The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-11-07
REV. DIR. IALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN OWN ES Sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: s'The Looking Glass"

and the foot Of it was Of brass, Of the look
ing glasses Of the women assembling. -
Exodus XxXviii., s.
We often hear about the gospel in John,
and the gospel in Luke, and the gospel IN
Matthew, hut there is Just as surely gospel
Of Moses. and a gospel OF jeremiah. and
gospel OF David. In other words. Christ IS
as certainly TO he found in the Old Testa-
ment as in the New.
When the TsraeIites were marching
through the wilderness they carried their
church with them They called it the taber-
nacle TWAS 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
artistic loops: The candlesticks OF
that tabernacle had shaft and
branch and bowl Of solid gold, and the
Agures of cherubim that stood there had
wings Of gold, and there Tere lamps OF gold.
and shutters of gold. and tOngs Of gold. and
rings OF gold. so that skepticsm has some
times asked Where did all that precious ma
terial come from? 1t is not my place TO fur
nish the precious stones. 1t is only to tell
that they were there.
wish 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 contributions to
the furniture. These looking glasses were
not made of glass. but they were brazen.
The brass was of very superior quality and
polished until it reflected easily the features
of those who looked into It, so that this
layer of looking glasses spoken OF in my text
did double work. 1t not only furnished the
water in which the priests washed them
selves, but it also, on its shining, polished
surface, pointed out the spots of pollution
on the face which needed abution.
have to sly that this is the only looking
glass in which man can see himself as he
is. There are some mirrors that tiatter the
features and make you look better than you
are. Thenthere are other mirrors that dis
tort 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;S like sheep, have gone astray."
That is another showing. From the
crown OF the head to the sole of the foot
there Is no health in us" That is another
showing. The world calls these defects,
imperfections. or eccentricities, or erratic
behavior, or wild oats" or "high living,
but the gospel calls them sin, transgression,
flth-the abominable thing that God hates.
II was Just one glance at that mirror that
made Paul cry out, ooh, wretched man
that I am. who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?' and that made
To ant IDurun with hpQGOn and
/ shall be clean" and that made Martin
Luther cry out, sob. 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 hlasphemY and evil
speaking are wrong. But l am talking OF
a sinful nature, the source OF all bad thoughts
AS we'll AS of all bad actions The Apostle
Paul calls their roll in the first chapter OF
Romans. They are regiment of death en-
camping around every heart, holding it in
tyranny from which nothing but the grace
Of God can deliver it.
Here, for instance. is ingratitude. Who
has not been guilty Of that SIM II a man
hand us a glass OF water we say, "Thank
you," bat for the TO, 600 mercies that we are
every day receiving from the hand of God
how little expression of gratitude-for thirst
slaked, for hunger fed for shelter, and sun
shine, and sound sleep, and clothes to wear,
how little thanks | suppose there are
men MY years VI age WIZ nave hOFCL ICl
been down on their knees in thanksgiving to
God for His goodness. Besides that ingrati-
tude of our hearts there is pride-who has
not felt it?-pride that will not submit to
God chat wants its own way-a nature that
prefers wrong sometimes instead OF right;
that prefers 10 wallow instead Of rise up.
If you could catch glimpse Ofyour natur-
al heart before God, you would cry out in
amazement and alarm. The very first thing
this gospel does is to cut down our pride
and self suffciency. II man does not feel
his loss and ruined condition before God, he
does not want any gospel. think the rea-
son that there are so few conversions in this
day is because the tendency OF the preach
ing is to make men believe that they are
pretty good anyhow-quite clever, only
wanting little fixing up, few TOUCHES OF
divine grace, and then you Will be all right
instead OF proclaiming the broad, deep
truth that Payson and Whitefeld Numbered
TO race trembling on the verge of infinite
and eternal disaster. Now. says some one,
'can this really be true? Have we all gone
astray? Is there no good in usY' In
Hampton Court | saw a room where the
four walls were covered with looking
glasses and it made no difference which
way you looked you saw yourself. And so 1t
is IN this gospel of Christ. II you once step
within its full precincts you will find your
whole character reflected, every feature OF
moral deformity, every spot of moral faint
If l understand the word of God, its first am
nouncementi is that we are lost.
Glory be TO God, l find that this LAYER of
looking glasses was filled with fresh water
every morning, and the priest no sooner
looked on its FURNISHED side and saw his
need of cleansing than he washed and was
clean-glorious type of the gospel of my
Lord Jesus, that first shows a man his sin
and chen washes it all away
want you to notice that this laver in
hIaIa4 LAV rio %la - Ir,
ing glasses-was filled with fresh water every
morning. The servants of the tabernacle
brought the water in buckets and poured it
into this Iaver. SO it is with the gospel of