The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-18

lecture who never in their life helped to
build a church. There are men who can
give you the history Of Buddhism and Mo-
hammedanism, who never sent farthinp
for their evangelization. There arc women
who talk beautifully about the suffering of
the world, who never had the courage like
Dorcas to take the needle and assault it.
am glad that there is not a page of the
worlds history which is not q record of fe
male benevolence. God says to all lands and
people, Come now and hear the widows mite
rattle down into the poor box. The PriL.ess
of Cont sold oil her jewels that she might
help the famine stricken. Queen Blanche,
the wife of Louis VIII, Of France, hearing
that there were some persons unjustly in
carcerated in the prisons, went out amidst
the rabble and took a stick and struck the
door as signal that they might all strikoit,
and down went the prison door and out
wife of Henry l., went down amidst the
poor and washed their sores and adj
ministered to them corlials Mrs. Retson,
at Matagorda appeared on the battlefield
while the missiles of death were flying
around, and cared for the wounded. Is
there man or woman who has ever heard
Of the Civil War in America who has not
heard of the women Of the Sanitary and
Christian commissioners or the fact that, be-
and South Mountain, the women of the
North met the women of the South on the
battlefield, forgetting all their animosltiess
while they bound up the wounded, and closed
the ewes Of the slain? Dorcas the benefac-
tress.
/ come now to speak or Dorcas the
lamented. When death struck down that
good woman oh, how much sorrow there
was in this town of Joppal suppose there
were women here with larger fortunes;
women, perhaps, with handsomer faces; but
there was no grief at their departure like this
at the death of Dorcas. There was not more
turmoil and upturning in the Mediterran-
ean Sea, dashing against the wharves OF thls
seaport, than there were surgings to and lro
of grief because Dorcas was dead. There
are O great many who go out Of life and are
unmissed There may be very large
funeral; there may be great many carriages
and a plumed hearse: there may be high
sounding eulogiums; the bell may toll at the
cemetery gate; there may be very fine
marble shaft reared over the resting place;
but the whole thing may bo falsehood ana
sham. The church Of God has lost nothing,
the world has lost nothing. 1t is only
nuisance abated; it is only a grumbler ceas,
ing to find fault; it is only an ider stopped
yawning; it is only disSipated fashlonaDle
parted from his wine cellar; while, On
the other hand, no useful Christian leaves
this world without being missed. The church
of God cries out like the prophet "Howl,
FIR tree, for the cedar has fallen" WIDOW
hood comes and shows the garments which
the departed had made. Orphans are lifted
up to look into the calm face Of the sleeping
benefactress. Reclaimed vagrancy comes
and kisses the cold brow of her who charmed
it away from sin, and all through the streets
Of Joppa there is mourning-mourmng De-
cause Dorcas isdead. :,
When Josephine Of France was carried
out to her grave, there were a great many
men and women Of pomp and pride and posi-
ton that went out after her; but am moSt
affected by the story Of history that on that
day there were ten thousand Of the poor OF
France who followed her coffin, weeping and
wailing until the air rang again, because,
when they lost Josephine, they lose
their last earthly friend. END Oh On ogEs, %ao
quies than all the tears that were
ever poured in the lachrymals that have
been exhumed from ancient cities. There
may be no mass for the dead there may be
no costly sarcophagus; there may be no
elaborate mausoleum; but in the damp cell
lars of the city, and through the lonely huts
of the mountain glen, there will be mourn
ing, mourning, mourning, because Dorcas IS
dead. BLESSED are the dead who die in the
Lord; they rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them"
speak to you Of Dorcas the resurrected.
The apostle came to where she was and said:
'Arise; and she sat up!" In what short
compass the great writer put that-"She sat
upm Oh, whata time there must have been
around this town, when the apostle brought
her out among her old friends! How the
tears Of Joy must have started! What clap
ping of hands there must have been! What
singingl What laughterl Sound it all
through that lane! Shout it down that dark
alleyl Let all Joppa hear it! Dorcas is res
urrected!
You and have seen the same thing many
a time; not a dead body resuscitated, but
the deceased coming up again after death in
the good accomplished. If man labors up
to fifty years Of age, serving God, and then
dies, we are apt to think that his earthly
work is done. No. His influence on earth
will continue till the world ceases. Services
rendered for Christ never stop. A Christian
woman tolls for the upbuilding of a church
through many ;,S anxiotisSf s;th throush nrs%sTs
and tears, and then she dies. 1t is fifteen
years since she went away, Now the spirit
of God descends upon that church; hundreds
Of souls stand up and confess the faith OF
| Christ. Has that Christian women, who
went away fifteen years ago, nothing to do
with these things? I see the Towering out Of
her noble heart. hear the echo Of her foot
steps in oil the songs over sins forgiven, III
all the prosperity of the church. The good
! that seemed to be buried has come up again.
| DorcaS is resurrected.
After q while all these womanly friends
Of Christ will put down their needle forever
| After making garments for others, some one
will make garment for them; the last robe
we ever wear-the robe for the grave. You
will have heard the last cry of pain. You
will have witnessed the last orphanage. You
will have come in worn out from your last
round Of mercy. do not know where you
will sleep, nor what your epitaph will be;
but there will be lamp burning at that tomb
and an angel Of God guarding it, and through
all the long night no rude foot will disturb
the dust. Sleep on, sleep on! Soft bed,
pleasant shadows undistnrbed repose! Sleep
Asleep In Jesus! Blessed sleep!
| From which none ever wake to weep.
Then one day there will be sky rending,
| and whirl of wheels and the flash OF a
pageant: armies marching, chains clanking,
| banners waving, thunders booming, and that
| Christian woman will arise from the dust,
| and she will be suddenly surrounded-sur-
rounded by the wanderers of the street whom
she reclaimed, surrounded by the wounded
souls to whom she administered! daughter
of God so strangely surrounded, what means
this? 1t means that reward has come, that
the victory is won, that the crown is ready,
that the banquet is spread. Shout it through
oil the crumbling earth. Sing it through
all the flying heavens. Dorcas is resurrected
In 1855, when some of the soldiers came
back from the Crimean war to London, the
Queen of England distributed among them
beautiful medals called Crimean medals:
Galleries were erected for the two houses OF
Parliament and the royal family to sit in.