Connecticut western news., 1895-02-14
CALL TO OUTSIDERS.
SERMON By DR. TAlMAGE AT THE NEW YORK AcADsMY OF MUSIC.

NEW YORK AcADsMY OF MUSIC. m. Dog In the M~nger Spirit Sheep That Are In Strange Folds-Peopie Who Arc Gospel Hardened The Cry For
 Help.
 NEw YORK, Feb 10.-Three thousand persons were turned away from the Academy of Music this afternoon, be- ing unable to gain admission. A few minutes after the doors were opened the auditorium and galleries were densely crowded. Roy. Dr. Talmase's sermon for the dry was "A Call to Outsiders. the text clSsen being John \, Is, 10th ar sheep l 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 ourselves 1t is not Q kings park at which we look through the barred gate way, wishing that wo might go in and see the deer and the statuary and pluck the flowers and fruits in the royal con- servatory. No It is the Fathers or chard, and everywhere there are bars that we may let down aud gates that we may swinG. open.
 In my '1 hood next to the country schoolhouse there was an orchard of ap pies, owned by very lame man, who, although there were apples in tho 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 a nature inherited from our first parents, " ho were ruined by the same temptation, some of us in vaded that orchard, but soon retreated, tor the man came after us at a speed reckless os making his lameness worse and cried out. Boys, drop those ap- ples, or I'll set tho dog on you"
 In Strange Company.
 We'll, 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 a rough and unsympathetio way of accosting outsiders, as though they had no busi- ness here, though the Lord wants them all to come and take the largest and ripest fruit on the premises Have you an idea, because you were baptized aG l3 months of age, and because you have all your life been under 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? I tell you no You will have to haul in your elbows, for shall place on either side of you those whom you never expected would sit there, for, as Christ said to his favored people long ago, so he says to you and to mo. "Other sheep l have which are no- of this fold. '"
 Macdonald. tho Scotchman, has four or five dozen head of sheep Somo of them are browsing on the heather; some of them arc lying down under tho trees; some of them arc in his yartl-they arc scattered around in eight or ten differ ent places. Cameron, his neighbor. comes over and says: ''I see you have 80 sheep have just counted them. No, says Macdonald, II have great many more sheep than that. Some are here, and some are elsewhere. They are scattered all around about. I have 4, GOO or LOGO ill my focks. Other sheep l have which are not in this fold.
 SoChrist says to us. Here is a knot of Christians, and there is a knot of Christians, but they make up small part of the flock. Here is the Episcopal fold, the Methodist fold, the Luther an fold, the Congregational fold, the Presbyterian fold, the Baptist and the Pedo- Baptist fold, tho only differ ence between these lust two being tho mode of sheep washing, and so they are scattered all over, and we come with our statistics and say there are so many thousands of the Lord s sheep, but Christ responds. "No. no. You have not seen moro than one out of l 1000 of my flock. They are scattered all over the earth. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold 7"
 Christ in my text was prophesying the conversion of the gentiles with as much confidence as though they were already converted, and he is now. in the words of my text, prophesying the coming of o. 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.
 Stray Sheep.
 In the first place, I remark that the heavenly shepherd will find many of his sheep among the nonchurchgoers. There are congregations where they are all Christians, and they seem to be con- pletely finished, and they remind one of the skeleton leaves which by chemical preparation have had all the greenness and verdure taken of them and are left cold and white and delicate, nothing wanting but glass case to put over tIiem The minister of Christ has noth- ing to do with such Christians but to come once a week and with ostrich feather dust off. the accumulation of the last six days, leaving them brigl and crystalline as before. But the other kind of church is an armory, with perpetual sound of drum and fife, gath rring recruits for the Lord of Hosts. We tay to every applicants: Do you want ID be on Gods side-the safe side and the happy side? If so, come in the ar mory and get equipped. Here is bath in which to be cleansed- Here arc san dals to put upon your feet. Here is Q helmet for your brow. Here is breast plate for your heart. Hero is sword for your right arm, and yonder is the battlefield Omit yourselves like men. :"
 There are some here who say, 1T stopped going to church 10 or 20 years ago" My brother. is it not strange that you should be the first man l should talk to today? l know all your case. know it very well. You have not been accustomed to come into religious as- semblage. but I have a surprising an- nounoenent to riake to you-you are going to become one of the Lord s sheep. "Ah, you say, it is impos- sible. You don't know how far 1 am from anything of that kind" l know all about it. I have wandered up and down the world, and 1 understand your case. l have still more startling an