Wesley Corpus

You observe, (2.) “It is undeniable, that all mankind ‘die in Adam;’ all are mortal, in consequence of his sin.” (Page 24.) (3.) “It is equally clear, that ‘ by Christ came the re surrection of the dead: ‘That, in Christ,’ all who die in Adam, that is, all mankind, “are made alive.” It is neither clear nor true, that St. Paul affirms this, in either of the texts before us: For in this whole chapter he speaks only of the resurrection of the just, of “them that are Christ’s.” (Verse 23.) So that from hence it cannot be inferred at all, that all mankind will be “made alive.” Admitting then, “that the “resurrection of the dead, and being ‘made alive,” are expressions of the same signification;” this proves. nothing; since the Apostle affirms neither one nor the other, of any but of those “who are fallen asleep in Christ.” (Verse 18.) It is of these only that he here asserts, their death came by the first, their resurrection by the second, Adam; or, that in Adam they all died; in Christ, they all are made alive. Whatever life they all lost by means of Adam, they all recover by means of Christ. “From this place we cannot conclude that any death came upon mankind in consequence of Adam’s sin, beside that. death from which mankind shall be delivered at the resur rection.” (Page 25.) Nay, from this place we cannot conclude, that mankind in. general shall be delivered from any death at all; seeing it does not relate to mankind in general, but wholly and solely to “them that are Christ’s.” But from this place we may firmly conclude that more than the mere death of the body came even upon these by man, by Adam’s sin; seeing the resurrection which comes to them by man, by Christ, is far more than the mere removal of that. death: Therefore their dying in Adam implies far more than the bare loss of the bodily life we now enjoy; seeing their “being made alive in ”Christ implies far more than a bare recovery of that life. Yet it is true, that whatever death came on them by one man, came upon all mankind; and that in the same sense wherein they “died in Adam,” all mankind died likewise.