The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-27
MISSION OF DORCAS.
DIR. TAlMAGE DRAWS A LESSON FROM
NOBLE W0MAKS LIFE.
Helpful Words for Those Engaged In
Alternating Human
Sa~crificiug Work Assured OF a Rich
Reward

in northern Europe. IdS
following report OF a sermon IN WHICH
he utters helpful words to all who are
engaged in alternating human distress
as and shows how such work will be
crowned at the last; text, Acts TX, 49,
"And all the widows stood Dy MIN
weeping ard showing him the coats
md garments which Dorcas made nlle
she was with them"
Ionna is a most absorbing city OF
the orient. Into her harbor once float
cd the RATS OF Lebanon cedar from
which the temples of Jerusalem were
built. Solomon's oxen drawing the ioss
xbrough the town. Here Napoleon had
500 prisoners m-assacred. One OF the
most magnificent charities OF the Cen
turies was started in TINS SEAPORT ny
Dorcas, a woman with her needle EN-
broidering her name 1nenacedoly mr.
the beneficience of the world L see
her sitting in yonder home In tne
doorway and around about 0he oulIu
ing and in the room where she SFus are
the pale faces of the poor. she listens
to their plant, n pltleS tneL
she makes garments for them she au-
iusts the manufactured articles 10
emit the bent form of this lnVaIld "o-
man and to the cripple that comes
crawling on his hands and knees. Sne
gives a coat to this one, she glHe9
sandals to that one. with the glIIs
she mingles prayers and tears anu
Christian encouragement. Then she
goes out to be greeted on the street
corners by those whom she mas bless
ed, and all through the street the CRY
is heard, 'Dorcas is coming! Inc
sick look up gratefully into her lace
as she puts her hand on the burning
brow. and the lost and a~bandoned start
I'D with hope as they hear her gentle
voice, as though an angel mad ADDRESS
ed them, and as n goes out lhe ldhe
eyes half put out with sin think Uney
see a halo of light about her brow ana
a trail of glory in her pathway. mat
night a half paid shipwright climbs
the hill and reaches home and sees his
little boy we'll clad and says, 'Wnere
did these clothes come rom! ana
they tell him, "DOrcas has been mere.
In another place a woman is trimming
a lamp. DOrcas bought the OIL IN
another place a 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. That'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 hndS the
mystery solved. All through the haunts
of wretchedness the news comes, Dor
cas- is sicki" No bulletin flashing from
the palace gate telling the stages OF
a kings disease is more anXlOuSly
waited for than the news from TINS
b~enefactreSS Alas, for Joppa there Is
wailing, wailing! That voice Wh1ch
has uttered so many cheerful Worus
is hushed; that hand which has MADE
so many garments for the poor is cold
and still; the star which had poured
Hight into the midnight of Wretched-
ness is dimmed by the binding mlstS
that go up from the river of death. IN
every forSaken place in that HOW'LL
wherever there is a sick child ana no
hahn. wherever there is hunger ana
no commiseratiOn, wherever there Is a
broken heart and no comfort, tnere
. are ~desparing looks and streaming
eyes n frantic gesticulations 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 he dead.
What demonstration of grief all ABOUT
him! Here stand some of the poor peo-
pie, who show the garments which TINS
Door woman HAD made for them. Inelr
grief cannot be appeased. Apostle Pc
ter wants to perform a miracle. He
will not do it amid the excited crowd,
so he orders hat the whole room be
cleared. The door is shut against the
populace. The apostle stands now
with the dead. Oh, it is a serious mo-
ment, you know, when you are alone
with a lifeleSs body The apostle gets
down on his knees n prayS, and then
ne comes to the lifeless form of this
n all ready for the se~pulcher, and in
the strength of him who is resurrection
he cries, "Tabitha, arise!" There is a
stir in the fountains of life; the heart
fiutters; the nerves thrill; h cheek
flushes; h eye opens; she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcas the
disciple, Dorcas the ~benefactreSs, Dor
cas- the lamented, Dorcas the resur-
rected.
If 1 had not seen that word disciple
in my text, / would have known this
woman was a Christian. Such music
as that never came from a heart which
is not chorded and strung by divine
grace. Before I show you the needle
work of this woman i want to show
you her regenerated heart, the source
of a pure life and of all Christian
charities. / wish that the wives and
mothers and daughters and sisters of
all the earth would initiate Dorcas in
her diScipleShip. Before you cross the
threshold of h hospital, before You
enter upon the temptations anu lridis
of tomorrow, I charge you in the name
of God and by the turmoil and tumult
of the judgment day, o women, a
You attend to the first, last and great
est duty of your life-the eeking Tor
Sod and being at peace with him.
When h trumpet shall sound. there
will be an uproar and a wreck of
mountain and continent, and no hui
man arm can help you. An1d ther is-
ing OF b dead and amid h boiling
OF yonder sea and amid the live leap
ing thunders of the flying heavens calm
and placid will be every woman's heart
who hath put her trust in Christ-calm !
Notwithstanding all the tumult, as
though h fire in the heavens were
only the gildings OF an antumnal sun
set, as though the peal OF the trumpet
were only the harmony Of an orchestra,
as though the awful voices Of the sky
were but a group Of friends bursting
a GATEWAY at eyentime with