1. Scope of the passage. The design of this section is the illustration of the doctrine of the justification of sinners on the ground of the right- eousness of Christ, by a reference to the condemnation of men for the sin of Adam. That such is its design, is evident, 1. From the context. Paul has been engaged from the beginning of the epistle in inculcating one main idea, viz. that the ground of the sinner's acceptance with God is not in himself, but the merit of Christ. And in the preceding verses he had said, " we are justified by his blood," v. 9 ; by his death we are restored to the divine favour, v. 10; and through him, i. e. by one man, we have received reconciliation, that is, are pardoned and justified, v. 11. As this idea of men's being regarded and treated not according to their own merit, but the merit of another, is contrary to the common mode of thinking among men, and, especially, contrary to their self-righteous efforts to obtain the divine favour, the apostle illustrates and enforces it by an appeal to the great analogous fact in the history of the world. 2. From an inspection of vs. 12, 18, 19, which contain the whole point and substance of the comparison. The verses 13 — 17 are virtually a parenthesis; and verses 20, 21, contain two remarks, merely incidental to the discussion. The verses 12, 18, 19, must, therefore, contain the main idea of the passage. In the 12th, only one side of the comparison is stated ; but in vs. 18, 19, it is resumed and carried out. ' As by the oflfence of one all are condemned, so by the righteousness of one all are justified.' This, almost in the words of the apostle, is the simple mean- ing of vs. 18, 19, and makes the point of the comparison and scope of the passage peculiarly clear. 3. The design of the passage must be that on which all its parts bear, the point towards which they all con- verge. The course of the argument, as wull appear in the sequel, bears so uniformly and lucidly on the point just stated, that the attempt to make it bear on any other involves the whole passage in confusion. All that the apostle says tends to the illustration of his declaration, ' as we are condemned on account of what Adam did, we are justified on account of what Christ did.' The illustration of this point, therefore, must be the design and scope of the whole.
2. The connexion. The design of the passage being the illustration of the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ, previously established ; the connexion is natural and obvious. ' Wherefore as by one man we have been brought under condemnation, so by one man we are brought into a state of justification and life.' The wherefore is consequently to be taken as illative, or marking an inference from the whole of the previous part of the epistle, and especially from the pre- ceding verses. ' Wherefore we are justified by the righteousness of one man; even as we were brought into condemnation by the sin of one man.'
3. The course of the argument. As the point to be illustrated is the justi- fication of sinners on the ground of the righteousness of Christ, and the
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