The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-07-20

only dissipated fashionable parted
from his wine cellar, while on the
other hand no useful Christian leaves
this world without being missed.
The church of God cries out like the
prophet, Howl, fir tree, for the cedar
has fallen!" Widowhood comes and
shows the garments which the depart
ed had made. Orphans are lifted up to
look into the calm face Of the sleeping
benefactress. Reclaimed vagrancy
comes and kisses the GOLD brow of her
who charmed 1t away from sin, and
all through the streets of Joppa there
is mourning-mourning because Dor
cas- is dead. When Josephine of France
was carried out to her grave, there
were great many men and women OF
pomp and pride and position that
went out after her, but am most af-
fected by the story of history that on
that day there were ten thousand of
the poor of France who followed her
coffin, 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 lachry-
mails 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 elabo-
rate mausoleum, but in the damp Gel
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"
Resurrection of Dorcas.
speak to you of Dorcas, the resur-
rected. The apostle came to where
she was and said, arise, and she sat
up!" In what a short compass the
great writer put that "She sat up!"
Oh, what a 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
all through that lane! Shout it down
that dark alley! Let all Joppa hear
it! Dorcas is resurrected!
You and l have seen the same thing
many time; not dead body resusci-
tated but the deceased coming up
again after death in the good accom-
plished. If man labors up to fifty
years of age, serving God, and then
dies we are apt to think that his earth
ly work is done No. His influence on
earth will continue till the world
ceases Services rendered for Christ
never stop. A Christian woman tolls
for the upbuilding of church through
many anXieties, through many self
denials, with prayers and tears, and
then she dies. 1t is Is years since she
went away. Now the spirit of God
descends upon that church, hundreds
of souls stand up and confess the faith
of Christ. Has that Christian woman,
who went away fifteen years ago,
nothing to do with these things? l see
the Towering out of her noble heart.
hear the echo of her footsteps in all
the songs over sins forgiven, in all the
prosperity of the church. The good
that seemed to be buried has come up
again. Dorcas is resurrected
After awhile all these womanly
friends of Christ will put down their
needle forever. After making gar
ments for others, some one will make
a garment for them; the last robe we
ever wear-the robe for the grave.
You will have heard the last cry of
pain. You will have witnessed the last
orphanage. You will have come in
worn out from your last round of
mercy. 1 do not know where you will
sleep, nor what your epitaph will be,
but there will be a lamp burning at
that tomb, and an angel of God
guarding it, and through all the long
night no rude foot will disturb the
dust Sleep on, sleep on! Soft bed,
pleasant shadows, undisturbed repose!
Sleep on!
Asleep in Jesus! Blessed sleep
From which none ever wake to weep!