The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-12-18
TALMAGE AT JOPPA.
He Preaches o Sermon on "The
Birthplace Of Sewing Societies"
The Work Of Dorcas and the Charities Of
the Needle-What the Wo nan Did
for the Poor and Their Sorrow
ut Her Death.

Rev. T. De Witt Talmage. d. b.,
preached at Jappa recently to acom-
pany { Christian people Of various de-
nominations on ''The Birthplace Of Sew
ing Societies" He took for his text
Acts tx. 80: Sand 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 Joppa! Impressed as I
am with your mosque. the first l ever
saw, and stirred as am with the fact
that your harbor once floated the great
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temples at Jerusalem were builded. Sol
omon'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 dis
asters to your town when Judas Mac
cab@us set it on fire. and Napoleon had
five hundred prisoners massacred in your
neighborhood, can not make me forget
that one of the most magnificent chart
ties of the centuries was started in this
seaport by Dorcas, woman with her
needle embroidering her name inefface-
ably into the benificence of the world.
I see her sitting in yon der home. In
the doorway, and around, about the build
ing, and in the room where she sits are
the pale faces of the poor. She listens
to their plant, she pitios 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 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 coming!'' 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 halo of
light about her brow, and trail of
glory in her pathway. That night a
half paid shipwright climbs the hill and
reaches home, and sees his little boy
we'll clad, and says: "Where did these
clothes come from?" And they tell him:
"Dorcas has been here" In another
place woman is trimming lamp; Dor
cas- bought the oil. In another place a
family that had not been at table for
many 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 a day. Where is Dorcas?''
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, "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 ut
tered so'rhany cheerful words is hushed
that hand which has made so many gar.
ments for the poor is cold and still; the
star which had poured light into the
midnight Of Wretchedness is dimmed by
the binding mist that 60 up from the
river OF death. In every God torsaken
place in this town; wherever there is o
sick child and no balm; wherever there
is hunger and no bread; wherever there
il guilt andno commiseration; wherever
there is broken heart and no comfort
there are despairing looks and stream
ing eyes, and frantic gesticulation al
they cry. "Dorcas is dead" They sent
for the Apostle Peter, who happens Il
be In the suburbs ofthat place, stopping
with q tanner by the name Of Simon
Peter urges his way through the GROVE
around the door, and stands in the pres
snce of the dead What expostulatio1
and grief ali about him! Here stand SOM
of the poor people, who show the gar
eents which this poor woman had mad
for them. Their grief can not be ar
peased. The Apostle Peter wants t
perform miracle. He will not do !
amidst the excited crowd, SO he kindl
orders the whole room to be cleared
The door is shut against the populact
The apostle stands now with the dead
o, it is Q serious moment, you know
when you are alone with alifeless body
The apostle gets down on his knees an
prays, and then he comes to the lifeles
form OF this one all ready for the sepu
cher, and in the strength of Him who
the resurrection he exclaims: "Tabithi
arise! There is stir in the fountain
of life; the heart futters; the nerve
thrill; the cheek Pushes; the eye open
she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcss the di
ciple; Dorcas the benefactress; Dorcs
the lamented; Dorcas the resurrected.
II had not seen that word disciple
my text, l would have known this W
| man was a Christian. Such music I
that never came from heart which
not chorded and strung by Divine grac
, Before show you the ncedlework
, this woman, want to show you her r
! generated heart, the source Of a pul
life and of all Christian charities.
wish that the wives and mothers al
daughters and sisters of all the ear
would initiate Dorcas in her discipleshi
Before you cross the threshold of Il
hospital, before you enter upon Il
q | foundations and trials of tO-morrow