Wesley Corpus

(Verse 15.) “By one offence death reigned by one.’ (Verse 17.) And seeing the sin of Adam is thus punished in all men, it follows,-- “(6.) That they were all involved in that sentence of con demnation which God passed upon him. “The judgment was by one to condemnation.” (Verse 16.) “By one offence judg ment came upon all men to condemnation.” (Verse 18.) And, since it is so plain that all men are actually punished for Adam’s sin, it must needs follow, “(7.) That they “all sinned in Adam. By one man’s diso bedience many were made sinners. They were so constituted sinners by Adam’s sinning, as to become liable to the punish ment threatened to his transgression. “Between Adam and Christ, the type and the antitype, St. Paul draws the parallel in the following particulars: “(1.) Both have done something by which many others are affected, who either lose or gain by what they did: ‘Through the offence of one many are dead; by one, the gift of grace hath abounded to many.’ (Verse 15.) “(2.) That which the first Adam did, by which many, that is, all men receive hurt, was sin, offence, and disobedience: They all suffer by one that sinned. (Verse 16) “By the offence of one, by one man’s disobedience.” (Verses 18, 19.) That which the second Adam did, by which many, that is, all who believe, receive benefit, is righteousness and obedi ence: ‘By the righteousness of one, by the obedience of one.’ (Verses 18, 19.) “(3.) The detriment which all men receive through Adam is, that they “are made sinners;’ that ‘judgment is come upon them to condemnation; in consequence of which, death, the wages of sin, is inflicted on every one of them. The benefit which all believers receive through Christ is grace, or the favour of God, justification, righteousness, or sanctification, and eternal life: ‘The grace of God, and the gift by grace, hath, by one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. By the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men’ who receive it ‘to justification of life. By the obedience of one, many are made righteous.” (Verses 15, 18, 19.) “Thus the Apostle shows the parity between the effects of Adam’s sin, and of Christ's righteousness.