Luke, and the
Gospel in Matthew; but there is just as
surely Gospel of Moses, and Gospel
of jeremiah. and a Gospel of David.
In other words, Christ is as certainly to
be found in the Old Testament as in the
New.
When the Israelites were marching
through the wilderness they carried
their church with them. They called
1t the tabernacle 1t was a pitched
tent; very costly, very beautiful. The
framework was made of forty-eight
boards of acacia wood set in sockets Of
silver The curtains Of the place were
purple, and scarlet, and blue, and fine
linen and were hung with most arts.
tic loops. The candlesticlx of that tab
ernacle had shaft. and branch, and
bowl of solid gold, and the figures OF
cherubim that stood there had wings
of gold. and there were lamps of gold,
and snuffers of gold, and tongs of gold
and rings of gold; so that scepticism
has sometimes asked, where did ali
that precious material come from? II is
not my place to furnish the precious
stones, it is only TO tell that they were
there
lwish now more especially to speak of
the LAYER that was built in the midst of
that ancient tabernacle 1t was great
basin from which the priests washed
their hands and feet. The water came
down from the basin in spouts and
passed away after the cleansing. This
laver or basin was made out of the
looking glasses of the women who had
frequented the tabernacle, and who
had made these their contribution TO
the furniture. These looking glasses
were not made of glass, but they were
brazen. The brass was of very SUI
perior quality, and polished until it re-
Elected easily the features of those who
looked into it. So that this laver of
looking glasses spoken of in my text
did double work; it not only furnished
the water in which the priests washed
themselves, but it also, on its shining,
polished surface pointed out the spots
of pollution on the face which needed
ablution. Now my Christian friends,
as everything in that ancient taber
pacle was suggestive of religious truth
and for the most part positively sym
bolical of truth. / shall take that laver
of looking glasses spoken of in the text |
as all-suggestive of the Gospel, which
first shows us our sins as in a mirror.
and them washes them away by divine
lablui'on. r-zz4..s 44t.s.-..---
o. happy day. happy day.
When Jesus washed my sins away
I have to say that this is the only |
looking glass in which man can see
himself as he is. There are some mir
rors that fiatter the features, and make |
you look better than you are. Then
there are other mirrors that distort your
features. and make you look worse than
you are; but want to tell you that this
looking glass of the Gospel shows man
Just as he is. When the priests entered |
the ancient tabernacle, one glance at
the Furnished side of this laver showed |
them their need of cleansing; so this
gospel shows the soul its need of divine
washing. -All have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God. :" That is
one showing. "All we. like sheep have
gone astray.n That is another show
Eng. FROM the crown of the head to
the sole of the foot there is no health
in us That is another showing. The
L l.
or eccentricities, or erratic behavior.
or wild oats" or high living;n out
the Gospel calls them sin, transgres-
sion, ilth-the abominable thing that
God hates II was Just one glance at
that mirror that made Paul cry out:
20, wretched man that | am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this
oeath2' and that made David cry out:
Purge me with hvssop and l shall be
clean and that made Martin Luther
cry out: 20. my sins, my sins" ! am
not talking about bad habits. You and
do not need'any Bible to tell us that
bad habits are wrong, that blasphemy
and evil speaking are wrong. But lam
talking Of a sinful nature, the source
Of all bad thoughts. as well as of all
bad actions. The Apostle Paul calls
their roll in the first chapter of Ro-
mans They are Z regiment of death
encamp.n- around every heart, hoiding
It in tyranny from which nothing
but the grace of God can deliver 1t.
Here. for instance. is ingratitndc
Who haa not been guilty Of thai SIM
If man hands us a glass of water. we
say. "ThaniS you;r but for the ten
thousand mercies that we are every day
receiving from the hand of God. how
little expression OF gratitude-for thirst
Stacked for hunger fed, for shelterand
sunshine. and sound sleep, and clothes
to wear-how little thanksl l suppose
there are men fifty years of age who
have never vet been down on their
knees n thanksgiving to God for his
goodness. Besides that ingratitude OF
our hearts. there Is pride Cwho has not
felt it?i-pride that viii not submit to
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