The Mission had been a time of undoubted blessing to many, and now the last meet of all had come.
At the close, the missionary was hurrying away to a late train. He looked at his watch. He had just three minutes in which to catch it. Fortunately the station was, close at hand.
As he walked rapidly up the street, he turned as he heard footsteps behind. A man was running after him.
“O! sir,” said he, breathlessly, as he came up, “can you speak to me? I am very anxious about my soul.”
“Well,” replied the missionary, “my train is just here, and it is the last one, but—.”
He looked fixedly at the man for a moment before he added:
And he ran to catch his train.
The man stood staring after him until he disappeared into the station, and then he muttered,
“Go in at the first ‘all,’ and go out at the last ‘all.’ What does it all mean?”
“‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’”
“Go in at the first ‘all,’” he repeated. “‘All we like sheep have gone astray.’ I am to go in with that ‘all!’ Yes, I see. It just means I am one of those who have gone astray. And go out with the last ‘all.’ ‘The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’ I see. Yes. I am to go out free with those whose iniquity has been laid on Christ.”
It took a rather longer time to grasp the truth than those brief sentences might lead you, dear reader, to suppose. But that short, pithy comment on Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6), brought by the Holy Spirit light and peace to that man’s conscience and heart, and he rejoiced that night in Christ his Saviour.
May it be blessed to you!
ML 11/26/1939