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the house was filled with smoke. 13. 9And one of the Seraphim was sent to me, and in his hand he had a live coal, which he had taken with tongs from the altar, and he touched my mouth, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips9, etc. To Jeremiah, indeed, who said, "O Lord, Master, Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth 1940," the Lord stretched out his hand, and touched his mouth, filling it with prophetic grace, since it did not need purification. But now to him who needs this, not the Lord, but one of the Seraphim brings the cleansing coal, from which they have rightly borne the name, burners, that is, those who set on fire. For which reason it has been said concerning the angelic power: "He who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." For they are purifiers of those who need purification. And God fills his altar with cleansing coals, for which reason it says somewhere: Coals were kindled from him. And Moses called God a consuming fire. The Savior also baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. For it is not possible to be cleansed, except through the divine fire. For the fire itself will test what sort of work each one has done. And he will be saved, it says, as through fire. But perhaps the coal should be taken as a symbol of Christ, which is wood by nature, yet is wholly filled through and through with the fire, of which it has both the power and the energy. And the divine Scripture is accustomed to compare God to fire. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." For in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt, according to the manner of the union. Hence the flesh of the Savior is also a worker of wonders. He touched the bier, at any rate, and raised the widow's son. And by spitting, he bestows sight, he who cleanses the lips by being in them, when we confess our faith in him. Therefore Paul also says: "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the proclamation of faith which we proclaim," and what follows this. For through him the filth of sin is melted away, and we become fervent in spirit. For his flesh took away the sin of the world. And David also says: "Your word is exceedingly refined, and your servant has loved it;" having perceived the energy from this. Akin to this is the fire on the bush and on Horeb; with such fire the heart of Cleopas and Simon was burning, when the Lord opened the Scriptures to them. Jeremiah received such a fire, for which reason he also said: "And it became a fire in my inward parts, and being overcome on every side." This the Savior also came to cast upon the earth. "And what do I wish, he says? but it has already been kindled." This is the fire the Seraph takes from the altar. And this is a heavenly place of purification for souls, from whence the cleansing fire is sent forth to the sanctified powers. These, however, while enjoying the honor due to each from God, exist under one yoke; for they serve the Master's commands, accepting servitude as a part of honor. Therefore now also 1941 the Seraph ministers to the prophet's purification, taking the coal with the tongs, showing the reverence which it has for the altar, not daring to touch it with its hand. For the fire was true, and not a strange one, by which Nadab and Abihu were consumed. For this is brought to the prophet's lips as not burning. The tongs are not now because of its burning quality, but signify the fitness that is in each person, in proportion to the affinity for the good that exists in each. Or, that the faith and knowledge in Christ, as with certain tongs, we receive through the teachings of both the law and the prophets, by whose testimonies the apostles, sealing their own words, persuaded their hearers, bringing the coal to their lips, and preparing them to confess the faith; which the prophet, having received, takes courage, no longer saying: Woe is me; but running of his own accord to the mission from the one who appeared. So much can ministering powers do, being sent to those who are to inherit salvation, not coming with their own authority, nor of their own will.

