sin, in various instances, is used for suffering, in the Old Testament.
paragraph before us. He says, "These words, 'by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners,' […] mean neither more nor less, than that by one man's disobedience the many were made subject to death, by the judicial act of God." And he says in the same place, "By death, most certainly, is meant no other than the death and mortality common to all mankind." And those words, v. 12, "For that all have sinned," he thus explains, "All men became sinners, as all mankind are brought into a state of suffering." Here I observe,
1. The main thing, by which he justifies such interpretations, is, that sin, in various instances, is used for suffering, in the Old Testament. To which I reply; though it be true, that the word "chattaah," signifies both sin, and a sin-offering; and this, and some other Hebrew words, which signify sin, iniquity, and wickedness, are sometimes put for the effect or punishment of iniquity, by a metonymy of the cause for the effect; yet it does not appear, that these words are ever used for enduring suffering, where the suffering is not spoken of under any notion of a punishment of sin, or a fruit of God's anger for sin, or of any imputation of guilt, or under any notion of sin's being at all laid to the charge of the sufferer, or the suffering's being at all of the nature of any recompense, compensation, or satisfaction for sin. And therefore none of the instances he mentions, come up to his purpose. When Lot is commanded to leave Sodom, that he might not be consumed in the iniquity of the city, meaning, in that fire, which is the effect and punishment of the iniquity of the city; this is quite another thing, than if that fire came on the city in general as no punishment at all, nor as any fruit of a charge of iniquity on the city, or of God's displeasure for their sin, but as a token of God's favor to the inhabitants; which is what is supposed with respect to the death of mankind; it being introduced only as a benefit, on the foot of a Covenant of Grace. And especially is this quite another thing, than if, in the expression used, the iniquity had
been ascribed to Lot; and God, instead of saying, "Lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city," had said, "Lest thou be consumed in thine iniquity" or "Lest thou sin, or be made a sinner." Whereas, the expression is such as does expressly remove the iniquity, spoken of, from Lot, and fix it on another subject, viz. the city. The place cited by our author, in Jer. 51 is exactly parallel. And as to what Abimelech says to Abraham (Gen. 20:9), "What have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me, and on my kingdom, a great sin?" 'Tis manifest, Abimelech was afraid that God was angry, for what he had done to Sarah; or would have been angry with him, if he had done what he was about to do, as imputing sin to him for it: which is a quite different thing from calling some calamity, sin, under no notion of its being any punishment of sin, nor in the least degree from God's displeasure. And so with regard to every place our author cites in the margin, 'tis plain, that what is meant in each of them, is the punishment of sin, and not some suffering which is no punishment at all. And as to the instances he mentions in his Supplement (p. 284), the two that look most favorable to his design, are those in Gen. 31:39 and 2 Kgs. 7:9. With respect to the former, where Jacob says, "That which was torn of beasts, anochi achattenah"—which Dr. Taylor is pleased to translate, "I was the sinner": but is properly rendered, "I expiated it"; the verb in "pihel" properly signifying "to expiate." And the plain meaning is "I bore the blame of it and was obliged to pay for it" as being supposed to be lost through my fault or neglect. Which is a quite different thing from suffering without any supposition of fault. And as to the latter place, where the lepers say, "This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: If we tarry till morning some mischief will befall us." In the Hebrew, "umetzaanu gnaon"; "Iniquity will find us," that is, some punishment of our fault will come upon us. Elsewhere such phrases are used, as "your iniquity will find you out," and the like. But certainly this is a different thing from suffering without fault, or