Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-02
TALMAGE IN JOPPA.
The Brooklyn Divine breaches on
the Nobility of DOrcas, at
THE home OF SEWING CIRCLES.
Wonderful Charities Associated With
EeedleWOrk in History.
INTERESTING INCIDENTS RECALLED.
ESPECIAL TO TIE prspArcH.,

JoPPA, December To-day is memor-
able in the sacred history of Joppa, the
Rev. I. De Witt Talmage, d. D., preach
ing here to a company of Christian people
of various denominations on "The Birth
place of Sewing Societies. He took fol-
his text Acts tx, 80: And all the widows
stood by him weeping, and showing the
coats and garments which Doreas made
while she was with them" The preacher
said:
Christians of Joppa! Impressed as 1 am
with your mosque, the first 1 ever saw, and
stirred as 1 am with the fact that your har-
Dor once foated the great RATS of Lebanon
cedar from which the temples at Jerusalem
were builded, Solomon's 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 all succeeding ages
IN all lands. The disasters to your town
when Judas Maccabaus set it on fire, and
Napoleon had 500 prisoners massacred In
your neighborhood, cannot make me forget
that one OF the most magnificent charities of
the centuries was started in this seaport by
ering her name ineffaceably into the ben
efcence of the world. see her sitting in
wonder 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 plties their woe
she makes garments for them, she adjusts
the manufactured articles to suit the bent
form of this invalid woman, and to the Grip
pie that comes crawling on his hands and
knees.
DoBCAs' BEEEFACTIoNs.
She gives a coat to this one, she gives
sandals to that one. With the gifts she
mingles prayers and Christian encourage
ment. 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 comingl' The sick
look up gracefully 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 a halo of light about her
brow, and a trail of glory in her path Rav
That night half paid shipwright climbs
the hill and reaches home, and sees his
little boy well clad, and says: "Where did
these clothes come from?" And they tell
him, 'Dorcas has been here" In another
place a woman is trimming a lamp; Dorcas
bought the oil. In another place, family
that had not been at table for many q week
are gathered now, for Dorcas has brought
bread.
But there is a sudden pause in that wom-
ans ministry. They say: "Where is Dor
cas-? Why, we haven't seen her for MANY a
day. Where is Dorcas? And one of these
poor people goes up and knocks at the door
uFc har A
the haunts of wretchedness, the news comes,
"Dorcas is sickr' No bulletin flashing
from the palace gate. telling the stages of
kings disease, is more anxiously awaited
for than the news from this sick benefac-
tress. Alas! for Joppal there is wailing,
wailing. That voice which has uttered SO
many cheerful words is husled; that hand
which has made so many garments for the
poor is
COLD AND STILL;
The star which had poured,light into the mid
night 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 a sick child and no
balm; wherever there is hunger and no
bread; wherever there is guilt and no
commiseration; wherever there is a broken
heart and no comfort, there are despairing
looks and streaming eyes, and frantic ges-
ticulations as they cry: "Dorcas is
deadp' They send for the Apostle Peter,
who happened 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 the poor people, who show the garments
which this poor woman had made for them.
Their grief cannot be appeased. The Apos-
tie Peter wants to perform a miracle. He
will not do it amid 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
a serious moment, you know, when you are
alone with lifeless body! The apostle gets
down op 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 theresurrection he exclaimed:
''Tabitha, ariSer' There is a stir in the
fountains of life; the heart futters; the
nerves thrill; the cheek fushes; the eve
opens; she sits upl
We see IN this subject Doreas the disciple;
Dorcas the beneiaetress; Dorcas the
lamented; Dorcas the resurrected.
GOOD, REGARDLESS OF TITLE.
If had not seen that word disciple in nv
text, would have known this woman was
Christian. Such music as that never came
from a heart which is not chorded and
strung by divine grace. Before show you
the needlework of this woman, 1 want to
show you her regenerated heart, the source
of pure life and OF all Christian charities.
I wish that the wives and mothers and
daughters and sisters of all the earth would
initiate Dorcas in her discipleship. Before
you cross the threshold of the hospital. be-
fore you enter upon the temptations and
trials of tomorrow, 1 charge you, in the
name of God, and bv the turmoil and
tumult of the judgment day, oh.
women! that you attend to the first
last and greatest duty of your life
the 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, and no human arm can help
you. Amid the rising of the dead, and
amid the boiling of yonder sea, and amid
the live, leaping thunders of the flying
heavens, calm and placid will be every
woman's heart who hath put her trust in
Christ; calm, notwithstanding all the tumult,
as though the fire in the heavens were only
the gildings of an autumnal sunset, as
though the peal of the trumpet were only
the harmony of an orchestra, as though the
awful voices of the sky were but group Of
friends bursting through gateway at even
time with laughter, and shouting "Dorcas,
the disciple % Would God that every Mary
and every Martha would this day SIT down
at the feet OF Jesus
NEEDLE WORK AND NOBILITY.
Further, we see Dorcas the benefactress.
History has told the story of the crown; the |
epic poet has sung Of the sword; the pastoral |
poet with his verses full of the redolence of |
H.