Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-11-17
REV. DIR. TALNAGE
THE DIEINES
SUNDAY SERMON.

TEXT. Gan be made the LAYER o, brass.
and ire foot OF il was o. brass. of the look
In glasses o. the women assembling
Ey0'1s xviii, 8.
We often hear abons the gospel In John.
an the gospel In Luxe. and the gospel 10
Matthew, but there is Just az surely a gospel
o'Nosrs. and q gospel Of jeremiah. and a
cosr.-l 81 David. In other WORKS. Christ ia
as certainly 70 he found IN the OH Tesla
ment As In the New.
Wren the Israelite. were marching
through the wilderness they carried their
church with than. They called it the taber-
nacln. was q nitrhet tent. very costiv.
very beautiful. The framework was mad-
Of 'orty-eight hoaris OF acacia wood set in
sockets % silver. The curtains o'ths place
were purple and scarlet and blue AMI
fine linen and We're hung with mos.
artistic loops. The can 1les.icks o.
that tabernacle had shaft ant
branch and bow Of solid gold. AMI the
figures Of cherubim that stood there had
wings o. gold. an there were lamps OF gold.
AM snufers 81 gold. and tongs Of gold. and
rings o. gold. 40 that skepticism has some
times asked. Were did all that precious ma
terial come from? II is not my place 70 fur.
nish the precious stones. 1t Is only 70 tell
that they were there.
wish now more especially 70 speak ofthe
LAYER that WAS built In the midst OF that
ancient tabernacle. II was n great basin from
which the priests washed their hanis and
feet. The water came down from the basin
in spouts and passed away after the
cleansing. This laver or basin was made
ont Of the looking glasses OF the women
who had 'requented the tabernacle AMI
who had made these their contributions TO
the furniture. These looking glasses were
not maize Of glass, but they we're brazen.
The ftraS waG ~ a very GU rarioy quality and
polished until II reflected easily the features
OF those who looked into it, so that this
LAYER Of looking glasses spoken o. In my text
did double work. 1t not only furnished the
water in which the priests washed them
sAlves. but 1t also. on its shining. polished
surface, pointed out the spots Of pollution
on the face which needed ahlutton.
i have TO say that this is the only looking
glass in which a man can see himself as he
Is. There are some mirrors that flatter the
features and make you look better than you
are. Thenthere are other mirrors that dis
tort your features and make you look verse
than you are. but l want to tell YOU that
this lOOklnG-ylass Of the gospel shows q man
Just as he Ia. 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
ofthe glory Of God" That is one showing.
"All we. 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 IS" That is another
showing. The world calls these defects,
1mp"rfertlona. or eccentricitieS. or erratic
behavior. or wild oats or "high living"
hut the gospel calls them sin. transgressioD,
filth-the abominnble thing that Go hates.
II was just ona glance ut that mirror that
maIa Banl cry ont a(1h rraf0ha{ ma
that I am. who shall deliver me from
the holy Of this death?" and that made
David cry out, Purge me with hyssop, and
I shall be clean and that made Martin
Luther cry out. 'Oh. my SINS. my sins " /
am not talking about bad habits. You and
l 10 not need any Bible to tell US that bad
HABITS are wrong. that hlasphemv 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 n regiment Of death en-
camping around every heart. holding 1t in a
tyranny from which nothing but the grace
OF God can deliver 1t.
Here, for instance, is ingratitude. Who
has not been guilty OF that sin? II a man
hand us a glass OF water we say. "Thank
you but for the 10, 900 mercies that we are
every day receiving from the hand OF God
how little expression Of gratitude-for thirst
siahfi, . hunger ieu, IOE SHtlttE. itEl sun
shine, md sound sleep. and clothes to wear,
how little thanks. | suppose there are
men fifty years Of age who have never vet
been down on their knees in thanksgiving to
God for His goodness. Besides thatingrati-
tude OF our hearts there is pride-wno has
not felt it?-pride that will not submit to
God hat wants its own way-a nature that
prefers wrong sometimes instead OF right
that prefers TO wallow instead Of rise up.
l. YOU could catch n glimpse ofyour natur-
nj heart before Col. you would cry out In
amaxenent and alarm. The very first thing
this gospel does is to cut down our pride
and self sunciency. lfa man does not fee
his loss and RUNE condition before God. he
does not want any gospel. think the rea-
son that there are 50 few conversions in this
day is because the tendency Of the preach
ing Is 10 make men believe that they are
pretty COOL anyhow-quite clever, only
wanting IA little fixing up. a few touches 0
divine grace, and then you will be all right
instead OF proclaimiug the broad, deeI
truth that Payson and WhiteAeld .thunderef
10 a race trembling on the verge OF inf1nit.
and eternal disaster. ..Now." says some one
'can this really he tru-? Have we all gon'
astray? Is there no good in us|' II
Hampton Court | SAW n room where tn
four walls were covered wan looking
glasses and ii male no differenc" whi,!
way You looked You SAW yourself. And SO
Is III TINS kp~ppI| Otthrist- IL you once StaI
within it, tuii precincts. you Will find you
whoi- character reflected. every feature Q
moral detormity. -very spot OF moral faint
II | understand the word Of God, its frs. an
no~unceinent Is that W. are lost.
Glory h. 10 Col. l fnt that this laver o
LOOKING glasses was fllei with fresh waite
every morning. and the priest no soone
looked on its FURNISHED side and saw hi
need OF cleansing than be washed and wa
~cieau-glorious type Of the gospel OF N
LORD Jesus. that lrst shows a man bis 81
an! :hen washes Il ali away
want you TO notice that this laver |
which the priest washed-the laver Of looi
Ing glasses-was filled with fresh wafer ever
morning. The servants OF the tabernac'
brought the water in buckets ami poured
into this LAYER. So ii !s with the gospel {
Jesus Christ. II has a fresh salvation ever
day. IL Is not a ssacnsn pool nlled with a
cuuuiatei corrup,ions. 1t Is living waite
whirh is brought from the eternI
rock 10 wash away tn sius of yesterday.
one moment ago. On" SAYS some on
II Was a Christian twenty years ago
Tbat does not mean anything TO ne. VII,
arr ven now; We are not talking. q
brother. about parton ten years ego, b,