Dodge City times., 1889-12-19
WHERE DORCAS LIVED,
DR. TALMAGE breaches AN ELO.
QUENT SERMON IN JOPPA.
a Moral Drawn from the BaIIowed Asso-
Citations Of the Ancient Ciiy-True Charity
What 1t Is and What 1t Means-Good
Deeds Live Always

What 1t Is and What 1t Means-Goo,
Deeds Live Always
Sunday, the 1st day of December
1859, was rendered memorable in tn
sacred history of Joppa, the Rev. T. D,
Witt Talmage preaching there to a com
pany Of Christian people of various de
nominations ON aThe Birthplace o
Sewing Societies" He took for his tex
Acts IL, 80: And all the widows stoot
BY him weeping, and showing the coat
and garments which Dorcas made Will,
she was with them" The preacher said
Christians of Joppa. Impressed as
am with your mosque, the first eve
saw, and stirred as l am with the fac
that your harbor once foated the grea
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temples at Jerusalem were builded, Solo
mons oxen drawing the logs through
this very town on the way to Jerusalem
nothing can make me forget that this
Joppa was the birthplace OF the sewing
society that has blessed the poor of al
succeeding ages in all lands. The dis
asters to your town when Judas Mac
cabaus set it on fire, and Napoleon had
i've hundred prisoners massacred in
forget that one of the most magnificent
charities of the centuries was started in
this seaport by Dorcas, a woman with
her needle embroidering her name in
eHaceably into the benefcence of the
world. l see her sitting in yonder
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 in
valid woman, and to the cripple that
comes crawling on his hands and knees.
She gives 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 is heard: "Dorcas is
coming!" The sick look up gratefully
In her face as she puts her hand on the
burning brow, and the lost and the
abandoned start up with hope as they
hear her gentle voice, as though an
angel had addressed them; and as she
goes out the lane, eyes half put out
with sin think they see halo of light
about her brow, and trail of glory in
her pathway. That night q half paid
shipwright climbs the hill and reaches
home, and sees his little boy we'll clad,
and says: Where did these clothes
come from?" And they tell him, Dor
cas- has been here" In another place a
woman is trimming lamp; Dorcas
bought the oil. In another place, a
family that had not been at table for
mo g.,
cars has brought bread.
But there is a sudden pause in that
woman's ministry. They say: Where
is Dorcas? Why, 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. Ali throughthe haunts
of wretchedness, the news comes,
'Dorcas is sick" No bulletin flashing
from the palace gate, telling the stages
of kings disease, is more anxiousiy
awaited for than the news from this
sick benefactress. Alas for Joppa!
there is wailing, wailing. That voice
which has uttered SO many cheerful
words is hushed; that hand which had
made SO many garments for the poor is
cold and still; the star which had
poured light into the midnight of
wretchedness is dimmed by the binding
mists that go up from the river Of death.
In every God forsaken place in this
town; wherever there is asick child and
no balm; wherever there is hunger and
no bread; wherever there is guilt and no
wherever there is a
broken heart and no comfort, there are
aespairing looks and streaming eyes,
and frantic gesticulations as they cry:
Dorcas is dead!" They send for the
Apostle Peter, who happens to be in the
suburbs of this place, stopping with
tanner by the name OF Simon. Peter
urges his way through the crowd around
the door, and stands in the presence of
the dead. What expostulatIon and grief
all about him! Here stand some of tine
poor people, who show the garments
which this poor woman had made for
them. Their grief cannot 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,
it is serious moment, you know, when
You are alone with ifeless 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
sepulcher, and in the strength of Him
who is the resurrection he exclaims:
'Tabitha, arise!" There is stir in the
fountains of life: the heart fiutters; the
nerves thrill; the cheek flushes; the eve
opens; she sits upi
We see in this subject Dorcas the dis
:iple; Dorcas the benefactress; Dorcas
he lamented; Dorcas the resurrected.
If had not seen that word disciple
in my text, l would have known this
woman was q Christian Such music rs
that never came from q heart which is
net chorded and strung by divine grace.
Before show you the needle work of
This woman, want to show you her re-
generated heart, the source of pure
life and of all Christian charities. III
wish that the wives and the mothers and
daughters and sisters of all the earth
would initiate Dorcas in her disciple
of the hospital, before you enter upon
[ charge you, in the name of God, and
by the turmoil ana tumult of the judg-
nent day, oh women! that you attend TO |
The first. last and greatest duty of your
seeking for God and being at
peace with Him. When the trumpet
shall sound, there will be an uproar,
and wreck of mountain and continent, |
md no humnn arm can help you. Amidst |
he rising of the dead, and amidst the |
boiling of yonder sea, and amidst the |
live, leaping thunders of the flying |
heavens, calm and placid will be every |
heart who hath put her trust in |
Christ; calm Notwithstanding all the !
.umult, as though the fire in the heav- |
ems we're only the gildings of an autumn |
nal sunset, as though the peal of the |
trumpet we're only the harmony of an |
orchestra, as though the awful voices of |
he sky were but a group of friends
through gateway at eventime |
with laughter, and shouting "Dorcas,
he disciple!" Would to God that every |
Mary and every Martha would this day |
sit down at the feet of Jesus.
Further. We see Dorcas the benefac-
tress. History has told the story of the |
,rown; the epic poet has sung of the
sword; the pastoral poet. with his verses |
FULL of redolence of clover tops, and |
l-rustle with the silk of the corn, has |
sung the praises of the pillow. I tell you |
he praises of the needle. From the