a likeness; but sometimes a thing without life, and worthless. 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.” (1 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 express 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 representation, a doctrine, or pattern of godliness; in the other, something that is lifeless, a mere appearance, show, and hypocrisy. Faith therefore, without works, is fitly called a mere form without 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, if men 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 lust.” 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 im- pudence by this expression,1408 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.”1409 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 1408 Gr. “by saying entering, the word implies entering covertly.” 1409 Lit. “heaped.” 874 2 Timothy 3:1-4