The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-12-11
TALMAGE AT JOPPA.
He breaches Sermon on sThe
Birthplace of Sewing Societies.
The Work of Dorcas and tho Charities q
the Needle-What tho Woman Did
for the Poor and Their Sorrow
at Her Death.


preached at Jappa recently to com
pany of Christian people of various de-
nominations on ''The Birthplace Of Sew
ing Societies" He took for b:s tex,
Acts tx. SO: "And all the widows stood
By him weeping, and showing the coats
aid garments which Dorcas made while
she was with them" The preacher said
Christians of Joppa! Impressed as !
AIN with your mosque, the first l ever
saw, and stirred as am with the fact
that your harbor once floated the great
RATS of-Leoanoa cedar from which the
temples at Jerusalem were builded, Sol
c:non's oxen drawing the logs through
this very town on the way to Jerusalem,
nothing can make me forget that this
'Io2pa was the birthplace Of the sewing
society that has blessed the poor of all
succeeding ages in all lands. The dis
aS:ers to your town when Judas Mac
"ab:eus set it on fire. and Napoleon mad
i've hundred prisoners massacred in your
noiShborhood, can not make me forget
that one Of the most magnificent chari-
ties OF the centuries was started in this
seaport by Dorcas, a woman with her
needle embroidcring her name inefface-
ably into the beniicence Of the world.
see her sitting in yon der home. In
the doorway. and around about the build
;nr, and in the room where she sits are
the pale faces Of the poor. She listens
to their plant, she pities their woe, Shit
r.akes 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 a cost 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: s'Dorcas is coming" The
sick lool: up gratefully in her face as
she puts her hand on the burning brow,
anil tie lost and the abandoned start up
with hope as they hear her gentle voice,
rs though an angel had addressed them;
and rs she goes out the lane, eyes half
put out with sin think they see halo of
Light about her brow, and a trail Of
s:ory in her pathway. That night
half paid shipwright climbs tho hill and
reaches home, and sees his little boy
we'll clad, and says: ';Whero did these
clothes come from?" And they tell him:
"Dorcas has been here" IN another
pace woman is trimming lamp: Dor
cas- bought the OIL In another place
family that had not been at table for
1.any week are gathered now, for Dor
cas- has brought bread.
But there is 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 these poor people goes up
and knocks at the door and finds the
mystery solved. All through the haunts
OF wretchedness the news comes, dor
cas is sick!" 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 bene-
factress. Alas! for Joppa! there is wall
Ing, wailing. That voice which has at
tered 50 many cheerful words is hushed;
that hand which has made so many gar
mcnts for the poor is cold and still; the
star which had poured light into the
midnight of wretchedness is dinmed by
the binding mist that go up from the
river of death. In every God fcrsaken
place in this town; wherever there is a
sick child and no balm; wherever there
is hunger and no bread; wherever there
is guilt andno commiseration; wherever
there is broken heart and no comfort,
there are despairing looks and stream
ing eyes, and frantic gesticulation as
thoy cry: "Dorcas is dead" They send
for the Apostle Peter, who happens to
be in the suburbs of that place, stopping
with tanner by the name Of Simon.
Peter urges his way through the crowd
around the door, and stands in the pres
ence of the dead. What expostulation
and grief all about him! Here stand some
Of the poor people, who show the gar
ments which this poor woman had made
for them Their grief can not be ap-
peased. The Apostle Peter wants to
perform miracle. He will not do it
amidst the excited crowd, so he kindly
orders the whole room to be cleared.
The door is shut against the populace.
The apostle stands now with the dead.
%. it 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 exclaims: ''Tabiths,
srisew There is stir in the fountains
OF life; the heart futters; the nerves
thrill; the cheek fushes; the eye opens;
she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcas the dis
ciple; Dorcas the benefactress; Dorcas
the lamented; Dorcas the resurrected.
Ifrhad not seen that word disciple in
my text, would have known this wo-
man was Christian. Such music as
that never came from heart WHICH is
not chorded and strung by Divine grace.
i;cfore show you the needlework OF
this woman, want to show you her re-
generated heart, the source of pure
l::e and Of all Christian charities. I
wish that the wives and mothers and
daughters and sisters of all the earth
would initiate Dopcas in her 6iscipleship.
Before you cross the threshold of the
hospital, before you enter upon the
.mptations and trials of tomorrow,
r&arge you, in the name of God, and by
;He turmoil and tumult of the judgment
t"y, oh women! that you attend to the
.sst, last and greatest duty Of your life
the seeking for God and being at
peace with Him. When the trumpet
sail sound, there will 6e an uproar,
and wreck OF mountain and continent,
AID no human arm can help you. Amidst
tie rising OF the dead, and amidst the
boiling Of yonder sea, and amidst the
i've, leaping thunders Of the fylas