The Iola register., 1891-01-23
GATHERING LOST SHEEP.
DR.. Talmage Appeals to Those Out
side the Fold
No Monopoly in Religion-DiGerent Ways
of Gathering in Those Outside the Fold
An Appeal to the skeptical-
Christ's Mercy.


x. l6: "0ther sheep have which are no
of this fold" He said:
There is no monopoly in religion. Tht
grace of God is not nice little property
fenced off all for ourselves. 1t is not &
Kings park, at which we look through
a barred gateway, wishing we might &C
in and pluck the flowers and look al
the deer and the statuary. 1t is e
fathers orchard. and there are bars tc
let down and gates TO swing open
In my boyhood days, next TO the
country school house where / went
there was an apple orchard of great
luxuriance. owned by very lame man
who did not gather the apples and they
went to waste by scores of bushels.
Sometimes the lads of the school in the
sinfulness of nature inherited from
cur first parents who fell through the
same temptation, would climb over
the fence and take some of
these apples, and notwithstanding
the fact that there was a sur
plus, and all going to waste, the
owner of that orchard, reckless of
making his lameness worse, would take
after these lads and shout: Boys, drop
those apples, or I'll set the dog on youl''
Now there are Christians who have
severe guard over the church of God.
They have a rough and unsympathetic
way of treating outsiders. 1t is a great
orchard into which God would like to
have all the people come and take the
richest and the ripest fruits, and the
III a. -
But there are those who stand with a
hard and severe nature guarding the
church of God, and all the time afraid
that some one will get these apples
when they really ought not to have
them.
Have you any idea that, because you
were baptized at eight months of age,
and because you have all your life been
surrounded by hallowed influences, you
have right to one whole side of the
Lords table, spreading yourself out so
nobody else can sit there? You will
have to haul in your elbows, for there
will come great multitude TO sit at
the table, and on both sides of you.
You are not going to have this monopo-
ly of religion ''Other sheep have l
which are not of this fold"
Mcdonald. the Scotchman. has on the
Scotch hills great flock of sheep. Nc
Donald has 1000 or 5000 head OF sheep.
Some are browsing in the heather,
some are on the hills, some are in the
valleys. few are in the yard. One
day Cameron comes over to Mcdonald
and says: Mcdonald. you have thirty
sheep: l have been counting them"
20, no. says Mcdonald, Il have 1000
or 5000" "Ah,' says Cameron. you
are mistaken: have Just counted them;
there are thirty" Why" says Nc
Donald, do you suppose that is all the
sheep have? have sheep on the dis
tant hills and in the valleys, ranging
and roaming everywhere. Other sheep
have which are not OF this fold"
So Christ comes. Here is group of
Christians, and there is a group of
Christians: here is a Methodist fold.
here is a Presbyterian fold, here is a
Baptist fold. here is a Lutheran fold,
and we make our annual statistics. and
we think we can tell you Just how
MANY Christians there are in the world,
how many there are in the Church, how
many OF all these denominations. We
aggregate them. and we think we are
giving an intelligent and an accurate
account, but Christ comes and He SAYS:
You have not counted them right.
There are those whom You have never
seen. have my children in all parts
OF the earth, on all the islands of the
sea. on all the continents. in all the
mountains and in all the valleys. Do
you think that these few sheep you
have counted are all the sheep have?
There is great multitude that 10 man
can number. Other sheep have which
are not of this fold"
Christ, in my text, talks of the con-
version of the Gentiies as confidently as
though they had already been convert
ed. He sets forth the idea that His peo-
pie will come from all parts of the earth,
from all circumstances. from all coRdi-
tons. '10ther sheep have l which are
not of this fold
In the first place. remark. the Heav-
enly Shepherd will find many of his
sheep among those who are at present
non-church-goers. There are different
kinds of churches. Sometimes you will
find a church made up only OF Chris
tians. Every thing seems finished. The
church reminds you of those skeleton
plants from which by chemical prepara-
ton all the greenness and the verdure
have been taken, and they are cold, and
white, and delicate, and beautiful, and
finished. All that is wanted is a glass
case put over them. The minister on
the Sabbath has only to take an ostrich
feather and brush off the dust that has
accumulated in the last six days of busi-
ness, and then they are as cold and
beautiful and delicate as before. Every
thing is finished; finished sermons, fin
ished music, finished architecture. fin
ished every thing.
Another church is like an armory. the
sound of drum and fife calling more re-
fruits to the Lords army. We say to
the applicants: Come in in and get
your equipment Here is the bath in
which you are to be cleansed, here Is
the helmet You are to put on your head,
here are the sandals You are to put on
your feet here is the breast-plate YOU
are to put over your heart here is the
sword you are to take in your right
hand and fight His battle with. Quit
yourselves like men"
go furtirr and make another an
nouncement in regard to you. and that
IS. you are not only to become the
Lords sheep but you are going to be-
come the Lords sheep this hour. God
Is going to call you graciously by His
spirit; you are going TO come into the
fold OF Christ This sermon shall not
be so much for those who are Christians
have preached TO them hundreds and