HOMILY VIII.] HOMILIES ON TIMOTHY. 505 " False accusers," that is, slanderers. For those who are conscious that they have no good in themselves, whilst they commit many sins and offenses, find consolation in defaming the characters of others. " Incontinent," with respect both to their tongue and their appetite, and everything else. " Fierce," hence their inhumanity and cruelty, when any one is covetous, selfish, ungrateful, licentious. " Despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady." "Traitors," betrayers of friendship; " heady," havingno steadiness ; " high-minded," filled with arrogance. " Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." Ver. 5. " Having a form of godliness, but de nying the power thereof." In the Epistle to the Romans, he says some what on this wise, " Having the form of knowl edge and of the truth in the law" (Rorri. ii. 20), where he speaks in commendation of it : but here he speaks of this sin as an evil beyond all other defects. And why is this? Because he does not use the words in the same signification. For an image is often taken to signify a likeness ; but sometimes a thing without life, and worth less. Thus he says himself in his Epistle to the Corinthians, " A man ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God." (i Cor. xi. 7.) But the Prophet says, " Man walketh in an image." (Ps. xxxix. 9, Gr.) And the Scripture sometimes takes a lion to represent royalty, as, " He couched as a lion, and as a lion s whelp, who shall raise him up?" (Gen. xlix. 9, Gr.) And sometimes to signify rapacity, as, " a ravening and a roaring lion." (Ps. xxii. 13.) And we ourselves do the same. For as things are compounded and varied in themselves, they are fitly adduced for various images and examples. As when we would ex press our admiration of a beautiful woman, we say, she is like a picture ; and when we admire a painting, we say that it speaks, that it breathes. But we do not mean to express the same thing, but in one case to mark likeness, in the other beauty. So here with respect to form, in the one passage, it means a model, or representa tion, a doctrine, or pattern of godliness ; in the other, something that is lifeless, a mere appear ance, show, and hypocrisy. Faith therefore, without works, is fitly called a mere form with out the power. For as a fair and florid body, when it has no strength, is like a painted figure, so is a right faith apart from works. For let us suppose any one to be " covetous, a traitor, heady," and yet to believe aright; of what advantage is it, if he wants all the qualities becoming a Christian, if he does not the works that characterize godliness, but outdoes the Greeks in impiety,when he is a mischief to those with whom he associates, causes God to be blasphemed, and the doctrine to be slandered by his evil deeds? " From such turn away," he says. But how is this, ifmen are to be so "in the latter times"? There were probably then such, in some degree at least, though not to the same excess. But, in truth, through him he warns all to turn away from such characters. Ver. 6. " For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts." Ver. 7. " Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Do you see them employing the artifice of that old deceiver, the weapons which the devil used against Adam ? " Entering into houses," he says. Observe how he shows their impu dence by this expression, 1 their dishonorable ways, their deceitfulness. " Leading captive silly women," so that he who is easy to be deceived is a " silly woman," and nothing like a man : for to be deceived is the part of silly women. "Laden with sins." See whence arises their persuasion, from their sins, from their being conscious to themselves of nothing good ! And with great propriety has he said "laden." 2 For this expression marks the multitude of their sins, and their state of disorder and confusion ; "led away with divers lusts." He does not accuse nature, for it is not women simply, but such women as these, that he blames. And why " divers lusts " ? by that are implied their various faults, their luxury, their disorderly con duct, their wantonness. "Divers lusts," he says, that is, of glory, of wealth, of pleasure, of self- will, of honor : and perchance other vile desires are implied. " Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." He does not say thus to excuse, but to threaten them severely ; for their understanding was callous, because they had weighed themselves down with lusts and sins. Ver. 8. " Now as Jannes and Jambres with stood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." Who are these? 3 The magicians in the time of Moses. But how is it their names are nowhere else introduced? Either they were handed down by tradition, or it is probable that Paul knew them by inspiration. " Men of corrupt minds," he says, " reprobate concerning the faith." Ver. 9. " But they shall proceed no further ; for their folly shall be manifested unto all men, as theirs also was." "They shall proceed no further"; how then 1 Gr. " by saying entering, the word implies entering covertly." 2 Lit. " heaped." 3 B. has this punctuation.