The one to whom to confess our sins, fully and without excuse, and who alone can forgive sin, is Jehovah. (Ps. 32:3-6.) Let this be understood. Yet sometimes common honesty requires a confession to man, and our repentance would certainly be incomplete and insufficient if we refused to confess in such cases. A man may realize that he is living a double life, as as it were, unless he reveal his shortcomings. There is, besides, something in the awakened soul that demands a self-revelation, not only to God, but to men. And if pride or desire to pose as righteous men prevent us, it proves that our hearts are not right in the sight of God. The saved sinner is ashamed indeed of having sinned, but not ashamed to confess at the proper time, and that only in general [232] terms so as perhaps to be praised for his self-abasement, but in specific terms to set forth the shame of his transgression.

      When a brother confesses his sins to you, it is a sacred trust in the sight of God. He does it to ease his heart, for, even though assured of God's forgiveness, he seems to himself like a hypocrite if he would hide his guilt from man; and he does it to get your help and prayers and care for himself. The fact that he has gone to you shows he has confidence in you; and you must honor that confidence. Never a word of that confession must pass your lips, and you must be unto him as an angel of God thenceforth. There is by far too little confessing of sins done among us. There can be but two reasons. One is pride, which makes us unwilling to endure the humiliation of guilt in the eyes of others, and, therefore, makes us secretive of our faults, but ready exhibitors of our virtues and excellencies; the other is lack of confidence in brethren. For if I have reasons to believe a man would meet me with cold criticism and with condemnation, or that he would make light of my confession, or might use the information gained by my trust to my disadvantage later, I would indeed be loath to break my reticence to him. Let us, therefore, be such loving, upright men and women that our brethren in the Lord may feel emboldened to open their hearts and confess their worst sins to us, and go away not disappointed and abased, but strengthened and lifted up, determined never to sin again.

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