The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-12-19
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE.S SUNDAY
SERMON.
"The Birthplace Observing Societies"
Prcnchcd ut JOppa)

scith Nem."-Acts iN., 80.
Christians Of Joppa. Impressed as am
with your mosque, the first | ever saw, and
stirred as am with the fact that your har-
Dor onca floated the great RATS OF Lebanon
cedar from which the temples ut Jerusalem
were builIed, Solomon's oxen drawing the
logs through this very town on tho
way TO Jerusalem, nothing can make
me forget that this Joppa was the
birthplace OF tho sewing society that
has blessed tho poor of all succeeding ageSm
oil lands The disasters to your town when
Judas MaccabruS set it on fire, and Napoleon
had five hundred prisoners massacred III
ycW ncighborhood, cannot make me forget
that one of tho most magnificent charities q
the centuries was started i'll this seaport by
Dorcas, n woman with her needle embrolder-
ing her name ineffaceably III the beneticence
of the world. I see her sitting i'll yonder
homc In the doorway, and around about
the building, and in the room where
sho SITS are tho pale faces OF the
Door. She listens to their plant, she
pities their woe, she makes garments
for them, she adjusts the manufactured arti.
cles TO suit the bent form Of this lnvallu
woman. and 60 the cripple that comes crawl
ing on his hands and knees. She gives
coat to this one she gives sandals to that one
With tho gifts she minglcs prayers and tears
and Christian encouragement. Then she
goes ont to be greeted Oh the street corners
by those whom she blessed, and all through
the street the cry is heard: "Dorcas is COM
ing. The sick look up gratefully IN her
face as she puts her hand on the burn,
ing brow. and the lost aud the abandoned
start ur with hope as they hear her
sentlo 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 trail
of glory in her pathway. That night half
paid shipwright climbs the hill and reaches
home, and sees 1llisziitiio boy we'll clad anil
saws: Where did these clothes come FROM
And they tell him, "Dorcas has been here"
in another place woman Is trimming
lamp; Dorcas brought the oil. In another
place, family that had not been ut table
for many a week are gathered now, for Dol
cas- has brought Tread.
But there IS sudden pause in that womans
ministry. They say: "WEere is Dorcas?
Why we haven't seen her for many day.
Where is Dorcas!' And Que Of these poor
people goes up and knocks at the door and
finds the mystery solved. All through the
haunts OF wretchc;luess, the news comes;
'Dorcas is sickn No bullctin flashing from
the palace gate, telling tue stages ofa Kings
disease is Iaorc anXiousiy awaited 1or than
the news from this sick benefactrcSs. Alas.
for Joppa, there is wailiug, wailing. That
voice which has uttered 50 many cheerful
words is hushed; that hand which
had made so many garments for the
poor is cold and still; that star
wretchedness is damned ny the binding
nists that 60 up from the river of death III
every God forsaken place in this town, :;
wherever there is q sick Child and no balm;
wherever there is hunger and no bread:
wherever there is guilt and no commiseratinn;
wherever there is q broken heart and no
comfort, there are despairing looks and
streaming eyes, and frantic gosticulations
as they cry: 'Dorcas is deadr' They send
for the apostle Peter. who happens to be in
the suburbs Of this place, stopping with q
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
e8postulation 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 mira
Gle. Hc 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
tho dead Oh, it is a serious moment, you
Know, When you ore alone with lifeleSs
boly! TheHapostlc gets down on his knees
and prays, and then he comes to the lfeleSs
; Torni of this one all ready for the sepulcher,
and in the strength of Him who is the resur-
rection he cSSlaims: ''rabitha, arise"
There is n stir in the fountains Of life; tho
heart iluttcrs; the nerves thrill; the cheek
GuShcs; the eye opens; she sits up!
We see in this subject DorcaS the disciple;
Dorcas tho benefactress; Dorcas the lamcnted;
DcrcGS the resur1ccted.
Ii had rot seen that word disciple in my
text, I would haSc known this woman was
Christian. Such music rs that never camc
from heart which is not chorded and
strung by divine grace. Before l show you
tho neetlc-worN OF this woman, want to
show you her regeneratcd heart the source
Of n pure life aud of all Christian charities.
! wish that the wives anl mothers and
daughters and sisters OF all the earth would
initiate Dorcas in her discip.eShip. Before you
cross the threshold Of the hospital, before YOU
enter upon the temptations and trials
Of tomorrow, / charge you, in the
namc of God, aid by 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 AMI being at peace with Him.
III; h-,r.v .v,uprosi;nd wreck Of mount
hin and continent and no human arm
ran help YOU. Amidst thc rising Of the
dead, and amidst the boiling of yonder
sea, and amidst the live, leap;nG thuaders
Of the flying heavens, calm and placid
will be every woman's heart wbo hath
put he: trust in Christ; calm notwithstand-
ing all the tunult, as though the fire i'll the
heavens were only the gildiugs of an antum-
ral sunset as though the peal Of the trumpet
were only the harmony of an orchestG, ms
though the awful voices Of the s. 5vHcre but
group OF friends bursting through 4 gate
way ut eventima with laciltar and shout
ing ''Dorcas, the discj!c" Would God that
every Mary an,lcvery Martha would this
day lit doH,ut the feet OF Jesus!
FurLer, NC sce DorcaS the bcneiactress.
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
clover tops, and a-rustlc with the silk OF the
corn, has sung the praises of the plow. ltell
you the praises of the needle. From the fig
leaf robe prepared in the garden Of Eden to
the last stitch taken on Tire garment for the
poor, the needle has wrought wonders OF
kindness, generosity and bcnefaction. lt
adorned the sirdlc Of the high priest; it fash
ioned the curtains in tho ancient taberna"le;
it cushioned the chariots of King Solomon;
it provided the robes Of Queen E!izabcth;
aud in high PLACES and in low places, 10y the
fire OF the pioneers back log and under the
flash OF tho chandelier, everywhere, it has
clothed rakednesS, it has preached the Cos
pei, it has overcome hosts of penm'y and
want with the war cry OF Stitch, stitch,
stitch" The operatives have found liveil-
hood by il, and through it the mansions Of
the employer havc been constructed.
Amidst the greatest triumphs in all
ages and lands, l set down the con-
quests OF the needle. l admit its crimes. l
admit its crucltics. Ithas had more martyrs
than the fire; it has punctUred tho eye; it has
pierced the side; it hes struck weakness into
The lungs; it has sent madness into the brain:
it has filed tho lottcr's field; it has pitched
whole armies Of The suffering into crime and
wretchedness and woe. But now that | nm
talking Of Dorcas and her ministries to the