The Forrest City times., 1889-12-07
DR. TALNACE IN JOPPA
The Eminent Brooklyn Preacher Talks on
 the Charities of the Needle.

and Entertains Company of Christian
 People.
 Rev. T. De Witt Taimage reached ancient Joppa in time to preach to an appreci ative company of Christians last Sunday. His subject was; "The Birthplace of Sewing Societies. He took for his text Acts K, 39: And all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and gar mcnts which Dorcas made while she was with them" The preacher said:
 Christians of ,eppa, impressed as am with your mosque, the first ever saw, and stirred as 1 am with the fact that your har- bor once tioated the great rafts of Lebanon cedar from which tho temples at Jerusalem were builded. Solomon's oxen drawing the logs through this very town on the way to Jerusalem, nothing can mako me forget that this Joppa was tho birthplace of the sewing society that has blessed the poor of all succeeding ages in all lands. Tho disasters to your town when Judas Maccabeus set 1t on fire, and Napoleon had five hundred prisoners massacred in your neighborhocd, cannot make me forget that one of the most magnificent charities of tho centuries was started in this seaport by Dorcas, & woman with her needle embroidering her name neffaceably into the bene6cence of the world. l soc her sitting in yonder home In the doorway, and around about the building, and In the room whore she sits, are the pale faces of the poor. She listens to their plaint, sho pitios their woe, she makes garments for them. she adjusts the manufactured arti- cles to suit the bent form of this invalid 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 encourage ment Then she goes out 10 be greeted on the street corners by those whom she has blessed, and all through the street the cry is heard: "Dorcas Is comingr' The sick look up gratefully in her face as she puts her hand on the burning brow, and tho lost and the abandoned start up with hope as they hear her ! gentle voice, as though an angel had adA dressed 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 iu her pathway That night half paid shipwright climbs the hill and reaches home, and secs his litue boy we'll clad, and says: "Where did these clothes como froml" And they tell him. "Dorcas has been here" In another place woman is trimming H lamp; Dorcas bought the oil. In another place. family that had not boen at table for many week are gathered now, for Dorcas has brought bread.
 DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF poRcAs But there is 6 sudden pause in that wo. mans ministry. They say: "Where is Dorcasl Why, we haven't seen her for many day. Where is Dorcasin And one of these poor people goes up and kuecks ts the door and finds the mystery solved. All through 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 anXlously awaited for than tho news from this sick benefactress. Alas for ! Joppa! there is wailing, wailing That voice which uttered so many cheerful words IS hushed; that hand which had 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 rlver of death. In every Gcd forsaken place in this town; wherever there is a sick ehlid and no balm; wherever there Is hunger and no bread; wherever there is guilt and no commiseration : wherever thcre is broken heart and no comfort there are despairing looks streaming eyes, and frantic gesticulatiers as they cry ''Dorcas is deadl' They send for the apostls Peter, who happens to be in the suburbs of this place. stopping with a tanner by the name of simon. Peter urges his way through tho crowd around the door, and stands in the presence of tho dead. What expostulation and grief all about him Hero stand some of the poor people, who show the garments which this poor woman had made for them. Their grief canno, be appeased. The apostle Peter wants to per form miracle. He will not do it amidst tho excited crowd, and he kindly orders that the whole room be cleared. Tho door Is shut against the populace. The apostle stands now with the dead. Oh, 1t is a seri ous moment you know, when you arc alone with lifeless bodyl 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 ''rabitha, ariser' Ihere is stir in tho fountains of life; the heart iintters. the nerves thrill, the cheek husbes, the eye opens, she sits upl
 We see in this subject Dorcas the disci- pie; norcas the benefactress, Dorcas the lamented; Dorcas the resurrected
 If had not seen that word disciple u my text would have known this woman was Christian. Such music as that never came from heart which is not chorded and strung by divine grace Before show you the needlcwork of this woman, want to show you her regenerated heart tn 6 source of pure life and all Christian charities. l wish that the wives and mothers and daughters and sisters of all the earth would initiate Dorcas in her disciple ship. Before you cross the threshold of the hospital, before you enter upon the temptations and trials of tomorrow. charge you, in tho name of God, and by the turmoil and tumult of the judgment day, h women that you attend to tho first. sast and greatest duty of your life-- the seeking for God and being at peace with him. When the trumpet shall sound, there will Do an uproar, and a wreck of mountain and continent, and no human arm can help you. Amidst the rising of the dead, and amidst the boiling of wonder sea, and amidst the live, leaping thunders of the flying heavens, calm and placid will be every woman's heart who hath put her trust in Christi calm notwith. standing all the tumult, as though the Ire in the heavens wero only the giidings Of an autumnal sunset as though tho peal Of the trumpet were only the harmony of an orchestra. as tho awful voices of the sky were but group Of friends bursting through gateway at eventime with laugh ter, and shouting "Dorcas, the discipler' Would God that every Mary md every Martha would this day sit down at the feet of Jesusl
 Further, we sec 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 tho redolence of clover tops, and a-rustle with the silk of the corn. has sung the praises of the blow. 1 tell you the praises of tho needle. From tho iig leaf robe prepared in the garden of Eden to the last stitch taken on the garment for the poor. the needle has wrought wonders of kindness. gener- osity and benefaction. It adorned the girdle of the nigh priest; it fashioned the curtains in the ancient tabernacle; it cushioned the ehariots of King Solomon: 1t provided the robes of Queen Elizabeth; and in hish places and in low places, by tho fire of the pioneer's back log and under the flash of the chandelier, everywhere. 1t has