The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-01
DOOR OPEN FOR ALL
THERE IS NO MONOPOLY IN THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGION.


DR.. TaImase's Timely on
the Occasion of the Twentieth An-
niversary of the Bovery Mission In
New York.
New YORK, Jan. 20.-On the occasion
of the twentieth anniversary of the Bow
cry mission, Jan. 13, DIR. Talmage preach
ed to a vast audience at the New York
Academy Of Music. Ministers Of all de-
nominations were present. The text was
John x, 16, ''Other sheep / have which
are not of this fold"
There is no monopoly in religion. The
grace of God is not q little property that
we may fence off and have all to our
selves. 1t is not q kings park, at which
we look through q barred gateway, wish
ing that we might go in and see the statu-
airy and the deer and the royal conserya-
tory. No; it is a 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
schoolhouse there was an orchard of ap-
pies owned by a very lame man, who, al
though there were apples in the place
perpetually decaying and by scores and
G%OlGS VA Ou6hClor hGFNA "OeAA NSO ~.s
OF us to touch the fruit. Sometimes the
lads Of the school in the sinfulness Of a
nature inherited from our first parents,
who were ruined by the same temptation,
Invaded that orchard, but they soon re-
treated, for the man came after them at
q speed reckless of making his lameness
worse inc cried out, Boys, drop those
apples, or I will 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
the whole world, but they have a rough
and unsympathetic way Of accosting out
siders, as though they had nc business
there, though the Lord ant all to come
and take the choicest and the ripest
fruit on the premises. Have you an idea
that because you were baptized at 8
months Of age and because you have all
your life been under hallowed influences
you therefore have a right to one whole
side of the Lords table, spreading your
self out and taking up the entire room?
i tell you no. You will have to a In
you elbows. for we will place on either
side Of you those whom you never ex-
pected would sit there, for, as Christ
said to his people long ago, SO he says
to you and to me-, "Other sheep / have
which are not Of this fold"
Sheep of Many Folds.
Mcdonald, the Scotchman, has thou
sands of head of sheep. Some of them
are browsing on the heather, some Of
them are lying down under the trees,
some are s~trolling over the mountains,
some of them are in his yard. They are
scattered all around in many places.
Cameron, his n%eighbor. comes over and
says: II see you have SO sheep. / have
Just counted them" No" says Nc
Donald, 81 have a great many more
sheep than You found in this yard. Some
are here, and some are elsewhere. j
have 1000 or 5000 in my flocks. Other
sheep / have which are not of this fold q"
So Christ says to us. Here is n knot of
Christians and there q knot of Chris
tiaDs, but they make up q small part of
the flock. Here is the Episcopal fold, the
Methodist fold. the Lutheran fold, the
Congregational fold, the Presbyterian
fold, the Baptist and the Pedo-Baptist
fold, the only difference between these
last two being the way in which they
wash the sheep, and so they are scat
tered all over. And we come with our
statistics and say there are so many
thousand of the Lords sheep. but Christ
responds: mo, no; you lave not seen
" AAuA OHS OaN vi q VI NY
flock. They are scattered all over the
earth. Other sheep l have which are
not of this foid.'"
OF all the merciful institutions which
bless this city not one more thoroughly
enters into the spirit of the text than does
the Bowery mission, whose twentieth an
niversary we today celebrate. During the
past year 5000 souls have been saved
through its fundamentally, and during
its existence it has put its temporal and
spiritual benediction upon hundreds OF
thousands Of the poor and suffering and
lost. With the bread Of this life in one
hand and the bread Of eternal life in the
other it is doing a ~stupendous work, and
to all of its patrons Christ is saying: 81
was hungry, and We fed me, naked, and
We clothed me, sick and in prison, and We
visited me. Inasmuch as ye did il unto
me. one of the least of these, We did it to
me-" 1t is through this gospel that New
York Is to be taken for God. and America
for God, end the world for God. There
are two classes 81 hearers in this audience
whom I especially address. the friends OF
this institution who have come out &c
show their interest in the work. and the
other class is made up of those who are
astray, bat want To get back. have fallen
but want 20 rise.
BrOade sympathy Required.
We need as churches to get into sym
patty with the great outside world and
let them know that none arc so broken
hearted or hard bcSct that thty will not
be welcomed. No" says some faStidious
Christian, ~ do not like to bc crowded in
church. Do not put any one in my pew
My brother. what will you DO in heaven
when n great multitude that no man can
number assemblies? They will put 80 in
your pew. What are the people Assem-,
bled in Christian churches compared with
the mighti"r millions outside? Some
churches are like a hospital. that should
---~~ tngr Its patients n4a. nave
nothing worse han toothache or run
rounds. but no broken heads. no crushed
ankles or fractured limbs. Bring there for
treatment moderate sinners, velvet coated
sinners and sinners with a gloss on. 1t is
as if a man had q farm of 5000 acres
and put all his work on one acre. he