Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-12
&eadina fnr the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
BOGUS CONFESSION.


A real, genuine, bona fde confession is about
the rarest utterance one ever hears. We
know some excellent people who never in their
lives; never, at all events, since their matu-
rity, have gone frankly TO the public, their
church, or their most intimate friend, and
said, II was wrong l am sorry forgive me. ="
As matter of curiosity, we wish the reader
would stop right here, and see if he can recall
one solitary instance in which he has done
this.
There is plenty of bogus confession but of
real, honest confession, very little: There Is
the confession commendatory. II tell you,'
says Mr.. A., II have got an awful temper.
1t flames up mighty quick-don't last long,
but it's hot while it burns. There is consid-
erable lion in me, and it's got to come out." !"
He thinks he has made confession. Not at
ALL He has been patting himselfon the back,
and pluming himself on his sin. The peacock
is not prouder of his tail than this man OF his
pet passion.
There is the confession general. The man
catches up the general confession of public
prayer, and repeats it over and over in pray
er.meeting, in family prayers, at his own bed
side: 81 have done the things ought not to
have done, and l have left undone the things
1 ought to have done, and there is no health
in me-" Now the confession of congrega.
ton must be in general terms; but the con-
fession of all individual to his own conscience
and his God ought to be particular. If Har.
~ were to come to me OH Monday night with
II have done the things l ought not to have
done, and there is no health in me, goodnight,
father" and again on Tuesday night with 81
have done the things, etc., goodnight father,
by Wednesday night should stop him and
say, "Hold here minute; tell ME what are
some of the things you have done you ought
not to have done; some of the things you
have left undone you ought to have done"
l should ask him in the language of the law
yers, to give me bill of particulars. Con-
fession in mere general terms of general sin.
tulness is no confession at all.
There is the confession theological. This is
the declaration of all article Of belief. 1t Is
in effect an orthodox syllogism, thus: call
men are sinners | am a man therefore l
am sinner" Sometimes it is put in less
orthodox way, thus: "Oh ! yes, suppose
am sinner. All men are sinners. And | do
not pretend to be any better than my neigh.
bors."
There are three occasions when a man has
nothing to do with his neighbors when he is
born when he dies and when he stands be-
fore Gods judgment seat And there is a
fourth occasion when he had better forget his
neighbors, namely, when he stands before his
own conscience to be judged. Correct views
concerning the general sinfulness of the race
are important; but they are unimportant
compared with correct views concerning our
individual selves. We have known men as
proud as Lucifer, who were unimpeachably
orthodox concerning Adams fall and general
depravity; and we have known men who held
views great deal more charitable than phi
losophical, respecting human nature in gener-
al, who keenly felt their own sins and short
comings and their own need Of personal Sa.
viour.
1t is very easy to brag of our sins, or to roll
off, by rote, formal confessions of sins, or to
incorporate in our creed a general recognition
of the sinfulness of mankind. But these are
all bogus confessions. So 60 to God and say,
"In that business transaction | was mean; in
that one I lied in that word to my wife was
cruel and barbarous. l might better have
struck her blow with my hand than with
my tongue; in that punishment of my child
1 was tyraunical and unjust; l have been sci.
fish, proud, false, mean,"-that may be self
ish matter, but it is just the hardest thing
any man is ever called on to do. No openance
imposed by pope or priest, no pilgrimage by
Mohammedan devotee but would be easier to
average humanity. And it is only this sort
of confession that means anything Christian
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