For all have sinned
This is the general character of all mankind; all have sinned in
Adam, are guilty by his sin, polluted with it, and condemned for
it; all are sinners in themselves, and by their own actual
transgressions; this is the case of the whole world, and of all
the men in it; not only of the Gentiles, but of the Jews, and the
more righteous among them: hence there is no difference in the
state and condition of men by nature; nor is there any reason
from and in themselves, why God saves one and not another; nor
any room to despair of the grace and righteousness of Christ, on
account of persons being, in their own view, the worst of
sinners:
and
hence it is, that they are all
come short of the glory of God;
either of glorifying of God; man was made for this purpose, and
was capable of it, though now through sin incapable; and it is
only by the grace of God that he is enabled to do it: or of
glorying: before him; sin has made him infamous, and is his
shame; by it he has forfeited all external favours, and has
nothing of his own to glory in; his moral righteousness is no
foundation for boasting, especially before God: or of having
glory from God; the most pure and perfect creature does not of
itself deserve any glory and praise from God; good men, in a way
of grace, will have praise of God; but sinners can never expect
any on their own account: or of the glorious grace of God, as
sanctifying and pardoning grace, and particularly the grace of a
justifying righteousness; man has no righteousness, nor can he
work out one; nor will his own avail, he wants a better than
that: or of eternal glory; which may be called the glory of God,
because it is of his preparing, what he calls persons to by his
grace, and which of his own free grace he bestows upon them, and
will chiefly lie in the enjoyment of him; now this is represented
sometimes as a prize, which is run for, and pressed after; but
men, through sinning, come short of it, and must of themselves do
so for ever: or rather of the image of God in man, who is called
"the image and glory of God", ( 1
Corinthians 11:7 ) , which consisted externally in government
over the creatures; internally, in righteousness and holiness, in
wisdom and knowledge, in the bias of his mind to that which is
good, and in power to perform it; of all which he is come short,
or deprived by sinning.
