422 Preachers blessed or not/or hearers^ sake. Job 39, not the Icaclior then be pufTcd up with ])ride in tliese cases '- — in which he preaches copiously, lest his tongue be perchance . filled, not for his own, but for his hearers' sake; and let not a hearer be angry, in cases in which a teacher speaks barrenly, lest the tongue of the teacher perchance be dumb, not for his own, but his hearers' rejection. For power of speech is given even to bad teachers for the sake of a good hearer, just as words of preaching were able to abound to the Matt. Pharisees, though it was written of them, All therefore what- 23 3 • * ' soever they have said to you, observe and do: but do not after their works. But skill in speaking is taken away even from good teachers, for the rejection of their hearers. As is Ez.3,26. said to Ezekiel against Israel; / will make thy tongue cleave to the roofofthy mouth, and thou shalt he dumb, and shall not be as a man reproving, for it is a provoking house. 82. But the word of preaching is sometimes granted on account of both, sometimes withdrawn on account of both. For it is given on account of both, as is said by the voice of Acts 18,God to Paul amongst the Corinthians; Be not afraid, but ibid. 10, speak. And a little after. For I have much jjeople in this city. But it is withdrawn on account of both, as Eli the priest both knew the wicked conduct of his children, and exercised not the fitting language of reproof, when these the guilt of their sin, and him the punishment of his silence, was plainly about to mulct \\ith the suffering of death. When we know not therefore, amongst these cases, either for whom the fervour ofspeech is given, or on whose account it is withdrawn, the one safe remedy is, neither to pride ourselves on those gifts which we have received beyond others, nor yet to make jest of another for having received less: but to walk gravely and steadily, with the firm-fixed foot of humility. Because we are in this life the more truly learned, the more we know that our learning cannot be supplied to us from ourselves. Why should therefore any one be proud of his learning, who knows not either when it is given to any one by a secret sentence, or when it is withdrawn .? For though fear seems to be always far removed from security; yet there is nothing safer for us than ever to feel fear, under the prevalence of hope, lest our mind should from want of caution plunge itself into sin through desperation, or fall headlong