The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-07-25
Dr.. Talmage Draws q Lessonfrom
a Nobls Wornan's Life,
SELF SACRIFICING WORK,
Helpful Words For Those en'
gaged In AlIeyIatjng Human
Distress. Assured Of u Rich
Reward Hereafter.


he u,ters helplu? words 70 al who axe
engaged in allsviating hpmsn clstrssscS
and shows hov such work VIII &c
crowned at the last; text. Acts 1&' 49,
.Ap6 sll the widows stood by nm
weeping and showing him the coats aoo
garments which Dorcas maoe While sne
was with them.
yoppa is most absorbing city Of the
oriest. Into her harbcr once toated the
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temples of Jerusalem were built, Solo
mons oxen drawing the logs through the
town. Here Napoleon had 800 prison
ers nassacred O'e Of the most nssni-
fcent charities Of the centuries vas
started in this seaport by Dorcas, wo-
man with her needle embroideriog name
inefaceably into the seae6ccnce OF the
world. l see her sitting II yonder
home. In the doorway and around
about the building and in the room
where she sits are the pale faces OF the
poor, She listens to their paint, she
piries 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
sandals to that one. With the gifts
she mingles prayers and tears and Chris
tian 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, AID the lost
and the abandoned start up with hope
as they haar her gentle voice, as though
sd 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
shipw,ight climbs the hill and reaches
home and seas his little bog well clad
and says, "Where did these clothes
come fron?' And they tell him,
':Dorcss has been here" In another
place a woman is trimming lamp.
Dorcas bought the OIL Ia 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 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
baunts of wretchedDess the news comes,
"Dorcas is sick!" No bulletin flashing
from the palace gate telling the stages
Of kings disease is more anxiously
waited for than the news from this
benefactress. Alas, for Jopps there is
wailing, wsiliog! That voice which
has uttered so many cheerful words is
hushe6; 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 WTerchedness is
dimmed by the binding mists that 60
up from the river Of death. In every
forsaken place ia that sewa, wherever
there is sick child and no balm, wher-
ever there is hunger aud no bread, wher-
ever there is guilt and no comnisera-
ton, wherever there is broken heart
and no comfort, there are cespalriDg
looks and stresmjng eyes and frantic
sesticuIstions as they CRY, "Dorcas IS
deadm
They send for the apostle Peter, who
happens to be in the suburbs of the
place, stopping with tanner Of the
name of Simon. Peter urges his way
through the crowd around the door and
stands il 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 '..,4e f"r them
Their grief cannot be spp, a,ed TAe,
apostle Peter wants to perform ul!
acle. He will not do it amid the *
cited crowd, so he orders that the whole
room be cleared. The door is shut
seainst the populace. The apostle
stands new with the dead. Oa, it IS
serious moment, you know, when you
are along with lifeless body. The
apostle gets down on his knees and
prays, and then he comes to the life
less form Of this one all ready for the
sepulcher, and in the strength of him
who is the resurrection he cries,
s'Tabitha. arise" There IS stir in
the fountains of life; the heart aut
ters; the nerves thrill; the cheek fushes;
the eye opens; she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcss the
disciple, Dorcas the benefactress,
Dorcss the lanented, Dorcas the resur
rected.
If had not seen that word disciple
in my text, Iwould have known this
woman was Christian. Such music
as that never came from a heart which
is net chorded and strung by divine
grace. Before show you the needle
work of this woman | want to show
you her regenerateo heart, the source Of
a pure life and of all Christian chari-
ties. I wish that the wives and moth
ers and daughters and sisters of sll tbs
earth would initiate Dorcss in her dis
cipleship. Before you cross the Tires
hold Of the hospital, before you enter
upon the temptations and trials of to.
morrow, l charge you in the nsme of |
God and by the turmoil and tumult of
the judgment day, 0 women, 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 a 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, lesping thunders Of the