I. Explain the terms here used — We may notice them,
1. Separately —
[As in the preceding verse the words " children of dis- obedience " mean " disobedient children," so, in our text, " children of wrath " must be understood as importing " children doomed to wrath :" just as a similar expression of St. Peter is actually translated : what in the Greek is " sons of a curse," is in our translation " cursed children3." It is a Hebraism, common throughout all the inspired writings.
Such, we are told, is the state of all " by nature" Those who are adverse to the doctrine of original sin, would interpret these words as importing, that men were in this state "by habit or custom :" but the words cannot with any propriety be so construed : the only true and proper sense of them is that which our translators have here assigned to themb.
The Apostle further says, that he and his fellow-Apostles were in this state, " even as others." The Jews were ready enough to account the Gentiles accursed; but they thought that no curse could attach to them, because they were children of Abraham. This mistake St. Paul rectifies in our text, declaring, that whatever privileges the Jews might enjoy above the Gentiles, there was in this respect no difference between them; the Jews, yea the Apostles themselves, being, by nature, children of wrath, even as others.]
2. Taken in their collective sense —
[According to their plain and obvious and undeniable import, they declare, that every child of man, whatever be his privileges, or whatever his attainments, is by nature under the wrath of God.
All, as fallen in Adam, deserve God's wrath. Adam was the covenant-head and representative of all his descendants. Had he stood, they would have stood in him : and, as he fell, they fell in him. If it be thought strange, that his posterity should be responsible for his act, let it suffice to say, that, if he fell, there can be no doubt but that we, if subjected to the same trial, should have fallen also : yea, considering all the circumstances in which he was placed, (created in the fullest possession of all his faculties, having a perfect nature, and subjected only to one single trial, and having dependent on him the welfare, not of himself alone, but of all his posterity,) it was infinitely more probable that he would stand, than that we should, who come into the world in a state of infantine
a 2 Pet. ii. 14. b See Guyse's note on the text.
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weakness. But, whether we approve of it or not, so the matter is ; and so it was ordained of God : and, exactly as Levi is said to have paid tithes in Abraham, (though he was not born till one hundred and fifty years after the circumstance of paying tithes occurred,) merely because he was in the loins of Abraham at the time that he paid tithes to Melchizedec, so may we be justly said to have sinned in Adam, because we were in the loins of Adam when he sinned. Hence it is declared by God himself, that, "in Adam all have sinnedc," and " in Adam all have diedd."
[Moreover, all, as partakers of Adam's fallen nature, are Jit for the ivrath of God. Adam begat children in his own fallen likeness. Indeed, being corrupt himself, he could transmit nothing but corruption to his descendants ; " for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" Now in whom- soever iniquity be found, God cannot look upon it without abhorrence : and hence it is said, that " flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," " neither can corruption inherit incorruption."
Further, all, both as fallen in Adam, and corrupt in them- selves are actually tinder a sentence of wrath, and actually doomed to it. This is indeed an awful truth ; but it is explicitly declared by an inspired Apostle, that, " by one man's disobedience many were made sinners," yea, that " by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem- nation6."]