Now, as justifying righteousness is not inherent in us but imputed to us; so our condemning sin was not inherent in Christ but imputed to Him. There would else [otherwise] be no consistency in the antithesis: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin…” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He knew no sin, yet, He became sin. It seems to carry it [the idea] further than only the bearing [of] the punishment of sin. He was, by law, charged in our stead with the guilt of sin. Our iniquities were laid upon Him, Isaiah 53:6. The prophet had spoken in verse 5 of Christ bearing the chastisement of our peace, the punishment of our sin and then seems to declare the ground of that, which consisted in God's imputation of sin to Him in laying upon Him the iniquities of us all. What iniquities? Our goings astray, our turnings everyone to his own way. He made Him to be that sin which He knew not but He knew the punishment of sin. The knowledge of that was the end of His coming. He came to lay down His life as a ransom for many. He knew not sin by an experimental inherency [something in His own nature] but He knew it by judicial imputation. He knew it not in regard of the spots but He knew it in regard of the guilt following upon the judgment of God. He was righteous in His person but not in the sight of the law, not pronounced righteous, as our Surety, till after Hiis sacrifice, when He was taken from prison and from judgment, Isaiah 53:8. Till He had paid the debt, He was accounted as a Debtor to God.