The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1900-07-27
with handsomer faces, but there was

more turmoil and upturning in the
Mediterranean sea, dashing against
the wharfs at that seaport, than there
were surgings to and fro of grief be.
cause Dorcas was dead. There are a
great many who go out of life and are
unmissed. There may be very large
funeral, there may be great many
carriages and plumed hearse, there
may be high sounding eulogiums, the
bell may toll at the cemetery gate,
there may be very fine marble shaft
reared over the resting place, but the
whole thing may be falsehood and a
sham. The church of God has lost
nothing. 1t is only nuisance abated.
1t is only a grumbler ceasing to find
fault. 1t is only an idler stopped
yawning. 1t is only dissipated fash
ionable parted from his wine cellar.
while on the other hand no useful
Christian leaves this world without be-
ing missed.
The church of God cries out like the
prophet: Howl, fir tree, for the cedar
has falleP" Widowhood comes and
shows the garments which the depart
ed had made. Orphans are lifted up
to look into the calm face of the Sleep
ing benefactress. Reclaimed vagrancy
comes and kisses the cold brow of her
who charmed it away from sin, and
all through the streets of Joppa there
is mourning because Dor
cas- is dead. When Josephine of France
was carried out to her grave, there
were a great many men and women
of pomp and pride and position that
went out after her, but l am most
affected by the story of history that
on that day there were 10000 Of the
poor of France who followed her cof-
fin, weeping and wailing until the air
rang again. because when they lost
Josephine they lost their last earthly
friend. Oh, who would not rather
have such obsequies than all the tears
that were ever poured in the lach-
rymals that have been eXhumed from
ancient cities? There may be no mass
for the dead; there may be no costly
sarcophagus; there may be no elab-
crate mausoleum, but in the damp cell
lars of the city and through the lonely
huts of the mountain glen there will
be mourning, mourning, mourning, be-
cause Dorcas is dead: blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord: they
rest from their labors. and their
works do follow them"
l speak to you of Dorcas the resur-
rected. The apostle came to where
she was and said: "Arise, and she
sat up!" In what short compass
the great writer put that "She sat up"
Oh, what time there must have been
around that town when the apostle
brought her out among her old
friends! How the tears of Joy must
have started! What a clapping of
hands there must have been! What
singing What laughter! Sound it
al through that lanel Shout it down
that dark alley! Let all Joppa hear
t! Dorcas is resurrected!
You and l have seen the same thing
many time; not dead body re-
but the deceased coming
Up again after death in the good &C.
If man labors up to so
'ears of age, serving God, and then
lies, we are apt to think that his
arthly work is done. No. His in
luence on earth will continue till the
world ceases. Services rendered for
'hrist never stop. A Christian wom-
n tolls for the upbuilding of church
through many anxieties. through
many self-denials, with prayers and
ears, and then she dies. 1t is IS
ears since she went away. Now the
pirit of God descends upon that
hurch, hundreds of souls stand up
nd confess the faith of Christ. Has
hat Christian woman, who went away
years ago, nothing to do with these
Kings? l see the Towering out of
err noble heart. l hear the echo of '
er footsteps in all the songs over sins
,rgiven, in all the prosperity of the
lurch. The good that seemed to be d
uried has come up again. Dorcas is !
q
After awhile these womaniy friends !
Christ will put down their needle
'rever. After making garments for
hers, some one will make a garment
IT them; the last robe we ever wear v
lie robe for the grave. You will have i
lard the last cry of pain. You will 1
I've witnessed the last orphanage. c
on will have come in worn out from p
'ur last round of mercy. l do not p
low where you will sleep, nor what W
'ur epitaph will be. but there will be p
lamp burning at that tomb. and an G
gel of God guarding it, and through s.
the long night no rude foot will dis G.
RIB the dust. Sleep on, sleep on. b
IT bed. pleasant shadows, undis. eI