Acts 9:39,40

DISCOURSE: 1764
DORCAS RESTORED TO LIFE

Acts 9:39. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

HOWEVER careful the ministers of Christ may be in stating the great doctrine of salvation by faith, their adversaries will represent them as enemies to good works. The denying to good works the office of justifying men before God, is thought to destroy every inducement to perform them. But if we look at the conduct of the first Christians, we shall see in that an ample refutation of this error. Dorcas, for instance, was “a Disciple,” looking for salvation through the merits of a crucified Redeemer: but was she therefore regardless of good works? Did she not rather abound in them? and was not this the foundation of that high esteem in which she has been held by the Church of God in all ages? That we may be stirred up to follow her example, let us consider the account here given of her:

I. Her character—

What was her condition in life we do not exactly know; but we suppose that she was in a middle state, between poverty and riches: but of the use that she made of her time and property, we are fully informed: she employed herself much in administering to the necessities of the poor, and particularly in making garments for them. In a word, her character was,

1. Most lovely in itself—

[The doing of good in any way is amiable; but her mode of doing it was peculiarly so; inasmuch as it argued a habit of consideration, compassion, diligence, and self-denial. The bestowing of money is a small act of love in comparison of hers: for though money will procure necessaries for the poor, yet her mode of disposing of it made it go farther, if we may so speak, than if it had been expended by the poor themselves; and at the same time, it kept alive in her heart a constant principle of love. By this practice of hers the poor were continually, as it were, before her eyes; she thought for them, acted for them, worked for them, and sought her own happiness in contributing to theirs. As her Lord and Master “went about doing good,” so she made it her daily business and occupation to diffuse blessings all around her: she not only “did good works,” but was full of them, and made the exercises of benevolence her habitual practice [Note: This is the real force of the words ὧν ἐποίει, ver. 36. Compare 1 John 3:9. in the Greek.]

2. Most acceptable to God—

[Doubtless, if her actions had proceeded from an ostentatious or self-righteous principle, they could not have been pleasing to God; for “without faith it is impossible to please him:” but if they were the fruits of faith in Christ, they were most truly acceptable unto God. See how strongly this is declared in different parts of Holy Writ [Note: Hebrews 13:16; Philippians 4:18.] — — — In speaking on this subject, many religious persons feel a very undue degree of jealousy: they are afraid of declaring all that God says respecting the value of such works in his sight, lest they should appear to countenance a self-righteous spirit: but, if only we carefully exclude the idea of their being meritorious, or availing any thing for our justification before God, it is scarcely possible to state too strongly the delight which God takes in them, or the certainty of their being most richly recompensed in the eternal world [Note: 1 Timothy 6:17.]: every one of them is a loan “lent to the Lord [Note: Proverbs 19:17.];” and he would consider himself unjust, if he should forget so much as one of them in the great day of final retribution [Note: Hebrews 6:10.]: not even a cup of cold water given for his sake, shall pass unnoticed, or lose its reward [Note: Matthew 10:42.]

Her piety however did not exempt her from the common lot of mortality. We are next called to contemplate,

II.

Her death—

Like others, “she fell sick and died.” But though disease and death were permitted to cut her off even as the wicked, and thereby to shew that “all things come alike to all,” yet there was an immense difference between her and others in the regret experienced for the loss of her—
[A tear or two is all the tribute that is paid to the greater part of mankind, except by those who are their near relatives, or immediate dependents. But at the loss of her, all the Church at Joppa mourned; and the greatest solicitude was expressed to have her restored to them from the dead. They had heard of Peter healing by a word a man who had been confined to his bed for eight years [Note: ver. 33, 34.]: they deputed therefore two persons to wait upon him, (for he was only about six miles off,) to request his interposition with God in their behalf: and, when he came, they expressed their grief in the most affecting manner; shewed him at the same time the fruits of her industry and benevolence, that so they might interest his feelings, and engage his prayers for her restoration to life.

What a blessed testimony was this! how much better than the fulsome eulogies of panegyrists, or the funeral pomp of kings! yes, the tears of the godly, and the lamentations of the poor, are the noblest monuments that departed worth can have. O that we may all so live, as to be thus regretted by the Lord’s people, and to have our memory engraven in the hearts of all who knew us! And let us take care that the survivors may have substantial proofs of our piety to exhibit. We are not all able to do good in the same way, or to the same extent: but we may all have some “works to praise us in the gates [Note: Proverbs 31:31.],” and some fruits “to evince the sincerity of our faith” and love.]

The success of their application to Peter leads us to notice,

III.

Her restoration to life—

Peter having been introduced into the chamber where the corpse lay, desired all to depart, that he might not be interrupted in his supplications to the Deity: and, when he had obtained his request, he presented her alive again to her friends.
What an unspeakable benefit was this to the world!
[Whilst her own immediate friends had the comfort of her society, and the poor enjoyed the benefit of her pious labours, the whole Church of God were edified with her bright example. It is astonishing what one person may do, by the mere influence of his own example; how many he may stimulate, how many he may encourage. We may well suppose, that, where her conduct was so highly admired, she was the means of promoting many acts of benevolence in others, who without such an example would either never have exerted themselves at all, or never to so great an extent. Even to the ungodly world her restoration to life was an unspeakable blessing; since many, by means of it, were stirred up to inquire into the truth of Christianity, and to believe in that Jesus whom they had before despised [Note: ver. 42.]

Nor was it any other than a blessing to herself—
[We cannot suppose that there was left in her mind any remembrance of her felicity in her disembodied state, at least any such remembrance as should cause regret: we take for granted that she was restored to all her former habits of mind, with the same disposition to enjoy the society of her friends, and to abound in every good work. What a comfort then must it be to her to behold those who had so bitterly bewailed her loss! With what redoubled energy would she betake herself to her former labours of love; knowing now, from experience, how short her time might be either for the benefiting of the poor or the glorifying of her God! And these renewed labours would of necessity be recorded, like all her former works, and would follow her when she should rest from them, and augment her weight of glory to all eternity. Surely all this must be considered as a blessing to her soul. As Paul, though desirous to die and be with Christ, was yet content to live that he might serve and honour God in the work of the ministry; so might she be well content to live on earth again, seeing that her opportunities of benefiting the poor, and honouring God, and advancing her own eternal welfare, would be thus prolonged.]

Address—
1.

Those who are living for themselves—

[This is the state of mankind at large; “all men seek their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ [Note: Philippians 2:21.]” — — — But this is highly criminal: our time, our talents, our very bodies and souls, are the Lord’s, and must be altogether employed for his glory [Note: 1 Corinthians 6:19.] — — — All profession of religion unaccompanied with activity in good works, is vain [Note: James 2:13; Matthew 7:21.]. The very intent of the Gospel is to make us diligent in the performance of them [Note: Titus 3:8; Titus 3:14.]; nor can we ever answer the design of our Lord’s sufferings, if we do not live, not unto ourselves, but unto Him that died for us and rose again [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:15 and Romans 14:7.].”]

2. Those who profess to be living unto God—

[Study, like Dorcas, how you can be most useful to the poor: consider their wants, and how you may most effectually relieve them. In “bearing the burthens of others, you fulfil the law of Christ;” and, in truth, you best consult your own happiness. Who that reads the character of Job [Note: Job 29:11.], must not envy his happiness, as well as admire his piety? Verily there is a delight in acts of benevolence, which cannot be procured by any other means. Let all then who profess religion, shew forth their faith by their works. The poor may do their part, as well as the rich [Note: Ephesians 4:28.]; and shall “be accepted” according to their respective abilities [Note: 2 Corinthians 8:12.]