The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-07-20
'TALMAGE'S SERMON.
DRAWS A LESSON FROM A
NOBLE WOMAN'S LIFE.
To Those Engaged In Alleyinting Human
Distress-self Sacrificing Work Assured
OF n Rich Reward Hereafter - Praise
for the Needle.

|
DR.. Talmage, who is still travelling
in northern Europe, has forwarded
the following report of a sermon in
which he utters helpful words to all
who are engaged in alleviating human
| distresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last text, Acts
TX, 80, "And all the widows stood by
him weeping and showing him the
coats and garments which Dorcas
made while she was with them"
Joppa is the most absorbing city OF
| the orient Into her harbor once float
ed the RATS of Lebanon cedar from
which the temples Of Jerusalem were
built, Solomons oxen drawing the logs
through the town. Here Napoleon had
500 prisoners massacred. One OF the
most magnificent charities of the CEN
turtles was started in this seaport by
Dorcas, woman with her needle emu
broidering her name ineffaceably into
the beneficence of the world. l see
her sitting in yonder 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 lis
tens to their plant, she pities 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 a coat to this one, she gives san
dals to that one With the gifts she
mingles prayers and tears and Christ
ian 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 into her face as she puts
her hand on the burning brow, ana
the lost and the abandoned start UP
with hope as they hear her gentle
voice, as though an angel had ad-
dressed 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 shipWrlght
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 a lamp. Dorcas brought the
oil. In another place family that
had not been at table for many weeks
are gathered now, for Dorcas has
brought bread.
But there is a 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, "Dorcas is sick!" No bulletin
flashing from the palace gate telling
the stages of a kings disease is more
anxiously waited for than the news
from this benefactress. Alas, for Jop-
pa there is wailing, wailing. That
voice which has uttered so many
cheerful words is hushed; that hand
which has made so many garments for
the poor is cold and still; the ostar
which had poured light into the mid
night of Indebtedness is dimmed by
the binding mists that go up from the
river of DEATH In every forsaken
place in that town, wherever there is
sick child and no balm, wherever there
is hunger and no bread, wherever
| ~ 10 nd n N.
wherever there is broken heart and
no comfort, there are despairing looks
and streaming eyes and frantic ges-
ticulations as they cry, "Dorcas is
dead"
| The Miracle of Peter.
They send for the apostle Peter, who
! happens to be in the suburbs OF the
place. stopping with a tanner of the
name of Simon. Peter urges his way
through the crowd around the door
! and stands in the presence of the dead.
What demonstration of 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 a
miracle. He will not do it amid the
excited crowd, so he orders that the
| whole room be cleared. The door is
shut against the populace. The apos-
tie stands now with the dead. Oh,
it is serious moment, you know,
when you are alone with a 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 sepulcher, and in the strength
of him who is the resurrection he
cries. "Tabitha, arise!" There is a
stir in the fountains of life; the heart
flutters; the nerves thrill; the cheek
fushes; the eye opens; she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcas the
disciple. Dorcas the benefactress, Dor
cas- the lamented, Dorcas the resurrect-
ed.
If had not seen that word disciple
in my text, would have known this
woman was a Christian. Such music
as that never came from heart which
is not chorded and strung by divine
grace. Before l show you the needle