The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 152

great evil once for all; the overcoming of our temptations now: m11eh more ! 'I he gift of the Son; and now the gift of all grace through him: much more! And so. "eaved from wrath through him."-T. F. L. Vere. 12-14.-T/u, reign of death. The summing up of this first divi~;on of the Epistle: Christ has undone what sin bas done, as regards our objective relation tQ God. In these three verses-Sin through one works death to all. I. Sm WORKING DEATH. "Death" a word with many meanings in Serii,t,,re. Dissolution of complex nature; corruption of spiritual nature; and final abandonment by God, Here the first. An objective punishment of an objective trans~e55ion; a manifest sentence of condemnation. Hence symbolic of condemnation itself, showing forth God's wrath. May well lead thoughts to death that mUBt reign in the inner man, through the withdrawal of God's favour-a spiritual paralysis. Also might well be premonitory of the total casting-off. Such, then, the triple death-condemnation, helplessness, and the culmination of both in the hereafter. .And thi., the dea.tb which "entered into the world" through sin. IL DEATH REIGNING OVER ALL. Bat this sin the sin of one. How, then, the universal death? Look around-death, death, death I Yes, might answer, because sin, sin, sin I True ; but carry thought back to time anterior to Law. Death still ! And no sin then such as Adam's was, such as yours is--so conscious, so deliberate. There was the presence and working of sin, indeed, but the working was the spontaneous working of a corrupt nature. Ko law, and therefore, strictly, no transgression. Argu- ment might be reinforced by similar consideration of heathen now, and infants : death reigns I So, then, the death even of those who have the Law is not on account of their individual transgressions of the Law, but most be traced to the same canse as operates in the case of those who have "not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression.n III. THE SIN OF ONE THE BIN OF ALL, Therefore, if death be an objective pWJish- ment for an objective offence, it can be for none other's than his offence who first trallil- gressed God's manifested will. .And therefore, if the condemnation be imputed to all, the sin was imputed to all. Or, in other words, in him "all sinned n (ver. 12). The marvellous solidarity of all things-species, genus, world, system, universe. So in respect of mankind, and the spiritual history of mankind: the act of one, the act of all. So, then, all rest under a shadow-the shadow cast by Aaam's sin! All bear a. brand -the brand of his punishment I Where is the path from darkness into light? Justifi- cation through Christ I Can this be coextensive in its range with the results of sin? Is there a. solidarity here also? Yes:; for Adam was "a figure of him that was io come." We have another Head, a second Adaml-T. F. L. Vere, 16-17.-The abounding life. It is evident that all are condemned, because death reigns; and it is proved that the condemnation of all is through the sin of one, because even where no express law is, there is death. Hut we have hope in Christ. le our hope valid? Does the justification through Christ reach over as wide a range as the condemnation through Adnm? .And is the cl)nsequent life to prevail coextensively with the death? 'l'he argument here is to prove the certainty of each coe.xtension. I. AN ABOUNDING GRA0E. 1. The originating cause of the condemnation was the (1) sevority of God; (2) V'Orking because of trespass-a tres~ which was (literally) a fo.11 through weakness; (3) and working, for one trespass, death to all. 2. The ol'iginating cause of the justification is the (1) grace of God; (2) working by a gift l)f graoe-viz. Obrist ; and by the grace of this Christ-a love unto death; (3) and working because many trespnsses call forth oompassion. Surely," not as tho trespass, so also is the free gift." II. AN INDIVIDUAL APPROPRIATION 01" THE ABOUNDING GRA0E. 1. Tho participation in the sentence of condemnation was passive on the part of the many, for the sin of one -the unchoosing heirs of a sad inheritance, 2. The participation iu the decree of life is active on the po.rt of many, for the 81\crifice of tho On&-they "reoeive" the grace of righteousness, laying hold of it by the voluntary activity of faith. Infinite love is tho fount of our life; and Jesus Obrist, a Man, is he in whom all fulncss dwells, . The oertaiuty is irrcfmgable, Do we make it ours? "As rnruJy aa reoeivod him" (John i, 12).-T, F • .L. , 14-8 THE EPIS'l'LE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [orr. v.1-21.