spirit] Or, breath. No similitude must be stretched beyond its scope: Now the scope of the Apostle in this similitude is to shew, that faith without workes is dead, and not that works are the forme of, or give life unto faith, as the soule is the form of, and giveth life unto the body; for works cannot be the form of faith, seeing no outward thing can be the form of, or essentiall unto that which is internall; now works are outward, but the habit of faith internall. Some conceive, that the originall word signifieth breath, and then the similitude stands thus; even as the want of breath argues a dead body, so want of works a dead faith. dead] See Vers. 17.