The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-07-19
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE EMINENT DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subject: Practical Chsrity-The Bcnevo.
lence of Dorcns Extolied - Her Work
Contracted with Present Day Methods
woman Gods Handmaiden.

lence of Dorcns Extolled - Her work
Contrnsted with Present Day Methods
woman Gods Handinaiden.
tcopyright iaOOl
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Dr Talmagc,
who is still travelling in Northern Europe,
las forwarded the following report of
sermon in which he utters helpful words
to all who are engaged in alleviating hu-
man distresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last; text, Acts
X, 30, 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 most absorbing city of the
Orient. Into her barbor once hoated the
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temples of Jerusalem were builded Solo
mons oxen drawing the logs through the
town. Here Napoleon had 500 prisoners
massacred. One of the most magnificent
charities of the centuries was started in
this seaport by Dorcas, woman with her
needle embroidering her name ineffnceably
into the benehcence of the world j see
her sitting in yonder home. In the door
way and around about the building and in
the room where she sits are the pale faces
OF the poor. She listens to their plant.
she pties their woe. she makes garments
for them, she adjusts the manufactured
| articles to suit the bent form of this inva-
llu MOlnhu anu W Nnt Cripple lldl tONnth
crawling on his hands and knees. She
| gives a coat TO this one; she gives sandals
TO that one. With the gifts she mingles
| prayers and tears and Christian encourage
ment. Then she goes out to be greeted on
the street corners by those whom she has
blessed, and all through the street the cry
ls 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 path.
way. That night a half paid shipwright
climbs the hill and reaches home and sees
his little boy well clad and says, Where
did these clothes come from" And they
, tell him, "Dorcas has been here" In an
| other place woman is trimming lamp;
Dorcas bought the oil. In another place
family that had not been at table for
many week are gathered now, for Dorcas
has brought bread
But there is a sudden pause in that wom-
ans ministry. They say: Where is Dor.
cas-? Why. we haven't seen her for many
| 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 u kings disease is more anXiously
waited for than the news from this bene
iactress. Alas, for Joppa 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 star which had
poured light into the midnight of wretch
edness is dimmed by the binding mists
| that go up from the river of death. In
| fOpGaEpD MIA in that xvbpI.
ever there is sick child and no balm
wherever there is hunger and no bread
wherever there is guilt and no commisera
tion, wherever there is broken heart ano
no comfort, there are despairing looks
and streaming eyes and frantic gesticula
tioDs as they cry, "Dorcas is dead"
T.ley send for the apostle Peter, who
happens to be in the suburbs OF the place
stopping with "A tanner OF the name of 81
mon Peter urges his way through the
crowd around the door and stands in tn,
presence of the dead. What demonstra
tion of grief all about him, Here stant
some OF the poor people, who show the
garments which this poor woman had
made for them. Their grief cannot be ap
peased. The apostle Peter wants to per
form miracle He will not do it amid tn,
excited crowd, so he orders that the whole
room be cleared. The apostle stands now
with the dead. Oh, it is a serious mo
ment, you know, when you are alone with
a liteless body The apostle gets down on
his knees and prays. and then he comes to
the lifeless form of this one all ready fol
the sepuleher, 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 futters. the nerves thrill
the cheek fushes, the eye opens, she sits
| up.
We see in this subject Dorcas, the disci
pie, Dorcas the beneiactress, Dorcas the
lamented, Dorcas the resurrected.
Ii | had not seen that word disciple in
my text, j 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 ! show
YOU the needlework of this woman / want
to show YOU her regenerated heart, the
source OF pure llte and OF all Christian
charities. wish that the wives and moth
ers and daughters and sisters of all the
earth would initiate Dorcas i'll her disciple
ship. Before you cross the threshold OF
the hospital, before you enter upon the
temptations and trials of tomorrow, |
charge you in the name OF God and by the
turmoil and tumult OF the Judgment day,
. woman, that you attend TO the first last
and greatest duty OF your life--the seeking
for God and being at peace with Him!
When the trumpet shall sound there will
be an uproar and wreck OF mountain
and continent, and no human arm can help
you. Amid the rising of the dead and
amid the boiling OF yonder sea and amid
the live, Gaping thunders of the flying
heavens calm and placid will be every
womans heart who hath put her trust in
Chrst-calm notwithstanding all the tu-
mutt, as though the fire in the heavens
We're only the gildings OF an autumnal sun
set, as though the awful voices of the sky
We're but group of friends bursting
through gateway at even time with
laughter and shouting, "Dorcas the disci.
ple" Would God that every Mary and
every Martha would this day sit down at
the feet of Jesus!
Further, we see Dorcas, the benefactress
History has told the story of the crown; I;
epic poet has sung OF the sword; the pas
toral poet, with his verses full of the redo
lence OF clover tops and a.rustle with tn,
silk of the corn. has sung the praises o.
the plow. | tell you the praises of the
needle. From the fig leaf robe prepared
in the garden OF Eden 10 the last stitch
taken on the garment for the poor the
needle has wrought wonders of kindness
generosity and benefaction. II adorned
the girdle of the high priest. it fashioned
the curtains in the ancient tabernacle, il
cushioned the chariots of King solomon,
It provided the robes OF Queen Elizabeth
and in high places and in low places, by
the fire of the pioneers back log and un
der the flash of the chandelier-every.
where--it has clothed nakedness, it has
preached the gospel il has overcome hosts
of penury and want with the war cry OF
Stitch stitch, stitch" The operatives
have found n livelihood by it, and through
| IA the mansions of tba aInplnVap ara ann.