N the city of St. Augustine, Florida, there is a stone fort which was built by t h e Spanish people.
It was begun about three hundred years ago and finished in 1756, when Don Fernandez the Sixth was king of Spain.
For many years the Spanish defended themselves in this fort from attacks of the British and Americans. But at last, in July 1821, after holding St. Augustine for 250 years, they surrendered and Americans took possession of the fort.
In one corner of this fort is a room which opens into a dungeon,—a dark room that was used as a prison.
This dungeon opens into another dungeon which was used as a torture room. And beyond this second dungeon, is a fourth room, which has no light nor ventilation whatever. It is 20 feet long, 13 ft. wide, and 7 ft. high. The door into this last dungeon is 3 ft. wide and less than 3 ft. high.
The prisoners who passed through this low door into the darkest of dungeons were left there to die.
We can be thankful that these dungeons are no longer used as places of torture.
The fort now is not occupied by soldiers and prisoners, but is shown to visitors as a place of historical interest. Each year the guides take 100,000 people through the dungeons.
Not long ago I went through them with other visitors. We had to stoop low to go through the door into the last dark room. There was an electric light in the dungeon, and when we were all inside, the guide turned off the light. Our eyes soon became accustomed to the darkness, but still we could see nothing. Not a ray of light entered the room. "We could not even see the forms of those who were standing close to us.
As we stood there, we could not help thinking of the poor prisoners who, many years ago, were put in this terrible place, and left to die,—never again to see the bright warm sunshine, or light of any kind.
Dear children, do you ever thank God for the sunshine? If you were left for a few days in a place so dark you couldn't see anything,—just black, black darkness all around you,—you would know what a very great blessing the sunlight is.
As I stood in the last dungeon, after the light had been put out, I thought of that terrible darkness that awaits those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Saviour.
But our blessed Saviour also says,
For each one of us, time will soon be over. Then comes an eternity that never ends. This endless eternity you will spend either in the glorious light of God's presence, where there is "fulness of joy, and pleasures forevermore;" or in the blackness of darkness. Which shall it be?
Messages of God’s Love 7/20/1930