Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-07-16


unmissed. There may be a very large
funeral, there may be a great many
carriages and a plumed hearse, there
may be high sounding eulogiums, the
bell may toll at the cemetery gate,
there may lee a very fle marble shaft
reared over the resting place, but the
whole thing may be a falsehood and
a sham.
Nothing Lost.
The church Of God has lost nothing;
the world has lost nothing. It is only
a nuisance aGated. 1t is only grum-
bier ceasing to find fault. It is only
an idler stopped yawning. 1t is only
a 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 fallenr' 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-mourning because Dorcas
is dead. When Josephine Of France
was carried out to her grave, there
were q great many men and women of
pomp and pride and position that went
out after her. But | am most affected
by the story Of history that on that
day there were 10000 Of the poor of
France who followed her coffin, weep
ing and waiIing until the air rang
again, because when they lost Joseph
inc they lost their last earthly friend.
Oh, who would not rather have such
obsequies than all the tears that were
ever poured in the lachrymals that
have been exhumed from ancient
cities! There may be no mass for the
dead, there may be no costly sarcopha-
gus, there may be no elaborate mauso-
leum, but in the damp cellars Of the
city and through the lonely huts Of the
mountain glen there will be mourning,
mourning, mourning, because Dorcas
is dead. "Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord. They rest from their
labors, and their works do follow
them"
I 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 upw Oh,
what a time there have been around
that town when the apostle brought
her out among her old friends! How
the tears of joy must have started!
What clapping of hands there must
have been! What singing! What laugh
ter! Sound it all through that lane!
Shout it down that dark alley! Let ali
Joppa hear it! Dorcas is resurrected!
Good Never Dies.
You and I have seen the same thing
many a time; not q dead body resusci-
tated, but the deceased coming up
again after death in the good accom-
plished. If a man labors up to so
years of age, serving God, and then
dies, we are apt to think that his earth
Iy 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 a church through
many anXieties, through many self de-
malls, with prayers and tears, and then
she dies. 1t is Is years since she went
away Now the Spirit Of God de-
sends upon that church; hundreds Of
souls stand up and confess the faith of
Christ Has that Christian woman
who went away Is years ago nothing
to do with these things? | see the
Towering out Of her noble heart. l
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 ressurected.
After awhile all these womanly
friends of CArist 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. I do not know where you will
sleep nor what your epitaph will be,
but there will be lamp burning at
that tomb and an angel Of God guard
ing 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 wake to weepi
Reward Has Come.
Then one day there will be a sky
rending and a whirl of wheels and the
flash Of a pageant armies marching
chains clanking, banners waving, thun-
ders booming, and that Christian wo-
man will arise from the dust, and she
will be suddenly ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ed by the wanderers Of the street
whom she reclaimed surrounded nv