Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/104

98 able to do in charity, working with their hands, or walking with their feet, for the benefit of the poor. And they who will not do a charitable deed, what ever they may pretend, if they were rich would not bestow a charitable gift. She was full of alms-deeds, —which she made; there is an emphasis upon her doing them, because what her hand found to do of this kind she did with all her might, and persevered in. They were alms-deeds, not which she proposed and designed and said she would do, but which she did; not which she began to do, but which she did, which she went through with, which she performed the doing of, 2 Cor. 8. 11.—9. 7. This is the life and character of a certain disciple, and should agree to all the disciples of Christ; for if thus we bear much fruit, then are we his disciples indeed, John 15. 8.

4. She was removed in the midst of her usefulness; (v. 37.) In those days she fell sick, and died. It is promised to those who consider the poor, not that they shall never be sick, but that the Lord will strengthen them upon the bed of languishing, at least with strength in their soul, and so will make all their bed in their sickness, will make it easy, Ps. 41. 1, 3. They cannot hope that they shall never die, (merciful men are taken away, and merciful women too, witness Tabitha,) but they may hope that they shall find mercy of the Lord in that day, 2 Tim. 1. 18.

5. Her friends and those about her did not presently bury her, as usual, because they were in hopes Peter would come and raise her to life again; but they washed the dead body, according to the custom, which, they say, was with warm water, which, if there were any life remaining in the body, would recover it; so that this was done to shew that she was really and truly dead; they tried all the usual methods to bring her to life, and could not. Conclamatum est—the last cry was uttered. They laid her out in her grave-clothes in an upper chamber; which Dr. Lightfoot thinks was, probably, the public meeting-room for the believers of that town; and they laid the body there, that Peter, if he would come, might raise her to life the more solemnly in that place.

II. The request which her christian friends sent to Peter to come to them with all speed, not to attend the funeral, but, if it might be, to prevent it, v. 38. Lydda, where Peter now was, was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples at Joppa had heard that Peter was there, and that he had raised Eneas from a bed of languishing; and therefore they sent to him two men, to make the message the more solemn and respectful, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them; not telling him the occasion, lest he should modestly decline coming upon so great an errand as to raise the dead; if they can but get him to them, they will leave it to him. Their friend was dead, and it was too late to send for a physician, but not too late to send for Peter. Post mortem medicus—a physician after death is an absurdity, but not Post mortem apostolus—an apostle after death.

III. The posture in which he found the surviving, when he came to them; (v. 39.) Peter arose, and went with them. Though they did not tell him what they wanted him for, yet he was willing to go along with them, believing it was upon some good account or other that he was sent for. Let not faithful ministers grudge to be at every body's beck, as far as they have ability, when the great apostle made himself the servant of all, 1 Cor. 9. 19. He found the corpse laid in the upper chamber, and attended by widows; probably such as were in the communion of the church, poor widows; there they were,

1. Commending the deceased; a good work, when there was that in them which was truly commendable, and recommendable to imitation, and it is done modestly and soberly, and without flattery of the survivors or any sinister intention, but purely for the glory of God, and the exciting of others to that which is virtuous and praise-worthy. The commendation of Tabitha was like her own virtues, not in word, but in deed. Here were no encomiums of her in orations, or poems inscribed to her memory; but the widows shewed the coats and garments which she made for them, and bestowed upon them while she was with them. It was the comfort of Job, while he lived, that the loins of the poor blessed him, because they were warmed with the fleece of his sheep, Job 31. 20. And here it was the credit of Tabitha, when she was dead, that the backs of the widows praised her for the garments which she made them. And those are certainly best praised, whose own works praise them in the gates, whether the words of others do or no. And it is much more honourable to clothe a company of decrepit widows with needful clothing for night and day, who will pray for their benefactors when they do not see them, than to clothe a company of lazy footmen with rich liveries, who perhaps behind their backs will curse them that clothe them; (Eccl. 7. 21.) and it is what all that are wise and good will take a greater pleasure in; for goodness is true greatness, and will pass better in the account shortly. Observe, (1.) Into what channel Tabitha turned much of her charity; doubtless there were other instances of her alms-deeds which she did, but this was now produced; she did, as it should seem, with her own hands, make coats and garments for poor widows, who perhaps with their own labour could make a shift to get their bread, but could not earn enough to buy clothes. And this is an excellent piece of charity, If thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, (Isa. 58. 7.) and not to think it enough to say, Be ye warmed, James 2. 15, 16. (2.) What a grateful sense the poor had of her kindness; They shewed the coats, not ashamed to own that they were indebted to her for the clothes on their backs. Those are horribly ungrateful indeed, who have kindness shewn them, and will not make at least an acknowledgment of it, by shewing the kindness that is done them, as these widows here did. Those who receive alms, are not obliged so industriously to conceal it, as those are who give alms. When the poor reflect upon the rich as uncharitable and unmerciful, they ought to reflect upon themselves, and consider whether they are not unthankful and ungrateful. Their shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, tended to the praise not only of her charity, but of her industry, according to the character of the virtuous woman, that she lays her hands to the spindle, or at least to the needle, and then stretches out her hand to the poor, and reaches forth her hands to the needy, of what she has worked; and when God and the poor have thus had their due, she makes herself coverings of tapestry, and her own clothing is silk and purple, Prov. 31. 19—22.

2. They were here lamenting the loss of her; the widows stood by Peter, weeping. When the merciful are taken away, it should be laid to heart, especially by those to whom they have been in a particular manner merciful. They needed not to weep for her; she was taken from the evil to come, she rests from her labours, and her works follow her, beside those she leaves behind her: but they weep for themselves and for their children, who will soon find the want of such a good woman, that had not left her fellow. Observe, They take notice of what good Dorcas did while she was with them; but now she is gone from them, and that is the grief. Those that are charitable will find that the poor they have