Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-12
BURDETTE breaches
ON SACRED MIRRORS
DRAWS LESSON FROM ACTION
TAKEN BY MOSES a
Symbol of Regeneration Appropriately
Connected with Woman, Who
Stands for Purity of
Body and Soul

At Temple Baptist church in the
morning Rev. Robert ]. Burdettee
preached on the topic, "Consecrated
Mirrors" taking for his text Exodus
1873, "And Moses made the laver or the
mirrors of the women"
"Mirrorsi We associate them with
the vanities and the iightnesses OF
women: we warn cur young girls
against the looking glass haDit; lsaian
declaims against the vanity or the
daughters of Zion-tE cir perfume boxes,
amulets, rings, wells and hand mir
rors.' They are not mentioned half
dozen times in the book, and or all
places where they should have no
nrominenCe, II indee they should nave
any place at all, the church is sup
nosed to he that sacred place. Yet
| have they high and hcly place forever
in the story of tho first Tabernacle.
For, so far as we know, there was but
| one piece of sacred furnishing ana
nardiwork in all that holy tent OF the
neeting-the place of the testimony,
the house Of God-Which was maze OF
specially selected offerings. We are
| OF told of what oI whose offerings
| the ark of the covenant, or the golden
| table of incense. or the golden CANDLE
stick was made. But the laver-for the
publication OK the mintSter1ng priests
| in ,he house of God; the laver, stand
| ing near the great altar of the burnt
offering. the mee.ing place between
| God and men, the laVer, symbol OF the
regeneration that follows pardon; first
| the altar o. sacrifice, the blood or
Christ for fol giveness, then the wash
ing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit:
| the laver typical OF cleanliness ana
pu:4ty-ihe laver was made OF the
mirrors of the women
"The mirror is peculiarly feminine:
| It belongs tc the home life. 1t reflects
the daily life. 1t reproaches us for our
| .vat hot
gard faces, our slovenly dress, our
sIouchy ways. 1t gives back our
| scowls and repeats our frowns; 1t
me cks our eyes infiamed with weeping;
| IL is a visible echo of our outward self.
And it reflects our smiles like ram
| bow; it meets falf way the kiss of the
| httIe child N love with it's own kind,
sweet, laughing face; it bushes with
| .ne young girl Just disco yering her own
beauty, and kalf ashamed of her gem
uihe pleasure and it's tender glance OF
he.rt-deep sympathy answers alway
The sympathy in your own face. How
much more human it makes Moses, the
great lawglver, the most majestic
figure in ths old testament, when We
SET him sci aside the mirrors of the
women for tee secord article of sacred
furniture In the tacerracle-tne noll-
est piece IN the world.
Stands Alone as Offering
"AH the other things could be made
of the offerings of gold and silver, just
as hey came along. But the iaVer
was a peculiarly consecrated thing.
Only one class of offerings, from one
group of worshipers could be nodded
into it's shape OF grace and its use OF
publication. THE iaver was made OF
the mirrors of the women
''It was not made OF the jewels OF
the women and men, the gold and sill
vel trinkets, cherished for their beauty
as ornaments and for their intrinsic
value. it was made of copper, or
bronze; it was made of the mirrors or
the women, things in daily, sometimes
hourly, use.
'rWomanhood and womanliness stand
for cleanliness--for purity of body and
mind and soul. We won't mix any
thing else, then, with the offerings for
this emblem o. soul cleansing. When
the lawgiver SO: aside these mirror Of
ferngs for the laver, did he think of
his own dear, clever mother, who saved
his life by her woman wit? Was he
thinking of his sister Miriam, running
along the banks OF the reedy river,
watching her baby brother on his voy
age of world conquest? Did he think
of his foster-mother, standing before
hin In the splendor of her royal robes
and uueenly beautyP Was he thinking
cf his wife? Why, if we should
squeeze out OF our religion all the sem
timent and romance ana human love
IF daily life, the church would be as
dusty and dry as the ancient Valley OF
Dry Bones. We read that they did
live one day. hut for anything else they
ever did they might as well have
stayed dead
II ct the iavers Of the church be as
'he great laver of the tabernacle-made
Of the mirrors of the women, the things
that reflect the home faces and the
daily life. Let womanhood bring into
hel church. to the service OF God. all
her best ana most educated refinement.
her taste in art and literature, In color
and design; in fitness of apparel, In
becoming ornament. her skill in music,
ner moiesty in adornipg, the clever
ness of her hands in womanly work
all the best thas she used to give to
the world-it's not q bit too good for
God"