The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-10-31
THE LOOKING GLASS.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Says the Cos
pei is a Mirror
Wherein Mans Sins Are Put Before His
Eyes 1t Does Not Distort or Flatter
the Features-Only a Glance In
the Mirror Shows Man Just
How He is In the
Eyes of God.

Rev. DIR. Talmage, who is now on his
homeward journey, selected as the sub
ject of his latest sermon through the
press, "The Looking Glass" his text
being Exodus xxxviii., 8:
And he made the laver of brass, and the foot
Of 1t 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 a Gospel
of jeremiah, and 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 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 artis-
tic loops. The candlestich 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 all
that precious material come from? 1t is
not my place to furnish the precious
stones, it is only to tell that they were
there.
Iwish now more especially to speak OF
the laver 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-
fiected 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
nacle was suggestive of religious truth
and for the most part positively sym
bolical of truth, / shall take that lavel
OF looking glasses spoken of in the tex
as all-suggestive of the Gospel, which
first shows us our sins as in mirror
and then washes them away by divine
ablution.
o. happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away
have to say that this is the only
looking glass in which man can Sc,
himself as he is. There are some mir
rors that fiatter the features, and make
you look better than you are. Ther
there are other mirrors that distort YOU
features, and make you look worse thar
you are; but l want to tell you that thii
looking glass of the Gospel shows maj
just as he is When the priests entered
the ancient tabernacle, one glance a
the FURNISHED side of this laver showed
them their need of cleansing; so thi
gospel shows the soul its need of divin,
washing. "All have sinned, and com,
short of the glory of God" That Il
one showing. "All we, like sheep, hav,
gone astray." That is another show
ing. "From the crown of the head Il
the sole of the foot there is no health
in u.s." That is another showing. TIL,
world calls these defects, imperfections
or eccentricities, or erratic behavior
or wild oats" or "high living" bu
the Gospel calls them sin, transgres
sion, filth-the abominable thing tina
God hates. 1t was just one glance a
that mirror that made Paul cry out
80, wretched man that l am, VIII,
shall deliver me from the body of thi
death?" and that made David cry out
purge me with hyssop, and shall b.
clean" and that made Martin Luthei
cry out: 80, my sins, my SINS" an
not talking about bad habits. You ant
do not need any Bible to tell us tina
bad habits are wrong, that blasphemN
and evil speaking are wrong. But an
talking of a sinful nature, the source
of all bad thoughts, as well as of al
bad actions. The Apostle Paul call
their roll in the first chapter of Ro
mans. They are regiment Of deatl
encamping around every heart, holding
it in a tyranny from which nothing
but the grace of God can deliver it.
Here, for instance, is ingratitude
Who has not been guilty of that sin
If man hands us glass of water, w,
say. ''Thank you;" but for the tel
thousand mercies that we are every da,
receiving from the hand of God, hov
littleexpression of gratitude-for thirs
Stacked, for hunger fed, for shelter ant
sunshine, and sound sleep, and clothe
to wear--how little thanksl suppos,
there are men fifty years of age VIII,
have new yet been down on thei
knees in thanksgiving to God for hi
goodness. Besides that ingratitude o
our hearts, there is pride (who has no
felt itG)--pride that will not submit t.
God, that wants its own way-a natur,
that perfers wrong sometimes instead
ofright-that prefers to wallow instea'
Of rise up. I do not care what you cal
that; am not going to quarrel will
, anv theolopian or anv man who make