Sin Found Out


There was once a boy, whose father sent him to

ride a few miles, upon an errand, and told him

 particularly not to stop by the way. It was a 

beautiful and sunny morning in the Spring; and,

 as he rode along by the green fields, and heard

 the singing of the birds as they flew from tree to

 tree, he felt as light-hearted and as happy as 

they. After doing his errand, however, as he was

 returning by the house where two of his friends

 and play-mates lived, he could not resist the 

temptation just to call a moment and see them.

 He thought there would be no great harm if he 

merely stopped a minute or two, and his parents

 would never know it. Here commenced his sin.

 He stopped, and was led to remain longer and 

longer, till he found he had passed two hours in

 play. Then, with a troubled conscience, he 

mounted his horse, and set his face towards 

home. The fields looked as green, and the skies

 as bright and cloudless as when he rode along

 in the morning; but oh, how different were

his feelings! Then he was innocent and happy;

now he was guilty and wretched. He tried to feel

easy, but he could not; conscience reproached 

him with his sin. He rode sadly along, thinking 

what excuse he should make to his parents for 

his long absence, when he saw his father at a 

distance coming to meet him. His father, fearing

 that some accident had happened, had left home

 in search of his son. The boy trembled and 

turned pale as he saw him approaching, and 

hesitated whether he had better confess the

 truth at once, and ask for forgiveness, or 

endeavor to hide the crime with a lie.

Oh! How much better it would have been for him

if he had acknowledged the truth; but one sin 

almost always leads to another. When this kind

father met his son with a smile, the boy said,

 "Father, I lost the road, and it took me some 

time to get back again; and that is the reason 

why I have been gone so long."

His father had never known him to be guilty of

falsehood, and was so happy to find his son safe,

that he did not doubt what he said was true. But,

oh, how guilty, and ashamed, and wretched did

that boy feel as he rode along. His peace of mind

was destroyed. The boy went home and repeated

the lie to his mother. Having committed one fault

he told a lie to conceal it, and then added sin to

 sin by repeating and persisting in his falsehood.

 What a change had one short half day produced

 in the character and happiness of this child! His

 parents had not detected him in his sin, but he

 was not, on that account, free from punishment.

 When he retired to, bed that night, he felt guilty,

 a course wretched. The first thought that

 occurred to him on waking, was the lie of the

 preceding day He could not forget it.

Thus things went on for several weeks, till the

day the gentleman at whose house he had stayed

called at his father's house on business. So

as this boy saw him come into the house his

 heart beat violently, and he turned pale with the

 thought that something would be said which 

would bring the whole truth to light. The 

gentleman, after conversing a few moments with

 the father, turned to the little boy and said," 

Well, how did your ride home go the other day? 

My boys had a very pleasant visit from you." Can

 you imagine how the boy felt? You could almost

 hear his heart beat. The blood rushed into his

 face, and he could not speak, and he dared not

 raise his eyes from the floor. The, gentleman 

then turned to his parents and said, 

"You must let your son come up again and see 

my boys. They were quite disappointed when he

 left after he was there a few days ago, for he 

only staid about two hours, and they hoped he 

had come to spend the whole day with them." 

There, the whole truth was out; and how do you 

suppose that boy felt? He had disobeyed his 

parents, told a lie to conceal it, had for weeks 

suffered the pangs of a guilty conscience, and 

now the whole truth was

discovered. He stood before his parents 

overwhelmed with shame, convicted of mean


The boy was all the time suffering the 

consequences of his sin. For many days he was

 enduring the reproaches of conscience, when 

the knowledge of his crime was confined to his

 own bosom.

How bitterly did he suffer for the few moments of

forbidden pleasure he had enjoyed! The way of

the transgressor is always hard. This guilty 

child, overwhelmed with confusion and disgrace,

 burst into tears, and implored his parents' 


But he was told by his parents that he had

 sinned not only against them, but against God.

 The humbled child went to God in penitence and

 in prayer. He made a full confession of all to his

 parents, and obtained their forgiveness; and it

 was not till then that peace of mind was