tation is, otherwise, very much strained and unnatural. According to him, by "sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression," is not meant any similitude of the act of sinning, nor of the command sinned against, nor properly any circumstance of the sin; but only the similitude of a circumstance of the command, viz. the threatening it is attended with. A far fetched thing, to be called a similitude of sinning! Be sides this expression in such a meaning, is only a needless, impertinent, and awkward repeating over again the same thing, which it is supposed the apostle had observed in the foregoing verse, even after he had left it, and had proceeded another step in the series of his discourse, or chain of arguing. As thus, in the foregoing verse the apostle had plainly laid down his argument, (as our author understands it) by which he would prove, death did not come by personal sin, viz. that death reigned before any law, threatening death for personal sin, was in being; so that the sin then committed was against no law, threatening death for personal sin. Having laid this down, the apostle leaves this part of his argument, and pro ceeds another step, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses; and then returns, in a strange, unnatural manner, and repeats that argument or assertion again, but only more obscurely than before, in these words, Even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, i. e. over them that had not sinned against a law threatening death for personal sin. Which is just the same thing as if the apostle had said, "They that sinned before the law, did not sin against a law threatening death for personal sin; for there was no such law for any to sin against at that time: Nevertheless death reigned at that time, even over such as did not sin against a law threatening death for personal sin." Which latter clause adds nothing to the premises, and tends nothing to illustrate what was said before, but rather to obscure and darken it. The particle xas, even, when prefixed in this manner used to signify something additional, some advance in the sense or argument; implying that the words following express something more, or express the same thing more fully, plainly, or forcibly. But to unite two clauses by such a par

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 easy 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 Adamn, or in which a similitude to him is ascribed to men : Que 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 natural, 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 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 infants 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 1 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 condemnation and death by sin: And this dreadful punishment and ruin came on all man. kind 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 destruction.

13.

For until the law,sin was

world; but sin is not

"It is manifest that it was 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 Alcorruption 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."