Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-10-31
MILFORD, DEL, FRIDAY OCTOBER 81, 1902

total darkness. Then, by the magical
effects of lights, it slowly became
brighter and brighter, until, upon the
side of the wall, we could see dim fig
ures begin to form themselves. They
looked at first like hideous phantoms.
Then, as it became lighter and lighter
until the whole room glOwed with
light, we saw the inside of a huge
palace. There were the broad stairs
leading upward. There were the
bodies of men and women lying pros
trate upon the floor, amid overturned
tables and spilled decanters and
broken furniture. 1t was a scene Of
grandeur, but also a scene Of filthy
bestialities. In the center of the stair
case stood the Mortified king, with
strained eyes looking at the letters of
fire burning themselves into the wall,
while off in the distance could be seen
the Persian soldiers with drawn
swords, ready to dilute the spilled wine
with human gore and to change the
floor into a reservoir of blood. Then
the lights of the room began to dim,
and it grew darker and darker and
blacl1er and blacker until at last it
seemed as though we were inearcer-
ated in the dungeons of the eternally
lost and the destroyed.
So when the would be sinner would
enter the banquet hall of sin he al
ways goes there at first like one CROP
ing about in the darkness, as fearing
that he may be walking upon the edge
Of a precipice. He enters with horror
and trembling, in terror and with tears.
Then in the midnight hour of the car
nival the banqueter in the hall of sin
sees that fatal handwriting upon the
wall. You, o sinner, today see 1t!
You see 1t with Mortified eyes, as Bel
shazzar saw IT.; you see it written by
the dead fingers Of those who have
lifted the same cup of death to their
lips that you are lifting at the present
time. Then. as in the room where !
saw the picture at the worlds fair,
you feel that it begins to grow darker
and darker. The light in the reveler's
eyes can no longer keep your courage
up. Already in that darkness you can
see the advancing messengers Of Gods
vengeance. 1t is horror at the opening
of the banquet; it is horror in the mid
die Of the banquet; it will be unutter-
able horror at its close when God shall
finally say to you, o sinner, Thou art
weighed in the balances and art found
wanting"
So. in closing, as plead with you tC
fee from the banquet hall Of sin,
again invite you into the other ban
quet hall where Christ the Divine
Bridegroom is to be married to the
church, his bride. / would invite you
into that banquet hall, which is filled
with the great multitudes of the re
deemed. / would earnestly invite YOU
( to come, because there is a vacant
! place at that gospel banquet table
4 which, l am sure, has been reserved
for you. 1t is in the center Of a grOuI
! Of your loved ones. 1t is right next t.
your sainted mother and father ant
wife and sister and child, and by tn
looks of your loved ones l think the,
are waiting for you. o sinner, ar
you ready today to leave the reveler
of sin and to Quaff the water Of life
which will fit you for entrance amOn
the sainted hosts, or shall you, as a re
suit of this spurned gospel invitation
be weighed in the balances and fol
ever found wanting? God is even nON
holding high the balances. May ever
one of us, by the power of the Hol
Spirit decide how the balances of Go
shall be moved! May we. one and al
decide that the scale of sin, thrOug
the cOuntervailing weight Of the eros
shall go up and not so down!
copyright, 1902, Louis Klopsch, N. "