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For their preceding and natural life is to gaze always upon the beauty of God, and to glorify him perpetually; but their circumstantial activity is the care and turning towards us men. Such also was the one who now brought the coal. But let us understand this as a true word, fervently and convictingly purifying falsehood, for whomever it may be brought by the active power. For one must understand the hand of the Seraph as an activity productive of good things. Therefore, the Lord did not send the prophet who had been purified in a commanding way, but says: Who will go? Such a voice was testing him, and calling forth his eagerness, so that he might receive the reward for his good choice. And it seems also to accuse Israel greatly, as being always disobedient to those who are sent, and punishing them in various ways. Therefore God also says to Ezekiel: "But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, because they do not want to listen to Me, for all the house of Israel are contentious and hard-hearted." From which it seems as if one were at a loss, Who will be able to persuade Israel? But he, since he partook of the divine coal, is pure, and eager and youthful for the mission, of which the disciples of Christ, having partaken even more, became more fervent for it. But God did not ask Moses, as now Isaiah; but as having him ready, he says: "Come, I will send you to Pharaoh king of Egypt." And yet he refuses, but the one borne by the greatest love, having heard the word indefinitely, gives himself up, having reckoned nothing of what he was about to suffer. But Moses did not have a disposition contrary to this. But he knew the situation to which he was being sent, and that Pharaoh is unyielding, 1944 and the people of Israel disobedient, having learned this by experience. For having been well-treated, they caused their benefactor to flee, and under the pretext of shepherding he avoided the tumults of men. And he reveals his mind in what follows. For when by his prayers they escaped the punishment for the making of the calf, and God said to him: "Go and lead this people, and I will send my angel before you," he says immediately: "I pray, Lord, if you yourself do not go before us, do not lead us up from here." For what reason? Because the sinful people need the one who forgives sins, which is impossible for angels. For angels are punishers of sins committed, but no longer forgivers of them. Therefore from the beginning he said, Appoint another whom you will send. That is, Let the true lawgiver come, the mighty Savior, the only one having authority to forgive sins. But he was not heard, because the fullness of times was not yet present, and humanity had to be accustomed beforehand in types. But Isaiah, having been forgiven his sins after saying, that I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; then now hearing, Who will go to this people? thinking that the one sent was being sought so that they might be similarly benefited, he submits himself out of exceeding joy, so that their sins might be forgiven; however, he has made his answer secure, as one who has benefited already from the purification of the coal. For to two statements he has made one answer, Whom shall I send? and, Who will go? Behold, it is I, send me, no longer adding, and, I will go. For to accept the mission is up to us; but to be empowered for the journey is from God who gives the grace; therefore he left this to God, promising nothing due to the weakness of nature ...what he did not take for himself, this the Lord grants, saying: Go, and say to this people. But the phrase: Behold, it is I, he said with confidence, as having already partaken of the one who is, and counting himself among those who are, after the purification. But since God appointed first apostles, second prophets, for this reason Isaiah first receives the gift of apostleship; and Moses hears: "Come, I will send you;" and Jeremiah: "For to all to whom I will send you, you shall go." And he who has his guiding faculty shaped by him hears the voice of the Lord, because of the purity of the in him

