Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-14
TALMAGE IN JOPPA.
THE HOME or SEWING CIRCLES.
The Brooklyn Divine Ps ca ches on tho
Nobility OF Dorcas. -

WIN tNCUt'-ACtS 81.
Christians of Joppal Impressed as am
with your mosque tho first 7 ever saw, and
stirred as l am with tho fact that your har-
% Dor once hoated the great RATS of Lebanon
cedar from which the temples at Jerusalcm
were builded. Solomon's oxen drawing the
way to Jerusalem, nothing can make
me forget that this Joppa was the
birthplace of tho sewing society that
has blessed the poor of ali succeeding agesin
all lands. The disasters TO your town when
Judas Maccab;pus set it OH fire, and Napoleon
had five hundred prisoners massacrcd i'll
your neighborhood, cannot mako mo forget
F.. that ono Of the most magnificent charities of
the centuries was started in this seaport by
Dorcas, woman with her needle cmbroder-
ing her name intellectually i'll the bencdcence
of the world. SEQ her sitting i'll yontlcr
home in the doorway, and around about
the building, and in the room where
she sits, arc the pale faces of the
pities their woe, she makes garments
for them, she adjusts the manufactured arti-
Giles to suit the bent form of this invalid
woman, and 10 the cripple that comes crawl
ing on his hands and knees. i5he gives 4
coat to this one, she gives sandals TO that one.
With tho gifts she minglcS prayers and tears
and Christian encouragement. Then she
goes out to be greeted on the street corners
by those whom she blessed, and all through
the street the cry is heard: "Dorcas is COM
ing" Tho sick look up gratefully i'll her
face she puts her hand on tho burn.
ing brow, ami tho lost and the abandoned
gentle Voice, MS though an angel had
addressed them; and us sho goes out tho
lane, eyes half put out with sin think they
see a halo of light about her brow, and n trail
OF glory in her pathway. That night halGl
paid shpwrght climbs the hill and reaches
home, and sees his little boy well clad, and
says: "Whcrc did these clothes come rrom?'
sEjADd they tell him, 'porcas has been here"
{4;.ssNothcr place n woman is trimming Il
En- )orcas brought the oil. In another
20 family that had not been Mt table
3Yfny n week arc gathered now for Dor
XII XII .fB} brought bread.
81 there isa sudden pause in that woman's
stry They say: "Whero is Dorcus?
s79efFy, we haven't seen her for many day
|$$S Ecrc is Dorcas?' And one of these poor
jople goes up and knocks ut the door and
8tnds the mystery solved. All through the
y naunts OF wretchedness, tho news comes;
nDorcas is sck!' No bulletin flashing. from
the palace gate telling the stages Of n Kings
disease, is more anxionsly awaited for than
the news from this sick bcnofnctrcss. Alas
for 'oppa There is wniing, waiting. That
voice which has uttered 80 many cheerful
words Is flushed; that hand which
had made so many garments for the
poor is cold and still; that Star
which had poured light into the midnight OF
wrcichetlncss is din.ined 10y the binding
mi>ts that 80 up from the river of death In
u,
wherever there is Il sick child and 10 hahn:
wherever there is hunger and no bread:
wherever there is guilt and no comniscration;
wherever here is broken heart and no
comfort, there are dcspairing looks ar,l
streaming eyes, and frantic gesLiculations
rs they cry; "Dorcas is dcadn' They send
for tho apostle Peter, who happens to he in
the suburbs of this place, stopping with
tanner by thename of Simon. Peter urges
his way through the crowd around the door.
anu stands i'll the presence OF the dead. What
expostulat;sn and grief nll about him! Here
stand some OF The poor people, who show tho
garments which this poor woman Ind made
for them. Their grief cannot DO appeasod
The apostle Peter wants to perform a mira
Gle. lie will not do it amidst the excited
crowd, SO he kindly orders thut the Whole
room be cleared. The door is shut against
the populacc The apostle stands now with
.hc dead. Oh, il is n serious moment. YOU
know, whcn you arc alone with n liGeirss
body! Tho apostle gets down on his knees
and prays, and then he comes to tho ifeless
form of this one all ready for tho sepulcher,
and i'll the strength of Him who is tile reslir
rection he excaims: "Tabitha, ariscm
There is stir i'll the fountains of life: the
henrt iluttcrs; the nerves thrill, the cheek
huShes; the eye opens she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcas the ,liscipc:
Dorcas the benefactrcss; Dorcas the lamcnted
Dorcas the resurrccted.
II ! had moi seen that word disciple in my
text, would have known this woman was !;
Christian. Such music as that never came
fromn heart which is not chored unl
strung by divine grace Before show You
the needle-work OF this woman, | want t.
show you her re.eneratc1 heart, tho source
OF pure life and of ali Christian charities
! wish that the wives and mothers and
daughters and sisters of all the ear;l, would
initiate Dorcas in her disciplcship. Before you
cross the threshold OF the hospital, before You
enter upon the temptations and trials
OF tomorrow, charge you, in Tx
tumult of the Judgment day, oh, women
that You attend 10 the first, lust anc
greatest duty of your lifc--iho seeking
for God and being Mt peace with Him.
When the trumpet shall sound, there
will be an uproar, and wreck of mount
ain and continent, and no human arm
can help you. Amidst tho rising Of tho
dead, and amidst tho boiling of yonder
sea, and amidst the live, leaping thunders
OF tho flying heavens, calm and placid
Will be every woman's heart who hath
put her trust in Christ: calm notwthstand-
ing all the tumult, as though the fire in tho
heavens were only the gildinSs of an autumn
nal sunset, ms though the peal of the trumpet
though tho awful voices of the sky were but
group of friends bursting through gate
way OF cyentimo with laughter, and shout
ing 'Doreas, the disciplem Would God that
every Mary and every Martha would this
day sit down Mt the feet of Jesus.
- vi theIt We see JOTclS the DenefnctreSS
History has told the story OF the crown; the
epic poet has sung of the sword: tho pastoral
poet, with his verses full of the redoence of
clover, tops, and a-rustle with the silk of the
corn. has sung the pI Asses of the plow. Itell
you the praises of the needle. From the fig
leaf robe prepared in the garden of Eden to
tho last stitch taken on the garment for the
poor, the needle has wrought wonders of
kindness, generosity and benefaction. 1t
adorned the girdle of the high priest; it fash
Toned the curtains in the ancient tabernacle;
IT cushioned the chariots of King Solomon;
1t provided the robes of Queen Elizabeth
and in high places and in low places, by tho
IRE OF tho pioneers back log and under tho
Hash Of the chandelier, everywhere it hns
clothed nakedness, it has preached the Cos
pei, 1T has overcome hosts of penury and
want with the war cry of "Stitch, stitch,
sttchT The operatives have found a liveli-
hood by it, and through it the mansions of
the employer have been constructed.
Amidst tho greatest triumphs in ali
ages and lands, set down the con-
quests Of the needle. I admit its crimes.
admit its cruelties. 1t has had moro martyrs