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οἶκος ἐπληρώθη καπνοῦ. ιγʹ. 9Καὶ ἀπεστάλη πρός με ἓν τῶν Σεραφεὶμ, καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ εἶχεν ἄνθρακα, ὃν τῇ λαβίδι ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ στόματός μου, καὶ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ ἥψατο τοῦτο τῶν χειλέων σου9, κ.τ.λ. Τῷ μὲν Ἱερεμίᾳ εἰρηκότι· "Ὁ ὢν, ∆έσποτα Κύριε, ἰδοὺ, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι λαλεῖν, ὅτι νεώτερος ἐγώ 1940 εἰμι," ἐξέτεινε Κύριος τὴν αὑτοῦ χεῖρα, καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πληρῶν τῆς προφητικῆς αὐτὸ χάριτος, ἐπείπερ οὐκ ἐδεῖτο καθάρσεως. Νῦν δὲ τῷ δεομένω ταύτης, οὐχ ὁ Κύριος, ἓν δὲ τῶν Σεραφεὶμ προσάγει τὸν ἄνθρακα τὸν καθάρσιον, ὅθεν εἰκότως τὴν, ἐμπρησταὶ, ἤγουν ἐμπιπρῶντες, προσηγορίαν ἠνέγκαντο. ∆ι' ὃ περὶ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς δυνάμεως εἴρηται· "Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα." Καθαρτικοὶ γάρ εἰσι τῶν δεομένων καθάρσεως. Πληροῖ δὲ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ θυσιαστήριον ἀνθράκων καθαρτικῶν ὁ Θεὸς, δι' ὅ πού φησιν· Ἄνθρακες ἀνήφθησαν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πῦρ καταναλίσκον τὸν Θεὸν ἐκάλει Μωσῆς. Βαπτίζει καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι καὶ πυρί. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ καθαρθῆναι, πλὴν διὰ τοῦ θείου πυρός. Ὁποῖον γάρ ἐστιν ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον, τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ δοκιμάσει. Καὶ σωθήσεται δὲ, φησὶν, ὡς διὰ πυρός. Μή ποτε δὲ Χριστοῦ σύμβολον ληπτέον τὸν ἄνθρακα, ὃς ξύλον μέν ἐστι τῇ φύσει, πλὴν ὅλος δι' ὅλου μεμέστωται τοῦ πυρὸς, οὗ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Παρεικάζειν δὲ φιλεῖ πυρὶ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἡ θεία Γραφή. "Γέγονε δὲ σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν." Ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ γὰρ πᾶν τὸ τῆς θεότητος κατῴκηκε πλήρωμα, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἑνώσεως τρόπον. Θαυματουργὸς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡ σάρξ. Ἥψατο γοῦν τῆς σοροῦ καὶ ἀνέστησε τὸν τῆς χεῖρας υἱόν. Καὶ πτύσας, τὸ βλέπειν χαρίζεται, ὃς περικαθαίρει τὰ χείλη γινόμενος ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅταν τὴν πίστιν ὁμολογῶμεν τὴν εἰς αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· "Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματί σου, καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· τουτέστιν τὸ κήρυγμα τῆς πίστεως, ὃ κηρύσσομεν," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὁ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκτήκεται ῥύπος, γινόμεθά τε τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες. Αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἡ σὰρξ ἦρε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Καὶ ∆αβὶδ δέ φησι· "Πεπυρωμένον τὸ λόγιον σου σφόδρα, καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σου ἠγάπησεν αὐτό·" τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἐνεργείας αἰσθόμενος. Συγγενὲς δὲ τούτου τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς βάτου καὶ τοῦ Χωρήβ· τοιούτῳ πυρὶ Κλεώπα καὶ Σίμωνος ἐκαίετο ἡ καρδία, ὅτε διήνοιγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Κύριος τὰς Γραφάς. Τοιοῦτον Ἱερεμίας ἔλαβε πῦρ, δι' ὃ καὶ ἔλεγεν· "Καὶ ἐγένετο πῦρ ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου, καὶ παρ' εἶναι πάντοθεν." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἦλθεν βαλεῖν. "Καὶ τί θέλω, φησίν; ἀλλ' ἤδη ἀνήφθη." Τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λαμβάνει τὸ Σεραφείμ. Χωρίον δὲ τοῦτο καθαρισμοῦ ψυχῶν ἐπουράνιον, ὅθεν ἐκπέμπεται ταῖς ἁγιαζομέναις δυνάμεσι τὸ καθάρσιον πῦρ. Αὖται μέντοι τῆς πρεπούσης ἑκάστῃ παρὰ Θεοῦ τιμῆς ἀπολαύουσαι ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ὑπάρχουσιν ἕνα· νεύμασι γὰρ ὑπηρετοῦσι ∆εσποτικοῖς, ἐν μέρει τιμῆς τὴν δουλείαν δεχόμενα. ∆ιὸ καὶ νῦν 1941 τὸ Σεραφεὶμ τῇ τοῦ προφήτου καθάρσει διακονεῖ, λαμβάνον τῇ λαβίδι τὸν ἄνθρακα, τὸ σέβας ἐμφαῖνον, ὅπερ ἔχει πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, χειρὶ μὴ τολμῆσαν ἐφάψασθαι. Ἀληθινὸν γὰρ ἦν τὸ πῦρ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀλλότριον, ᾧ Ναβὰδ καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ κατεκάησαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὡς μὴ καῖον τοῖς χείλεσιν τοῦ προφήτου προσάγεται. Οὗτο νῦν διὰ τὸ καυστικὸν ἡ λαβὶς, ἀλλὰ δηλοῖ τὴν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τυγχάνουσαν ἐπιτηδειότητα πρὸς τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἐν ἑκάστῳ ὑπαρχούσης πρὸς τὸ καλὸν οἰκειώσεως. Ἢ, ὅτι τὴν ἐπὶ Χριστῷ πίστιν καὶ γνῶσιν, καθάπερ τινὶ λαβίδι, δεχόμεθα διὰ νομικῶν τε ἅμα καὶ προφητικῶν παιδευμάτων, ὧν ταῖς μαρτυρίαις οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοὺς ἰδίους λόγους ἐπισφραγίζοντες, ἔπειθον τοὺς ἀκούοντας, τὸν ἄνθρακα τοῖς αὐτῶν προσάγοντες χείλεσιν, καὶ τὴν πίστιν ὁμολογῆσαι παρασκευάζοντες· ὃν ὁ προφήτης δεξάμενος θαῤῥεῖ, μηκέτι λέγων· Τάλας ἐγώ· ἀποστολῇ δὲ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ φανέντος ἐπιτρέχων αὐτόματος. Τοσοῦτον δύνανται δυνάμεις λειτουργικαὶ πεμπόμεναι πρὸς τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν, οὐκ αὐθεντικῶς, οὐδὲ αὐτεξουσίως παραγινόμεναι.