The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-09-21
DR., TALMAGB'S SERMON
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

preached at the Hamptons, Long Island]
Text: "Other sheep I have, which are not
OF this fold. John x, IL.
There is no monopoly in religion. The
grace of God is not a little property that we
may fence Off and have all to ourselves. It
Is not a kings park, at which we look
through a barred gateway, wishing that We
might go in and 500 the deer and the statu-
airy and pluck the flowers ind the fruits in
the royal conservatory. No; it is the Fa-
theirs orchard and everywhere there arc bars
that we may let down and gates we may
swing open.
In my boyhood, next to the country school
house, there was an orchard of apples. owned
by n very lame man. who, although there
were apples in the place perpetually decaying
by scores and scores Of bushels, never
would allow any of us to touch the fruit. One
day, in the sintulness Of a nature inherited
from our first parents, who were ruined by
the same temptation some Of us invaded that
orchard, but soon retreated, for the MAJ: came
after us at a speed reckless of making his
lameness worse, and cried out: Boys. drop
those apples, or I'll set the dog on you"
Well, my friends, there are Christian men
who have the church under severe guard.
There is fruit in this orchard for tho whole
world, but thoy have a rough and unsympa-
thetic way Of accosting outsiders, as though
they had no business here, though the Lord
wants them oil t. come and take the largest
and the 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 under hallowed inAu-
ences, that therefore, you have a right to one
whole side of the Lords table, Spreading
yourself out and taking up the entire rooml
1 tell you no. You will have to haul in your
elbows, for I shall to-day place on either side
OF you those whom you never expected would
sit there; for, as Christ said to the Jews long
ago, SO he says to you and me: ''Other sheep
l have, which are not OF this fold"
Macdonald, the Scotchnan, has four or
five dozen head of sheep Some OF them are
browsing on the heather, some OF them are
lying down under tho trees, some Of them
are ia bis yard; they AFRO scattered around
in eight or ten different places. Cameron,
MS lselghoor, comes over, aud says: Il see
gems Sea nave " tS1rsy s sneep M,e ! hnve just st counted Su mt d
great many more shce than that. Some
are here, and some are elsewhere. They are
scattered all around about. I have 1900 or
S S,e" 1a in m my yb iof ks, Other sheep I have which
So Christ says to us: Here is a knot of
Christians and there is a knot of Christians,
but they make upa small part of the flock.
Here IS the Episcopal fold, the Methodist
fold, the Presbyterian fold, the Baptist and
the Pedo- Baptist old-the only difference
between these last two being the mode of
sheep-washing and so they are scattered all
over, and we come with our statistics, and
say there are so many thousand of tho Lords
sheep; but Christ responds: No, no: YOU
have not seen more than one out of u thous-
and Of my flock. They are scattered all over
are not of this.f old.'"
Christ in my text was prophesying the
conversion of'the Gentiles with as much con-
hdence as though they were already con-
verified, and he is to-day, in the words of my
text: prophesying the coming of a great null
'tltude o. 'outsiders that you never supposed
would come in, saying to you and saying to
me: "OtLer sheep 1 have, which are not Of
l. In the first place, 1 remark that the
Heavenly Shepherd will find many of his
sheep amid the non-churchgoerS. There are
congregations where they nre oil Christians,
and they seem to be completely finished, and
they remind one of the skeleton leaves which,
by preparation, have had all the
greenness and verdure taken Or of them,
and are left cold and white and delicate,
nothing wanting but q glass case to put over
them. The minister Of Christ has nothing to
do with such Christians but to come once a
'weekIand with ostrich feather dust off the
accumuiation Of the last six days, leaving
the other kind of a church is an armory with
perpetual sound OF drum and fife, gathering
recruits for the Lord of Hosts. We say to
every applicant: DC you want to be on
Gods side, the safe side and the happy side ?
II SO, come to the arlnory and get equipped
Here lsa bath in which to get cleansod. Here
Is helmet for your brow; Here is a breast
your right arm, and ycnder is the battlefield.
Quit yourselves like men,"
!hereiare some here who say: 81 stopped
going to church ten or twenty years ago"
NY brother, is it not strange that you should
be the first man l should talk to to day3
know all your case; I know it very well.
You have not been accustomed to come into
"a religious assembly, but I have a surprising
announcement nc maeantto make to you. You are
.Oh!t;you say:' 4tit is impossible; you don't
know bow far Lam from anything of hat
kind;" know all about it have wan
dered up and down the world and I under
:stand'your case. / have a still more start
ling announcement to make in regard to you.
You are not only going to become one OF the
LORDS sheep, but you will become one to-
Day: You will gofrom this service to talk
'Wlth some one about your soul. People of
GOD, pray for that man. '.Other sheep I
have, which are not Of this fold"
When,the Atlastic went to pieces on Mars
hock and the people clambered up on the
beach, Why did not that heroic minister of
the gospel, of whom we have all read, sit
down and take care OF those men on the
beach, wrapping them in t~,anne's, kindling
snres ior.then seeing that they got plenty a
who would do thatl He says: "Yonder are
men and women freezing in the rigging of
b a wreck. Boys, launch the boat"0 And
now l see the oar blades bend under the
,ging a woman is frozen and dead. She
was washed off, poor. thing! But he says:
There Is a manic save" and he cries olt:
Hold On five minutes longer and 1 will
save you. STEADY! Steady! Give me
your hand Leap into the lifeboat.
Thank GOO. he lis saved" So there
are those here to-day .who are safe on the
some who ara freezing in the rigging of sin.
and surrounded by perilous storms. Pull
away, my ladsl Let ussreach them. Alas,
one Is washed off and gone! There is one
more to be saved. Let us push out for that
one. Clutch the rope, 9 dying man |! Clutch
IT with q death glip. Steady, now, on the
slippery places. Steady! There! Saved!
Saved" just as l thought. For Christ has