Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-07-25
SERMON
Rev. Or. Caltfla9e

WV ~o> $~Saess~SS1>
Subject: Practical Charity-The Benevo-
lencs OF Dorcas Exiolled - Her Work
Contrasted With Present Day Methods
-woman God's Handmaiden.
toopyright IsocI
WASHINGTON, D. CDR. Talmage,
has forwarded the following report of a
sermon in which he utters helpful words
to all who are engaged in alleviating hui
man distresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last; text, Acts
TX, 80, "And all the widows stood by him
garments which Dorcas made while she
was with them"
Joppa is a most absorbing city of the
Orient. Into her harbor once hoated the
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temples of Jerusalem were builded, Solo
town. Here Napoleon had 500 prisoners
massacred. One of the most magnificent
charities OF the centuries was started IN
this seaport by Dorcas, a woman with her
needle embroidering her name ineffaceably
into the benefcence of the world. i 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 pities their woe, she makes garments
for them, she adjusts the manufactured
articles to suit the bent form of this inva-
lid 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 Christian encourage
ment. Then she goes out to be greeted on
the street corners by those whom she has
hleSSa6 and all fhrpnCh the the
is heard, "Dorcas is comingn 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 halo of light about
her brow and trail of glory in her path
way. That night 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
other place a woman is trimming a lamp;
Dorcas bought the oil. In another place
a family that had not been at table for
many a 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
day Where is'f is poress ss n and r one % o
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 kings disease is more anxiousy
waited for than the news from this beDe
factress. Alas, for Joppa there is wailing
wailing! That voice which has uttered sc
many cheerful words is hushed; that hand
which has made so many garments for the
| ia cnld and still the Star which ba a
poured light into the midnight of wretch
edness is dimmed by the binding mists
that go up from the river of death. In
every forsaken place in that town, wher'
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 and
no comfort, there are despairing looks
and streaming eyes and frantic gestieula
tions as they cry, "Dorcas is dead"
They send for the apostle Peter, who
happens to be in the suburbs of the place,
stopping with tanner of the name of 81.
mon. Peter urges his way through the
crowd around the door and stands in the
presence of the dead What demonstra,
tion of grief all about him! Here stand
some of the poor people, who show the
garments which this poor woman had
peased. The apostle Peter wants to per-
form a miracle. He will not do it amid the
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 lfeiess body. The apostle gets down on
his knees and prays, and then he comes to
the hfeless 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 fiutters, the nerves thrill,
aha A,,Sh hn he Slts
up,
We see in this subject Dorcas, the disci-
pie, Dorcas the benefactress, Dorcas the
lamented, Dorcas the resurrected.
If l had not seen that word disciple IN
my text, l would have known this woman
was Christian. Such music as that never
came from a 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 life and of all Christian
charities. 1 wish that the wives and moth
earth would initiate Dorcas in 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,
| 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
the live, leaping 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 tu-
multi, as though the fire in the heavens
were only the glldings of an autumnal sun
set, as though the awful voices OF the sky
, were but a group of friends bursting
| through a 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 Jesusi
Further, we see Dorcas, the benefactress.
| History has told the story of the crown
| 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 the
silk of the corn. has sung the praises OF
the plow. l tell you the praises of tho
| needle From the fig leaf robe prepared
in the garden of Eden to the 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 fashioned
| the curtains IN the ancient tabernacle, II
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 fash of the hahdeler-every-
where-it has clothed nakedness, it has
preached the gospel it has overcome hosts
+, Of perjury and want with the war cry oi
"Stitch, stitch, stitchl' The operatives
have found livelihood by it, and through
it the mansions of the employer are con
structed
Amid the greatest triumphs in all ages
and lands set down the conquests of the
1 I
cruelties. 1t has had more martyrs than
the fire; it has punctured the eye; it has
pierced the side; it has struck weakness
into the lungs; it has sent madness into
the brain; it has filed the potters field;
it has pitched whole armies OF the suifer
ing into crime and wretchedness and woe
But now that l am talking of Dorcas and
her ministries to the DOOR [ shall sneaL