St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-08-18
THESTORYOF DORCAS.
Dr.. Talmage Draws Lesson from
q Noble Woman's Life.


Self-<acriAcing work Assured sf q
Rich Reward Hereafter-Help-
fal Words for Those who
Alleviate Su1ering.
Copyright. 1890, by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,
DIR. Talmage, who is still travelling in
northern Europe, has forwarded the
following report of sermon in which
he utters helpful words to all who are
engaged in alleviating human dis
tresses and shows how such work will
be crowned at the last; text, Acts $3.50:
And all the widows stood by him
weeping and showing him the coats
and garments which Dorcas made
while she was with them"
Joppa is most absorbing city of
the orient. Into her harbor once float
ed the RATS of Lebanon cedar from
which the temples of Jerusalem were
built. Solomon's oxen drawing the logs
through the town. Here Napoleon had
500 prisoners massacred. One of the
most magnificent charities of the CEN
turtles was started in this seaport by
Dorcas, woman with her needle en-
broidering her name ineffaceably into
the beneficence 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 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 Christian 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 burn
ing brow, and the lost and the aban-
doned 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 a trail of glory in her path
way. That night a half paid ship
wright 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: dor
cas- has been here" In another place a
woman is trimming . 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 history. They 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 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
anxiously waited for than the news
from this benefactress. Alas, for
Joppa there is wailing, waiting! That
voice which has uttered so many cheer
full 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
Indebtedness is dimmed by the blind
ing mists that 60 up from the river of
death. In every forsaken place in that
town, wherever there is a sick child and
no balm, wherever there is hunger and
no bread, wherever there is guilt and
no commiseration. wherever there is a
broken heart and no comfort, there are
despairing looks and streaming eyes
and frantic gesticulations as they cry;
''Dorcas is dead!"
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 the dead.
What demonstration Of grief all about
him! Here stand some of the poor peo-
pie, who show the garments which
this poor woman had made for them.
Their grief cannot be appeased. The
apostle Peter wants to perform =
miracle. He will not do it amid the ex-
cited crowd, so he orders that the
whole room be cleared. The door is
shut against the populace. The apostle
stands now with the dead. Oh, it is a
serious moment, you know, when You
are alone with . lifcless 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:
'Tabitha, arise!" There is stir in the
Of life; the heart fiutters; the
nerves thrill; the cheek flushes; the
eye opens; she sits up!
We see in this subject Dorcas the dis
ciple, Dorcas the benefactress, Dorcas
the lamented, Dorcas the resnrrected.
II had not seen that word disciple
In my text I would have known this
woman was a Christian. sSuch music as
that never came from q heart which is
not chorded and strung by Divine
grace. Before show you the needle
work of this woman I want to show
you her regenerated heart, the source
Of q pure life and of all Christian char
tiles. I wish that the wives and moth
crs and daughters and sisters of all the
earth would initiate Dorcas in her dis
cipleship. Before you cross. the
threshold of the hospital, before you
enter upon the temptations and trials
Of tomorrow, I charge you, in the
name of God and by the turmoil and
tumult of the judgment day. o women,
that you attend TO the first, last and
greatest duty of your life-the seeking
for God and being ut peace with Him.
When the trumpet shall sound. there
will be an uproar and wreck of movn-
tain 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
viii be every woman's heart who hath
put her trust in Christ-calm notwith-
all the tumult, as though the