The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-31


as the subject Of his sermon today
through the press THE Looking Glass"
his text being Exodus xxxviii, s, And
he made the laver OF brass, and the foot
OF it was Of 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 gos-
pei of Moses, and a 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 it 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 cur
tains Of the place We're purple and scarlet
and blue and fine linen and We're hung
with most artistic loops. The candlestick
OF that tabernacle 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
rings of gold, 50 that skepticism has some
times asked Where did all that precious
10 furnish the precious stones, 1t is only
10 tell that they We're there.
wish now more especially to speak Of
the aver that was built in the midst Of
that ancient tabernacle. 1t was a 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 LAYER. or basin,
was made 0uJ Of the looking glasses Of
the women who had frequsnted the taber-
nacIe. and wh5 had made these their con-
tribution to the furniture. These looking
glasses were not mIde Of glass, but they
Were brlzsn. The brass was Of a very
superior quality and polished until it re-
fectsd easily the features of those who
looked into it, 50 that this LAYER Of look
ing glasses spoken of in my text did
double wOrk-it not only Furnished the
water in which the priests washed them
selves. but Il also. on its shining, polished
surface, pointed out the spots Of pollu-
ion on the face which needed ablutlOn.
Now, my Christian friends, as everything
in that ancient taberuacle was suggest
I'VE Of religious truth, and for the most
part positively symbolical Of truth, 1
shall fal<e that laver of looking glasses
spoken If in the text as all suggestive Of
the gospel. which first shows us our sins
as in a mirror and then washes them
away by divine ablution.
Oh. happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins awayl
No Deceit or FIattery.
have to say that this is the only look
ing glass in which a man can see himself
as he is There are some mirrors that
fatter 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 I
want to tell you that this looking-glass Of
the gospel shows man just as he is.
When the priests entered the ancient tab
ernacle, one glance at the FURNISHED side
Of this LAYER 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,
Ike 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. imperfec-
tions. or eccentticities. or erratc behavior,
or wild OATS high living but the
gospel calls them sin, transgressiOn, filth
the abominable thing that God hates.
It was just one glance at that mirror that
made Paul cry out "Oh, wreJched man
that / am. who shall deliver me from the
body Of this death2' and thar made David
cry out, Purge me with hyssOp, and
shall be clean" and that made Martin
] am not talking about bad habits You
and I do not need any bible 10 tell US
that bad habits are wrong; that bias
phemy and evil speaking are wrong; but
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
a regiment of death encamping around
every heart. holding it in tyranny from
which nothing bat the grace Of God can
deliver it.
Here. for instance. IS ingratitude. Who
has not been guilty OF that sin2 If a
man hand Us a glass Of water, we say,
Thank YOU" but for the 10000 mercies
that we are every day receiving from
the hand Of God now little expression Of
gra1itude-for thirst slaked, for hunger
fed for shelter and sunshine and sound
sleep and clothes 20 wear. now little
thanks! 1 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 that in
gratitude Of our hearts there is pride
who has not felt it?-pride that viii not
submit 20 God, that wants its own way;
a nature that prefers wrong sometimes
instead Of right, that prefers to wallOw
instead Of rise up. / do not care what
YOU cal that. / am not going 10 quarrel
with any theOlogian or any man who
makes any pretensiOns to theology. l
d. not care whether You call il total de-
pravity'' or something else. I simply
make the announcement OF Gods word,
affirmed and confirmed by the experience
Of hundreds of Christian people. the
lima ginati Of the heart OF man is evil
from youth. There is none that dOeth
g0Od-nO, not one" We have a bad ma
ture We Were horn with IT, We got IL
from our parents. Our thoughts are
wrong, our action is wrong. our Whole
life is obnoxious 10 God before CONVEX
sion. and after conversion not one good
thing in US but that which the grace of
God has planted and fostered. Well
you say II can't believe that to be So"
All. my dear brother. that is because you
have never looked into this LAYER of look
ing glasses.
The Natural Heart Of Man.
II you could catch a glimpse Of your
natural heart before Cod you would cry
out in amazenent and alarm. The very
first thing this gospel does Is to cut down
our pride and self suficiency. If a man
does not feel his lost and ruined condition
before God. he does not want any gospel
I think the reason that there are so fsv.
conversions in this day is because the
tendency Of the preaching is to make men
believe that they are pretty good anyhow
quite c.evel, only wanting a little fixing
up-a few touches Of divine grace, and
then you viii be all right, instead Of pro
claiming the broad, deep truth that Pay
son and Whitefield Numbered 10 a race
trembling on the verge Of infinite and