ticle, in such a manner, when there is nothing besides a flat repetition, with no superadded sense or force, but rather a greater uncertainty and obscurity, would be very unusual, and indeed very absurd.

I can see no reason why we should be dissatisfied with that explanation of this clause, which has more commonly been given, viz. That by them who have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, are meant infants; who, though they have indeed sinned in Adam, yet never sinned as Adam did, by actually transgressing in their own persons; unless it be that this interpretation is too old, and too common. It was well known by those the apostle wrote to, that vast numbers had died in infancy, within that period which the apostle speaks of, particularly in the time of the deluge; and it would be strange the apostle should not have the case of such infants in his mind; even supposing his scope were what our author supposes, and he had only intended to prove that death did not come on mankind for their personal sin. How directly would it have served the purpose of proving this, to have mentioned so great a part of mankind that are subject to death, who, all know, never committed any sin in their own persons? How much more plain and casy the proof of the point by that, than to go round about, as Dr. Taylor supposes, and bring in a thing so dark and uncertain as this, That God never would bring death on all mankind for personal sin, (though they had personal sin) without an express, revealed constitution; and then to observe that there was no revealed constitution of this nature from Adam to Moses; which also seems a thing without any plain evidence; and then to infer that it must needs be so, that it could come only on occasion of Adam's sin, though not for his sin, or as any punishment of it; which inference also is very dark and unintelligible.'

If the apostle in this place meant those who never sinned by their personal act, it is not strange that he should express this by their not sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression. We read of two ways of men's being like Adam, or in which a similitude to him is ascribed to men: One is

a being begotten or born in his image or likeness, Gen. v. 3. Another is a transgressing God's covenant or law, like him, Hos. vi, 7. "They, like Adam, (so in the Heb. and Vulg. Lat.) have transgressed the covenant." Infants have the former similitude, but not the latter. And it was very

Datural, when the apostle would infer that infants become sinners by that one act and offence of Adam, to observe that they had not renewed the act of sin themselves, by any second instance of a like sort. And such might be the state of language among Jews and Christians at that day, that the apostle might have no phrase more aptly to express this meaning. The manner in which the epithets, personal and y actual, are used and applied now in this case, is probably of -. later date and more modern use.

And then this supposition of the apostle's having the case of infants in view, in this expression, makes it more to his purpose, to mention death reigning before the law of Moses was given. For the Jews looked on all nations, besides themselves, as sinners, by virtue of their law; being made so especially by the law of circumcision, given first to Abraham, and completed by Moses, making the want of circumcision a legal pollution, utterly disqualifying for the privileges of the sanctuary. This law, the Jews supposed, made the very in fants of the Gentiles sinners, polluted and hateful to God; they being uncircumcised, and born of uncircumcised parents. But the apostle proves against these notions of the Jews, that the nations of the world do not become sinners by nature, and sinners from infancy, by virtue of their law, in this manner, but by Adam's sin; inasmuch as infants were treated as sinners long before the law of circumcision was given, as well as before they had committed actual sin.

What has been said, may, as I humbly conceive, lead us to that which is the true scope and sense of the apostle in these three verses; which I will endeavor more briefly to represent in the following paraphrase.

"The things which I have largely insisted on, viz. the evil that is in the world, the

12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, . and death by sin; and so death

general wickedness, guilt and passed upon all men, for that

ruin of mankind, and the op- all have sinned,

posite good, even justification

and life, as only by Christ, lead me to observe the likeness of the manner in which they are each of them introduced. For it was by one man, that the general corruption and guilt which I have spoken of, came into the world, and con. demnation and death by sin: And this dreadful punishment and ruin came on all mankind by the great law of works, originally established with mankind in their first father, and by his one offence, or breach of that law; all thereby be. coming sinners in God's sight, and exposed to final destruc tion.

"It is manifest that it was

world; but sin is not

in this way the world became in the

sinful and guilty; and not in imputed, when there is no law.

as sinners, by corruption and guilt derived from Adam's violation of the original law of works; which shews that the original, universal rule of righteousness is not the law of Moses; for if so, there would have been no sin imputed before that was given, because sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14. Nevertheless, death

"But that at that time sin was imputed, and men were reigned from Adam to Moses, by their Judge reckoned as even over them that had not sinsinners, through guilt and ned after the similitude of Ad corruption derived from Ad- am's transgression.

am, and condemned for sin to death, the proper punishment of sin, we have a plain proof; in that it appears in fact, all mankind, during that whole time which preceded the law of Moses, were subjected to that temporal death, which is the visible introduction and image of that utter destruction which sin deserves, not excepting even infants, who could be sinners no other way than by virtue of Adam's transgression, having never in their own persons actually sinned as Adam did; nor could at that time be made polluted by the law of Moses, as being uncircumcised, or born of uncircumcised parents."

Now, by way of reflection on the whole, I would observe, that though there are two or three expressions in this para graph, Rom. v. 12, &c. the design of which is attended with some difficulty and obscurity, as particularly in the 13th and 44th verses, yet the scope and sense of the discourse in general is not obscure, but on the contrary very clear and manifest; and so is the particular doctrine mainly taught in it. The apostle sets himself with great care and pains to make it plain, and precisely to fix and settle the point he is upon. And the discourse is so framed, that one part of it does greatly clear and fix the meaning of other parts; and the whole is determined by the clear connexion it stands in with other parts of the epistle, and by the manifest drift of all the preceding part of it.

The doctrine of Original Sin is not only here taught, but most plainly, explicitly, and abundantly taught. This doctrine is asserted, expressly or implicitly, in almost every verse, and in some of the verses several times. It is fully implied in that first expression in the 12th verse," By one man sin entered into the world." The passage implies, that sin became universal in the world; as the apostle had before largely shewn it was; and not merely (which would be a trifling, insignificant observation) that one man, who was made first, sinned first, before other men sinned; or, that it did not so happen that many men began to sin just together at the same moment. The latter part of the verse," And death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that (or, if you will) unto which) all have sinned," shews, that in the eye of the Judge of the world, in Adam's first sin, all sinned; not only in some sort, but all sinned so as to be exposed to that death, and final destruction, which is the proper wages of sin. The same doctrine is taught again twice over in the 14th verse It is there observed, as a proof of this doctrine, that “ Death reigned over them which had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression;" i. e. by their personal act; and therefore could be exposed to death, only by deriving guilt and pollution from Adam, in consequence of his sin. And it is taught again in those words, "Who is the figure of him