John Owen · 22 of 45

Chapter VIII. Imputation of the sins of the church unto Christ. Grounds of it. The nature of his suretiship. Causes of the new covenant. Christ and the church one mystical person. Consequents thereof. · Part 4

4. The express testimonies of the Scripture unto this purpose cannot be evaded, without an open wresting of their words and sense. So God is said to “make all our iniquities to meet upon him,” and he bare them on him as his burden; for so the word signifies, Isa. liii. 6, “God has laid on him” אֵת עֲוֹן כֻּלָּנוּ, “the iniquity,” (that is, the guilt) “of us all;” verse 11, וַעֲוֹנֹתָם הוּא יִסְבֹּל, “and their sin or guilt shall he bear.” For that is the intendment of עָוֹן, where joined with any other word that denotes sin: as it is in those places, Ps. xxxii. 5, “Thou forgavest” עֲוֹן חַטָּאתִי, “the iniquity of my sin,” — that is, the guilt of it, which is that alone that is taken away by pardon; that “his soul was made an offering for the guilt of sin;” that “he was made sin,” that “sin was condemned in his flesh,” etc.

5. This was represented in all the sacrifices of old, especially the great anniversary [one], on the day of expiation, with the ordinance of the scape-goat; as has been before declared.

6. Without a supposition hereof it cannot be understood how the Lord Christ should be our Ἀντίψυχος, or suffer ἀντὶ ἡμῶν, in our stead, unless we will admit the exposition of Mr Ho, a late writer, who, reckoning up how many things the Lord Christ did in our stead, adds, as the sense thereof, that it is to bestead us; than which, if he can invent any thing more fond and senseless, he has a singular faculty in such an employment.