Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-07-20
REV, DR.. TALMAGE.
THE EMINENT DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
;nb;ect; Practical Charlty-The Bcnevo.
lence of Dorcas Extolled - Her WORK
Contrasted with Present Day Methods
woman Gods Handmaiden.


woman Gods Handmaiden'
copyright isOO.l
WASHINGTON, D. CDR. Iaimage,
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 hui
man distresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last; text, Acts
tx. 30, "And all the widows stood by HIM
weeping and showing him the coats and
garments which Dorcas made while she
was with them" e.,
Joppa is most absorbing city OF the
Orient. Into her harbor once f1oated 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 III
this seaport by Dorcas, woman with her
needle embroidering her name lnetaceaDly
into the benefcence of the world. ! 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 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
il heard, 'Dorcas is coming!" The SICK
look up gratefully in 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 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 half paid shipwright
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 an
other place a 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 WON
ans ministry. They say: Where IS Dor
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 anxlously
waited for than the news from this bene
factress. Alas, for Joppa there is waillng,
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. mlsts
that go up from the river of death. In
every forsaken place in that town, wher
ever there is a sick child and no balm.
wherever there is hunger and no bread,
wherever there is guilt and no commisera
ton. wherever there is broken heart ano
10 comfort, there are despairing Il oks
and streaming eyes and frantic gesticula
lions as they cry, "Dorcas is dead!"
Tney 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
ton of grief all about him! Here stand
some of the poor people, who show the
garments which this poor woman haQ
made for them. Their grief cannot be ap
peased. The apostle Peter wants to per
form miracle. He will not do it amid thu
excited crowd, so he orders that the whole
room be cleared. The apostle stands nov
with the dead. Oh it is a serious mo
ment, you know, when you are alone with
a ifeless bodyl The apostle gets down on
his knees and prays, and then he comes to
the lifeless form of this one all ready toi
the sepulcher, and in the strength OF HIM
who is the resurrection he cries: ''Tabithal
arise!" There is a stir in the fountains
of life. the heart hutters, the nerves thrill
the cheek fushes, the eye opens, she SITS
We see in this subject Dorcas, the disci'
pie. Dorcas the benefactress, Dorcas the
famented, Dorcas the resurrected.
If had not seen that word disciple IN
my text, | would have known this woman
was Christian. Such music as that never
came from heart which is not chorrded
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. [ wish that the wives and moth
ers and daughters and sisters OF all the
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. l
charge you in the name OF God and by the
turmoil and tumult of the judgment day,
o 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 q 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, leaping thunders of the flying
heavens calm and placid will be every
womans heart who hath put her trust Ill
Christ-calm notwithstanding all the tu-
mutt, as though the fire in the heavens
were only the gildings 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..
plei'' 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;
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 pillow. / tell you the praises of the
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
1t 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, it has overcome hosts
of penury and want with the war cry Of
"Stitch, stitch, stitch" The operatives
have found livelihood by it, and through