Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-01-16
10 YOU ATTEND CHURCH ?
If NOT, DIR. TALMAGE breaches
THIS SERMON FOR YOU.
Why Some People Reject Christian
ity.-Gospel-Hardcn Sinners the
Most Difficult 10 Convert.-The
Heavenly Shepherd and His sheep

BkoOkLfS, N. L., Jan. ll.-Inc 1ollcW-
ing powerful sermon to non-church goers
was delivered by Dr. Talmage this morning
In the Academy of Music in this city, and
again in the evening in the New York
Academy of Music. At the latter service
the new choir of two hundred voices most
effectively led the musical exercises. Dr.
Talmage's text was John 10, 16: "Other
sheep have which are not Of this fold"
There is no monopoly in religion. The
grace OF God is not nice little property
fenced off all for ourselves. 1t is not a
kings park, at which we look through a
barred gateway, wishing we might go in
and pluck the flowers and look ut the deer
and the statury. 1t is a fathers orchard,
and there are bars 10 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 natm inher-
tied from our first parents who fell through
the same temptation, would climb over the
Notwithstanding the fact that there was a
surplus, and all going to waste, the owner
OF that orchard, reckless of making his
lamencss 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 keep severe guard over
the Church of God. They have a rough
and unsympathetic way Of treating outsid-
ers. 1t is great orchard into which God
would like TO have al the people come and
take the richest and the ripest fruit, and
the more they take the better he likes it.
But there are those who stand with Il hard
and severe nature guarding the Church of
God, and all the time afraid that some will
get these apples when they really ought not
10 have them.
Have you any idea that, because you
Were baptized at eight months of age, and
because you have all your life been sur
rounded by hallowed influences, you have
right 10 one wi ole side of the Lords table.
spreading yourself out so nobody else can
sit there? You win have TO haul in your
elbows, for there will come great multi
tude to sit at the table. and ON both sides
of you. You are not going to have this
monopoly OF religion. "Other sheep have
! which are not Of this fold"
Christ, in my text, talks Of the CONVEX
sion Of the Gentiles as confidently as
though they had already been converted.
He sets forth the idea that his people will
come from all parts of the earth, from all
ages, from all circumstances. from all con-
ditions. ''Other sheep have / which are
not of this fold"
In the first place, remark, the
Heavenly Shepherd will find many OF his
sheep among those VINO are at present
non-church-gocrs. There are different
kinds of churches. Sometimes you will
find church made UP only of Christians.
Everything seems finished. The church
reminds you of those skeleton plants from
which, by chemical preparation, all the
greenncss 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
of the dust that has accumulated in the
last six days OF business, and then they
are as cold and beautiful and delicate as
before. Everything is finished; finished
sermons, finish ID music. finished archi-
lecture, finished everything.
There are those here perhaps, who say,
at is now ten, fifteen years since was in
the habit, the regular habit, of church.
going" l know all about your case. am
going TO tell you something that will be
startling at the first, and that is, that you
arc going to become the Lords sheep.
oh" you say, that is impossible; you
don't know my case; you don't know how
far am from anything of that kind"
know all about your case. have been up
and down the world / know why some
of YOU do not attend upon Christian SER
vices.
l go further, and make another
announcement in regard to you, and that
is, you are not only TO become the Lords
sheep, but you are going TO become 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 DO so much for those who
are Christians. | have preached to them
hundreds and thousands Of times. The
sermon that preach now is going to be
chiefly for those who consider themselves
outsiders, but who may happen to be in the
house. and the chief employment OF the
Christian people here today will be to pray
for those who are not accustomed 10 attend
upon Chr stan sanctuares.
You are now this hour in the tide of
Christian influences. You are going to be
swept in; your voice is going to be heard
in prayer; you arc going to be consecrated
to God; you are going TO live life of use
'fulness, and your death-bed is going to be
surrounded by Christian sympathizers; and
devout men will carry you to your burial
when your work Is DONE and these words
will be chiselled for your epitaph: Pre-
cious in the sight of the Lord is the death
of his saintG." And all that history is going
to begin today. ''Other sheep have which
are not of this fold.-
Again l remark, the Heavenly Shepherd
is going to find many of his sheep among
those who are now reiecters of Christianity.
do not know how you came TO reject
Christianity. l do not know whether it
was through hearing Theodore Parker
preach, or whether it was reading Remains
Life of Jesus. or whether it was through
some sceptic in the store or factory. Or
1t may be-probably is the case--that you
were disguised with religion and Disguised
with Christianity because some man who
professed TO be a Christian defrauded you.
and he being member Of the Church. and