April 3

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have Untied every one to his own ti’ay; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of ua all.” — Isaiah liii. 6.

HERE is a confession of sin common to all the elect

people of God. They have all fallen, and therefore, in common chorus, they all say, from the first ho entered heaven to the last who shall enter there,” All Tve like sheep have gone astray.” The confession, while thus unanimous, is also special and particular: “We have turned every one to his own way.” There js a peculiar sinfulness about every one of the individuals; all are sinful, bat each one with some special aggravation not found in hiii ftllow. It is the mark of genuine repentance, that while it naturally associates itself with other penitents, it also takes up a position of loneliness. “We have turned every one to hi& own way,” is a confession that each man had sinned against light peculiar to himself, or sinned with an aggravation which he could not perceive in others. This confession is unreserved; there is not a word to detract from its force, nor a syllable by way of excuse. The confession is a giving up of all pleas of self-righteousness. It is the declaration of men who are consciously guilty — guilty with aggravations, guilty without excuse: they stand with their weapons of rebellion broken in pieces, and cry, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.’ Yet we hear no dolorous wailings attending this confession of sin; for the next sentence makes it almost a song, “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” It is the most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. Strange is it that where misery was con;jentrated, mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax, weary souls find rest. The Saviour bruised is the healing of bruised hearts. See how the lowliest penitence gives place to assured confidence through simply gazing at Christ on the cross!