The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-08-13
PULPIT UTTERANCES.
rolERs IN cHRIsTs VINEYARD.
Rev. DR.. t. De witt Talmage's Sunday
Sermon in the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

There is in Joppa, a seaport town,
woman with her needle embroidering her
name ineffaceably into the charities OF the
world. l see her sitting in the village
home. In the doorway and around about
the building and in the room where she
sits are the pale faces Of the poor. She
listens to their plant, she pities their woe,
she makes garments for them, she adjusts
the manufactured articles to suit the bent |
form OF this invalid woman and to the
cripple that comes crawling on his hands
and knees, shel gives a coat to this one,
she gives sandals to that one. With the
gifts she mingles prayers and tears and |
Christian encouragement Then she goes
out to be greeted on the street corners by
those whom she has blessed, and all
through the street the cry comes "Dorcas
Is comingp The sick look up gratefully
in her face as she puts her hand on the
burning brow, and the lost and the aban.
doned start up with hope as they hear her
gentle voice, as though an angel had ad'
dressed them; aud as she goes out the lane
eyes half put out with sin think they see
halo Of light about her brow and q trail
OF glory in her pathway. That night a
half-paid shipwright climbs the hill and
reaches home and sees his little boy well
clad, and says: "Where did these clothes
come fromp And they tell him "Dorcas
has been here"
In another place woman is trimming
a lamp; Dorcas brought the oil. In
another. place a family that had not been
at table for many a week are gathered
now, for Dorcas has brought bread. But
there Is a sudden pause in that woman's
ministry. They say: "Where is DorcasW
Nay, we haven't seen her for many day.
Where is Dorcas~ And one of these poor
people goes up and knocks at the door and
finds the mystery solved. All through the
haunts Of wretchedness the news comes
"Dorcas is sickl" No bulletin flashing
from the palace gate telling the stages OF
a Kings disease is more anxiously await.
ed for than the news OF this sick bene-
factress. Alas, for Joppal There is wall.
ing, wailing. That voice which has ut
tered so many cheerful words is hushed;
that hand which has made so many gar.
ments for the poor is cold and still; that
star which had poured light into tho mid.
night Of wretchedness is dimmed by the
binding mists that 60 up from the river
Of death. In every godforsaken place in
town; wherever there is a sick child and
no balm; wherever there is hunger
and no bread; wherever there is a
broken heart and no comfort, there
are despHiring looks and streaming
eyes and frantic gesticulations as they
cry: "Dorcas is deadw They send for
the Apostle Peter. He urges his way
through the crowd around the door and
stands in the presence of the dead. What
expostulation and grief all about himl
Here stand some Of the poor people who
show the garments which the poor woman
had made for them. Their grief can not
be appeased. The Apostle Peter wants to
perform a miracle. He will not do it
amidst the excited crowd, so he kindly
orders that the whole room be cleared.
The door is shut against the populace.
The Apostle stands now with the dead.
Oh, IL is a serious moment, you know,
when you are alone with lifeless body !
The Apostle gets down on his knees and
prays, and then he comes TO the lifeless
form Of this one all ready for the sepul.
cher, and In the strength of Him who Is
the resurrection he exclains; "Tabitha,
arise!p There is stir in the fountains Of
life; the heart futters; the nerves thrill;
the chest flushes; the eyes open she sits up
We see in this subject Dorcas the dis.
ciple, Dorcas the benofactress, Dorcas the
lamented, Dorcas tho resurre cted.
II / had not seen that word disciple /
would have known this woman was q
Christian. Such music as that never came
from heart which is not chorded and
strung by divine grace. Before | show
you the needle-work Of this woman
want to show your her rcgenerated heart,
the source Of pure life and of all Chris.
tlan charities. | wish that wives and
mothers and daughters and sisters would
initiate Dorcas in her disciplesAip. Before
you sit with the Sabbath class, before you
cross the threshold Of the hospital, before
you carry pack Of tracts down the street
before you enter upon the temptations and
trials Of the day, charge you in the name
VI pDiA anu ny lhn uiAlpll anu buululL ol
the Judgment day, o women, that you at
tend to the first, last and greatest duty o.
your life-tho seeking for God and being
at peace with Him. Now, by the courtesie,
Of society, you are deferred to, and h,
were less than q man who would not obligt
you with kind attentions; but when th,
trumpet shall sound there will be an up
roar and wreck Of mountain and cont
nent, and no human arm can help you
Amid the rising Of the dead and amid th,
boiling Of the sea and amid the live, leap
ing thunders Of the flying heavens ther,
will be no chance for courtesies. But oil
that day calm and placid will be ever,
woman's heart who hath put her trust Il
Christ; calm, Notwithstanding all the tu
multi, as though the fire in the heaven
were only the glidings Of an autumnal sun
set, as though the peal Of the trumpe
were only the harmony Of an orchestra, a
though the awful voices Of the sky wer
but group Of friends bursting through
gateway at eventime with laughter an
shouting. Dorcas, the disciplel Woul
10 God that every Mary and every Marth
would this day sit down at the feet {
Jesusl
Further, we see Dorcas the benefactres
History has told the story OF the crown
the epic poet has sung Of the sword; th
pastoral poet, with his verses full Of th
redolence of clover tons and a-rustle wit