Evening, April 3, edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” — Isaiah 53:6

Here 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 who entered heaven to the last who shall enter there, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” The confession, while therefore unanimous, is also special and specific: “We have turned every one to his own way.” There is a peculiar sinfulness about every one of the individuals; all are sinful, but each one with some special bane of his life not found in his fellow. 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 his own way,” is a confession that each man had sinned against light special to himself, or sinned with an encumbrance which he could not perceive in others. This confession is without reservation; 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 claims of self-righteousness. It is the declaration of men who are consciously guilty–guilty with aggravation, 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 mournful wailing attending this confession of sin; for the next sentence makes it almost a song. “The Lord has has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” It is the most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. It is strange that where misery was concentrated mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax weary souls find rest. The Savior 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!