loofe to go where he pleafed, in a Land the propereft for his Subfiftence, in a Wilderness where he was to wander and range all his Days. Which was a figurative Way of fignifying the total removal of Guilt, or Obligation to Punishment, from the penitent Ifraelites, It fhould not return, nor be remember'd any more. They were as free from it as the leprous Perfon from his Confinement, or Pollution, fignify'd by letting a Bird fly into the Fields, Lev. xiv. 7. As far as the Eaft is from the Weft; fo far hath be removed our Tranfgreffions from us, Pfal. ciii. 12.-Again; Ifa. liii. 6. The Lord laid on our Bleffed Redeemer the Iniquities of us all. And ver. 11. He fhall bear their Iniquity, ver. 12. He bare the Sin of many. So Heb. ix. 28. 1 Pet. ii. 24. But Iniquity and Sin, do alfo fignify Suffering, Affliction, &c. And, where Sin is fuppos'd in the Subject, fuffering for Sin in a proper Senfe, or Punishment. Gen. xix. 15.- left thou [Lot] be confumed in the Iniquity, fuffering of the City. Gen. xx. 9. Thou haft brought-on my Kingdom a great Sin, Calamity, Suffering. Ver. 4. Wilt thou slay also a righteous Nation? Gen. xxxi. 39. I bare the Lofs of it, Heb. I was the Sinner or Sufferer for it. 2 Kings vii. 9.-if we tarry till the Morning, fome Mifchief, [Heb. Iniquity] Suffering,] will come upon us. Job v. 6. Affliction [Heb. Iniquity] cometh not forth of the Duft, Jer. li. 6. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and and deliver every Man bis Soul: be not cut off in her Iniquity, Sufferings, Deftruction. Hab. i. 3. Why doft thou fhew me Iniquity, Affliction, and caufe me to behold Grievance? Therefore as Iniquity and Sin fignify Suffering or Affliction, it is evident a Perfon may have Iniquity laid upon him, or may bear Sin, to whom Iniquity and Sin cannot be imputed, or upon whom they cannot be charged. And that this was the Cafe with respect to our Lord is evident : For when, Ifa. liii. 6. the Lord is faid to have laid on him the Iniquities of us all, that he bare our Iniquities and Sin, the Spirit of Prophecy fufficiently explains itself by telling us in other Words, ver. 5. He was wounded for our Tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our Iniquities. He fuffered for Sin, the just, to whom no Sin could be imputed, for the unjust. He who knew no Sin, and therefore to whom no Sin could be imputed, was made Sin, was placed in a State of Suffering and Affliction, and became obedient to Death, for us. Thus Ezekiel (Chap. iv. 4, 5, 6.) lying first on his left Side three hundred and ninety Days, and then on his right Side forty Days, bore the Iniquity of the Houses of Ifrael and Judah which God is there faid to lay upon him: Not that the Iniquity of Ifrael was imputed to, or charged upon him; but he bore their Iniquity as he prophetically reprefented in his own Perfon, either their bearing of Punishment, or God's forbearing their Punishment a certain Number of of Years for it may be understood either Way. And our Lord was in a State of Suffering, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to Grief, in order to a much nobler End, the Expiation or Atonement of our Sins. But our Sins are never faid to be imputed to Chrift; nor could Sin be imputed to him who was holy, harmless, undefiled and feparate from Sinners. For in Scripture no Sin is faid to be imputed, or not imputed to any Perfon, but his own actual Sin. On the contrary, with regard to Parents and their Pofterity, it is an express Rule in the Law given by God himself, Deut. xxiv. 16. The Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children, neither fhall the Children be put to death for their Fathers: every Man fhall be put to death for his own Sin. And the Spirit of Truth teaches, and fully and clearly affures us, throughout the whole eighteenth Chapter of Ezekiel, that God, however he may bring the Son, under difciplinary Vifitations, doth not impute the Guilt of the Father to the Son. And this in Confutation of the Jews, who had entertained a hard Opinion concerning the Divine Proceedings; which they exprefs'd by this Proverb, ver. 2. The Fathers have eaten four Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are fet on Edge. To which the Lord God anfwers, ver. 4. Behold, all Souls are mine; as the Soul of the Father, fo aljo and deliver every Man his Soul: be not cut off in her Iniquity, Sufferings, Deftruction. Hab. i. 3. Why doft thou fhew me Iniquity, Affliction, and caufe me to behold Grievance? Therefore as Iniquity and Sin fignify Suffering or Affliction, it is evident a Perfon may have Iniquity laid upon him, or may bear Sin, to whom Iniquity and Sin cannot be imputed, or upon whom they cannot be charged. And that this was the Cafe with refpect to our Lord is evident: For when, Ifa. liii. 6. the Lord is faid to have laid on him the Iniquities of us all, that he bare our Iniquities and Sin, the Spirit of Prophecy fufficiently explains itself by telling us in other Words, ver. 5. He was wounded for our Tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our Iniquities. He fuffered for Sin, the juft, to whom no Sin could be imputed, for the unjust. He who knew no Sin, and therefore to whom no Sin could be imputed, was made Sin, was placed in a State of Suffering and Affliction, and became obedient to Death, for us. Thus Ezekiel (Chap. iv. 4, 5, 6.) lying first on his left Side three hundred and ninety Days, and then on his right Side forty Days, bore the Iniquity of the Houses of Ifrael and Judah which God is there faid to lay upon him: Not that the Iniquity of Ifrael was imputed to, or charged upon him; but he bore their Iniquity as he prophetically reprefented in his own Perfon, either their bearing of Punishment, or God's forbearing their Punishment a certain Number of of Years for it may be understood either Way. And our Lord was in a State of Suffering, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to Grief, in order to a much nobler End, the Expiation or Atonement of our Sins. But our Sins are never faid to be imputed to Chrift; nor could Sin be imputed to him who was holy, harmless, undefiled and feparate from Sinners. For in Scripture no Sin is faid to be imputed, or not imputed to any Perfon, but his own actual Sin. On the contrary, with regard to Parents and their Posterity, it is an express Rule in the Law given by God himself, Deut. xxiv. 16. The Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children, neither fhall the Children be put to death for their Fathers: every Man fhall be put to death for his own Sin. And the Spirit of Truth teaches, and fully and clearly affures us, throughout the whole eighteenth Chapter of Ezekiel, that God, however he may bring the Son, under difciplinary Vifitations, doth not impute the Guilt of the Father to the Son. And this in Confutation of the Jews, who had entertained a hard Opinion concerning the Divine Proceedings; which they exprefs'd by this Proverb, ver. 2. The Fathers have eaten four Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are fet on Edge. To which the Lord God answers, ver. 4. Behold, all Souls are mine; as the Soul of the Father, fo ཝཱ allo |