The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-07-20
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE By THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; Practical CharIty-The Benevo-
lence OF Dorcas ExtoIIed - Her Work
Contrasted with Present Day Methods
woman Gods HandmaIdeB.
copyright 1901


Woman Gods Handinaiden.
copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, d. C.-Dr Talmage,
who is still travelling in Northern Europe,
has forwarded the following report OF a
sermon in which he utters helpful words
10 all who are engaged IN allcvlatlnR hus
man dstresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last; text Acts
TX, 30, "And all the widows stood 10y 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 floatod the
RATS of Lebanon cedar from which the
temp.es OF Jerusalem were bulldcd, solo
mons oxen drawing the logs through the
town. Here Napoleon had 800 prisoners
massacred. One of the most magnificent
charities OF the centuries was started IN
this seaport 10y DorCas, a woman with her
needle embroldering her name lnciiaccably
into the benehcence 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 mva
lid woman and TO the cripple that comes
crawling on his hands aud knees. She
gives a coat TO this one; she gives sandals
TO that one. With the gifts she mlnglcs
prayers and tears and Christian encourage
ment Then she goes out to be greeted on
the street corners 10y those whom she has
blessed, and all through the street the cry
is heard, "Dorcas is cOming!' The sick
look up gratefully in her face as she puts
her hand on the burning brow, and 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 a trail of glory IN her path
way. That night a half paid shipwright
climbs the hil! and reaches home and sees
his little boy well 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. Ia another place
n family that had not been at table for
many n week are gathered now, for Dorcas
has brought bread.
But there is a sudden pause in that wom
ANS ministry They say: Where ~ Dor
cas- 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 wrctchcdncss the
news comes, "DorCas Is sick!' No bulletin
flashing from the palace gate telling the
stages of a kings disease Is more anNiOusly
waited for than the news from this hcnc-
factrcss. Alas, for Joppa there ~ wailng,
wailing! That voice which has uttered SO
many cheerful words is hushcd that hand
which has made SO many garments Tor the
poor is cold and still the star which had
poured light into the midnight ot wretch
edness is dimmed 10y the binding mists
that 90 up from the river of death. In
every forsaken place in that town, whcr'
ever there is sick child and no balm,
wherever there ~ hunger and no bread,
wherever there is guilt and no commlscra.
tion. wherever there is a broken heart and
no comfort, there are despairlng looks
and streaming eyes and frantic gestlCula-
tions as they cry, "Dorcas is deadl'
They send for the apostle Peter, who
happens TO be in the suburbs of the place,
stopping with tanner of the name ot ~
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 had
made for them. Their grief cannot bc APP
peased The apostle Peter wants to per
form miracle. He will not do It amid the
excited crowd, so he orders that the whole
room be cleared. The apostle stands now
with the dead. oh, II Is a serious mo
ment, You know, when YOU are alone with
a hfeless body! The apostle gets down on
his knees and prays, and then he comes 10
the lifeless form of this one all ready Tor
the sepulcher, and in the strength OF Him
who is the resurrection hc cries; Tabitha,
arise" There is n STIR m the fountains
of life the heart huttors, the nerves thrill,
the cheek flushes, the eye opens she Sis
we see in this subject Dorcas, the disci.
pie. Dorcas the benciactress, Dorcas the
lamented. Dorcas the rcsurrccted.
II | had not seen that word disciple m
4 t,-,tf1l haNs lnnVffl his
was n Christian. Such music as that never
came from a heart which s not chordcd
and strung by divine grace. Before ! show
YOU the needlework of TIM woman | want
10 show you her regeneratcd heart, the
source of pure life and ot all Christian
charities. | wish that the wives and moth
ers and daughters aud sisters of all the
earth would initiate Dorcas in her disciple
shin Before YOU cross the threshold OF
the hospital. before YOU enter upon the
temptations and trials ot tomorrow, /
charge you in the name of God and 10y the
Nurmoil and tumult of the Judgment day,
q woman, that YOU attend 90 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 VIII
be an uproar and wreck OF mountain
and continent. and no human arm can hell
you. Amid the rising of the dead and
amid the boiling OF yonder sea and amid
the live, Gaping thundery of the flying
heavens calm and placid will be every
womans heart who hath nut her trust M
Christ-cnlm notwithstanding all the tn
mutt az though the fire in the heavens
were only the gildings of an autumnal sun
set. a. though the awful voices of the sky
were but n group Of friends bursting
through a gateway at even time with
laughter and shouting. "Dorcas the disci
pic!" Would God that every Mary and
every Martha would this day sit down al
the feet Of Jesus
Further. we see Dorcas. the bencfactrcss
History has told the story Of the crown
epic poet has sung Of the sword: the pas
toral poet. with his verses fun of the redo
lence of clover TOPS and a-rustle with th'
silk of the corn. has sung the praises q
che piow. | tell YOU the praises Of The
needle. From the hg leaf robe prepared