Help Our Brother Confess
By C. L. Taylor
I WON'T.” The boy had done his mother a great wrong; and when his good father sought him and urged him to make apology, he gave this stubborn reply. He was only a boy; so the father said, “Son, if you do not go to mother and make this matter right, you will have to go to bed and remain all day, or until you change your course.” He imagined it would be only a short time ere the discipline would have the desired effect, and so went to his work. At night, however, upon returning home, inquiry only revealed the fact that the boy showed no sign of softening. The evening lunch over, the father went to the son’s room, that again he might solicit his apology. But no response came. The little fellow only turned his face to the wall, resolutely refusing to reply. It certainly did seem that the boy was going to conquer. The night was a heavy, sleepless one for both those dear parents, and earnestly they prayed that God would bring victory. When the morning came, the father again pleaded with his child to do the right and ask mother’s forgiveness, but his appeal was firmly denied. Apparently the boy was farther away from the yielding point than at the first. The father went to his work with a troubled heart. The mother, grief-stricken and perplexed, sought to perform the routine duties of the home; but the thought that her own dear boy had hardened himself against all entreaty, almost paralyzed her efforts. The day dragged on. It was afternoon, and still there was no response. The mother could endure no longer. Breathing a prayer that God would in some way help her to find the dear child’s heart, she went to his room; threw herself in brokenness of heart upon the bed, and burying her face in the pillow beside that of her boy, said: “Darling, mama loves you. And now I want you to say something after me. Say ‘For.’” “For,” came in response. “Now say ‘give.’” “Give,” said the little fellow. “And now one more. Say ‘me.’” “Me,” he said. And then, without hesitation, he flung his arms about his mother’s neck, and cried out: “O, mama, I’ve said it, haven’t I? I wanted all the time to say it, but I couldn’t. Run and tell papa, quick. Tell him I’ve said it.” This little incident, taken from life by one of our great evangelists, needs no comment. But how beautifully it illustrates the value of human aid in bringing victory to those who are under the power of sin! May it not be that this thought was with Jesus when He said, “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift”? May it not be that Jesus would have us go and aid the dear brother or sister who wants to confess and be right, but who alone and single-handed can not do it?31 O, how many, many there are who are regarded as stubborn, unlovely, and unchristian, who are only waiting for the help of those whom they have wronged, to bring out the beautiful qualities of their lives! Why are we not more solicitous for those out of the way? That father and mother could not rest until their child was willing to ask for the pardon which they longed to grant. Why should we not all seek from the Lord Jesus a measure of that same love,—the love that can not be satisfied until it has done all it possibly can to help those who are out of the way back to the paths of righteousness? May the dear Lord help us to take the lesson to heart. Wonderful indeed is the privilege of uniting with the Master in proclaiming to the erring one, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” Let us seek the opportunity of saying, “I forgive,” and thus save a soul from death.