396 PuHijs and ynxtns of hirlh in ftolt/ Teachers. Job 31), i»lo\v wilh soreiio gravity, against ])rid(! to shine witli true Immility, against fear to be brilliant with the rays of au- thority. Because therefore they first accumulate such atten- tion on themselves, months of virtues pass, as it were, in the conception of holy preaching. And the Lord alone numbers these months, because no one but He Who has given these virtues, values them in their hearts. And because the pro- duce of fruit follows according to the measure of their virtues, it is rightly subjoined; Afid hast thou known the time when they hingforth? xii. 46. Thou understandest, As I, Who, when I number months in the thought of virtues, know when they are able to bring forth that which they wish to perform ; because, doubtless, whilst I behold the secrets of the heart, 1 judge from the weight of thought within, the future result of the work without. It follows ; Ver. 3. Thei/ how themselves for the birth, and bring forth, and utter roarings. xiii. 47. For they roar in truth, whilst by bending themselves down, they bring forth the souls of their hearers in the con- versation of light; because they cannot release us from eternal punishments, except by tears and pain. For holy ])reachers sow in tears now, that they may afterwards reap a crop of joys. They are now like hinds in the pangs of bringing forth, that they may afterwards be fruitful in spi- ritual offspring. For, to speak of one out of many, T see Paul, like a hind, uttering roarings of great pain in his Gal. 4, pangs of birth. For he says, 3Ii/ little children, ofwhom I 19.20. travail in birth again, till Christ be formed, in you, I desire to be with you now, and to change my voice, since I am perplexed, for you,. Loj he wishes to change his voice in liis child-birth, that the voice of preaching may be turned into the roaring of pain. He wishes to change his voice, because those whom he ,had already brought forth by preaching, he was again bringing forth with groans in forming them anew. What a roaring did this travailing hind utter, when he was compelled to exclaim to these same Gal 3 Pc^s^J^Sj returning after him, saying, O senseless Galatians ! 1. who hath bewitched you? and are ye so foolish, that when ye have begun in the Spirit, ye are now made perfect by the i