The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-12-05

hy-Whst 1t Is and What 1t Means.
JoPPA, Dec. To-day is mem orable
in the sacred history of Joppa, the
Rev. I. De Witt Talmage, b. D..
preaching here to company of
Christian people of various denomina-
hons on "The Birthplace of Sowing So
cieties." He took for his text Acts
ix, 80: "And all the widows stood
by him weeping, and showing the
coats and garments which Dorcas
made while she was with them" The
preacher said:
Christians of Joppal Impressed as
am with your mosque, the first ever
saw, and stirred as / am with the fact
that your harbor once hoated 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 five
hundred prisoners massacred in your
nelghborhood, cannot make me forget
that one of the most magnificent char
tiles OF the centuries was started in
this seaport by Dorcas, a woman with
her needle embroidering her name in
etfaceably into the beneficenee of the
world. / see her sitting in yonder
home. In the doorway, and around
about the building, and in the room
tNuH al. a,f l. 6. 4 1
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. She gives n 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 comingp 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 a halo of light about
her brow, and trail of glory in her
pathway. That night half paid ship
wright 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
lDorcas bought the oil In another
place, family that had not been at
table fer many week are gathered
now, for Dorcas has brought bread.
DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF DORCAs
But there is a sudden pause in that
woman's ministry. They say: "Where
is Dorcas2 Why, we haven't seen her
for many day Where is Dorcasa"
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 sicki'' No bulletin
flashing from the palace gate, telling
the stages of "A kings disease, is more
anxiously awaited for than the news
from this sick benefactress. Alas for
Joppa there is wailing, wailing. That
voice which has uttered so many cheer
full 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 mid
night OF wretchedness is dimmed by
the binding mists that COUP from the
river of death. In every God forsaken
place in this town; wherever there is
sick child and no balm; wherever
there is hunger and no bread wher-
ever there is guilt and no commisera-
ton; wherever there is broken heart
and no comfort, there are despairing
looks and streaming eyes, and frantic
gesticulations as they cry: "Dorcaa is
deadr They send for the apostle
Peter, who happens to be in the sub
'urbs of this place, stopping with tan
ner by the name of Simon. Peter
urges his way through the crowd
around the door, and stands in the
presence of the dead. What expostu-
lation 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 apostle
Peter wants to perform q miracle He
will not do il amidst the excited crowd,
30 he kindly orders that the whole
room be cleared. The door is shut
against the populace. The apostle
stands now with the dead Oh, 1t 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 life
less form of this one all ready for the
sepulcher, and I'm the strength of him
who is the resurrection he exclaims
t'Tabitha, arisep There is a stir in the
fountains of life; the heart flutters
the nerves thrill; the cheek fushes
the eye opens; she sits upl
We see in this subject Dorcas the
disciple; Dorcas the benefactress; Dor
cas- the lamented; Dorcas the resur'
rected.
II had not seen that word disciple
in my text, | would have known this
woman was Christian. Such music
as that never came from q heart which
Is not chorded aud strung by divine
grace. Before / show you the needle
work OF this woman, | want to show
you her regenerated heart, the source
of pure life and of all Christian char
'thers and daughters and sisters of all
the earth would initiate Dorcas in her
discipleship. Before you cross the
threshold of the hospital, before you
enter upon the temptations and trials
of tomorrow, / charge you, in the
name of God, snd by the turmoil and
tumult of the Judgment day, oh
womenl that you attend to the first,
last and greatest duty Of your life
the seeking for God and being ut peac'
with him. When the trumpet shal
sound, there will be an uproar, and {
wreck of mountain and continent, ant
no human arm can help you
Amidst tho rising of the dead, ant
amidst the boiling OF yonder sea, ant
amidst the live, leapmg thunders o
the flying heavens, calm and placl,
will be every woman's heart who hatl
nut her trust in Christ; calm notwitf
standing all the tumult, rs though IN
fire in the heavens were only the gild
ings Of an autumnal sunset, as thoug
the peal of the trumpet were only TN
harmony of an orchestra, as thougl
The awful voices of the sky were but
group of friends bursting through
gateway ut eventime with laughter
and shouting "Dorcas. the disciple
Would God that every Mary an
every Martha would this day SIT dow
al the feet of Jesus
THE PRAISES or THE NEEDLE.
Further. we see Dorcas the benefa,
tress. History has told the story 9
the crown; the epic poet has sung {