The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-31
SOUND SERMON.
Sheep That are Outside the
Church Fold.
But in Gods Good Time They Will Come
Bounding in, with FleeCes Washed
in the Blood of the Lamb.
1T. Dewitt Talmage.l
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"

have which are not of this fold"
There is no monopoly in religion. The
grace of God is not little property that
we may fence off and have all to our
selves. 1t is not a Kings park at which
we look through a barred gateway,
wishing that we might go in and see
the deer and the statuary, and pluck the
flowers and fruits in the Royal cOnseFv-
atOry. No, it is the Fathers orchard,
and everywhere there are bars that we
may let down and gates that we may
swing open. In my bOyhOOd, next to
the country school-house there was an
orchard of apples, owned by very
lame man, who, though there were ap.
pies in the place perpetually decaying,
and by scores and scores of bushels,
never would allow any of us to touch
the fruit. One day, in the sinfulness of
nature inherited from our first parents,
who we're ruined by the same tempta-
tiOn, some of US invaded that orchard
but soon retTeated, for the man came
after us at a speed reckless of making
his lameneS5 worse, and cried out:
"Boys, drop those apples, or I'll set the
dogs on yOu." Well, my friends, there
are Christian men who have the Church
under severe guard. There Is fruit in
this orchard for the whole world; but
they have rough, unsympathetic way
of accOsting outsiders, as though they
had no business here, though the Lord
wants them to come all, and take the
largest and ripest fruit on the premises.
Have you an idea that because you were
baptized at thirteen months of age, and
because you have all your life been un-
der hallOwed influences, that therefore
you have a right to one whole side Of
the Lords table, spreading yourself out
and taking up the entire room? tell
YOU no. You will have to haul in your
I oh TNlo off har diHo
of you those whom you never expected
to see there; for, as Christ said to the
Jews long ago, so He says to you and to
me: "Other sheep have which are not
of this fold"
Macdonald, the Scotchman, has four
OF five dozen head of sheep. Some of
them are browsing on the heather, some
of them are lying down. under the trees.
some of them are in his yard. They are
scattered around in eight or ten differ
ent places. Cameron, his neighbOr,
comes over and says: 81 see you have
thirty sheep; / have lust counted them."
NO." says Macdonald, 81 have a great
many more sheep than that. Some are
here and some are elsewhere. They are
scattered all around about. l have four
OF five thousand in my fOcks. Other
sheep have which are not in this fOld.'"
So Christ says to US: Here is a knot of
Christians, and there is knot of Chris
tians, but they make up small part of
the flock. Here is the Episcopal fold,
the Methodist fold, the Lutheran fold,
the Congregational fold, the Presbyteri-
an fold, the Baptist and the PedObaptist
fold, the only difference between these
last two being the mode of sheep-wash-
ing; and 80 they are scattered all over;
and we come with our statistics and say
there are so many thousands of the
Lords sheep. But Christ responds: "NO,
no; you have not seen more than one out
of q thousand Of my flOcks. They are
scattered all over the earth. Other sheep
l have which are not of this fold"
Christ, in my text, was prophesyinV the
conversion of the Gentiles with as much
confidence as though they were already
converted, and He is, in the words Of my
text, prOphesying the coming of great
multitude of outsiders that you never
supposed would come in, saying to you
and saying to me: "Other sheep / have
which are not Of this fold"
In the first place, remark that the
Heavenly Shepherd will find many of
His sheep mid the non-ehurch-gOers.
There are congregations where they are
all Christians-they seem to be COM
pletely finished, and they remind one of
the skeleton leaves which, by chemical
preparation, have had all the greenness
and Verdure taken off of them, and are
left cold and white and delicate, moth
ing wanting but glass case to put
over them. The minister of Christ has
nothing to do with such Christians but
to come once a week and with ostrich
feather brush off the accumulation of
the last six days, leaving them bright
and crystalline as before. But the other
kind of church is an armOry, with
perpetual sound of drum and fife, gath
ering recruits for the Lord of hosts.
n NJ
want to be on Gods side, the safe side,
the happy side? If so, come into the
armOry and get equipped. Here is
bath in which to be cleansed. Here are
sandals to put upon your feet. Here is
helmet for your brow. Here is breast
plate for your heart. Here is sword
for your right arm. YOnder is the battle
field. Quit yourselves like men," There
are some who say 81 stopped going to
church ten or twenty years ago." My
brother, is it not strange that you should
be the first man / should talk to? l
know all your case. L know 1t very
well. You have not been accustomed to
come into the house of God, but have
a surprising announcement to make to
you; You are going to become on one OF the
Lords sheep. "AhP' you say, lit Is i'm
possible. You don't know how far 1 am
from anything of that kind" 1 know
all about 1t. l have wandered up and
down the world, and understand your
case. L have a still more startling an
nouncement to make to you: You are
not only going to become one of the
Lords sheep, but you will become one
Immediately. People of God, pray for
that man! l shall not break off so much
as a crumb for you Christians in this
sermon, for l am going to give it all to
the outsiders. "0ther sheep have which
are not of this fold"
Many years ago, when the Atlantic
went to pieces on Mars Rock, and the
people clambered upon the beach, there
was heroic minister of the Gospel who
aided in saving the wrecked. He did
not sit down and take care of the men
on the beach, wrapping them in flannels
aud kindling fire for them and seeing
that they got plenty Of food. He knew
that there were others who would do
that. He said: "YOnder are men and wo
men frepZinQ in the ripOiDO of that