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Προηγουμένη γὰρ αὐταῖς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶ ζωὴ τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ κάλλει ἐνατενίζειν ἀεὶ, καὶ διηνεκῶς δοξάζειν αὐτόν· περιστατικὴ δὲ ταύταις ἐνέργεια ἡ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιμέλεια καὶ στροφή. Τοιαύτη καὶ ἡ νῦν προσενεγκοῦσα τὸν ἄνθρακα. Νοήσωμεν δὲ τοῦτον λόγον ἀληθῆ, διαπύρως καὶ ἐλεγκτικῶς τὸ ψεῦδος καθαίροντα, οἷς ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς δραστηρίου δυνάμεως προσενεχθῇ. Τὴν γὰρ χεῖρα τοῦ Σεραφεὶμ ἐνέργειαν χρὴ νοεῖν ἀγαθῶν παρεκτικήν. Ὁ δ' οὖν Κύριος καθαρθέντα τὸν προφήτην προστακτικῶς οὐκ ἀπέστειλεν, ἀλλά φησι· Τίς πορεύσεται; ∆οκιμάζοντος δὲ τοῦτον ἡ τοιαύτη φωνὴ, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ προθυμίαν προκαλουμένου, ὡς ἂν τῆς ἀγαθῆς προαιρέσεως κομίζοιτο τὸν μισθόν. Ἔοικε δὲ καὶ αἰτιᾶσθαι λίαν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς τοῖς ἀποστελλομένοις ἀεὶ γινόμενον ἀπειθῆ, καὶ διαφόρως αὐτοὺς τιμωρούμενον. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἰεζεκιήλ φησιν ὁ Θεός· "Ὁ δὲ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὐ μὴ ἐθελήσωσιν ἀκοῦσαί σου, διότι οὐ βούλονται εἰσακοῦσαί μου, ὅτι πᾶς ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ φιλόνεικοί εἰσι καὶ σκληροκάρδιοι." Ὅθεν ἔοικεν ἀποροῦντι, Τίς δυνήσεται πεῖσαι τὸν Ἰσραήλ; Ὁ δὲ, ἅτε ἄνθρακος τοῦ θείου μεταλαβὼν, καθαρὸς μέν ἐστι, πρόθυμος δὲ καὶ νεανικὸς πρὸς ἀποστολὴν, οὗ μετειληφότες μᾶλλον οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ θερμότεροι πρὸς ταύτην ἐγένοντο. Θεὸς δὲ τὸν Μωϋσῆν οὐκ ἠρώτησεν, ὡς νῦν Ἡσαΐαν· ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχων ἕτοιμον, φησί· "∆εῦρο, ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου." Καὶ ὅμως παραιτεῖται, ὁ δὲ πλείστῃ τῇ ἀγάπῃ φερόμενος, ἀορίστως ἀκούσας τοῦ λόγου, ἐπιδίδωσιν ἑαυτὸν μηδὲν ὧν πάσχειν ἤμελλεν λογισάμενος. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐναντίαν ταύτῃ διάθεσιν ἔσχεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς. Ἀλλ' ᾔδει τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, εἰς ἣν ἀπεστέλλετο, καὶ ὡς ἀνένδοτός ἐστιν ὁ Φαραὼ, 1944 ὁ δὲ λαὸς Ἰσραὴλ δυσπειθὴς, πεῖραν τούτου μαθών. Εὖ γὰρ παθόντες τὸν εὐποιήσαντα φυγεῖν παρεσκεύασαν, καὶ προφάσει ποιμενικῆς τοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων θορύβους ἐξέκλινεν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τὴν γνώμην τοῖς ἐφεξῆς. Ὡς γὰρ ταῖς αὐτοῦ λιταῖς τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ μοσχοποιίᾳ δίκην ἀπέδρασαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰπόντος· "Πορεύου καὶ ὁδήγει τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου ἐξαποστελῶ ἔμπροσθέν σου," φησὶν εὐθέως· "∆έομαι, Κύριε, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς σὺ προπορεύῃ ἡμῶν, μὴ ἀναγάγῃς ἡμᾶς ἐντεῦθεν." Τίνος χάριν; Ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ὁ λαὸς χρῄζει τοῦ ἀφιέντος ἁμαρτίας, ὅπερ ἀγγέλοις ἀδύνατον. Τιμωρητικοὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων οἱ ἄγγελοι, συγχωρητικοὶ δὲ τούτων οὐκέτι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐξαρχῆς ἔλεγεν, Προχείρισαι ἄλλον ὃν ἀποστελεῖς. Τουτέστιν, Ἐλθέτω ὁ ἀληθινὸς νομοθέτης, ὁ δυνατὸς Σωτὴρ, ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας. Οὐκ εἰσηκούσθη δὲ, ὅτι μήπω παρῆν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν καιρῶν, καὶ ἔδει ἐν τοῖς τύποις προεθισθῆναι τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Ἡσαΐας δὲ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφείμενος εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἐγὼ οἰκῶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος· εἶτα νῦν ἀκούσας, Τίς πορεύεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; νομίσας ἐπὶ τῷ παραπλήσια κακείνους εὐεργετηθῆναι, ζητεῖσθαι τὸν ἀποστελλόμενον, ὑπὸ περιχαρείας ἑαυτὸν ὑποβάλλει, ὡς ἂν κακείνοις ἀφεθῇ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα· ἀσφαλῆ μέντοι πεποίηται τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, ὡς ὠφελημένος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἄνθρακος ἤδη καθάρσεως. Πρὸς γὰρ δύο λόγους μίαν πεποίηται τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, Τίνα ἀποστελῶ; καὶ, Τίς πορεύσεται; Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπόστειλόν με, μηκέτι προσθεὶς καὶ, Ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ δέξασθαι τὴν ἀποστολὴν, ἐφ' ἡμῖν· τὸ δὲ δυναμωθῆναι πρὸς τὴν πορείαν, ἐκ τοῦ διδόντος τὴν χάριν Θεοῦ· διὸ τοῦτο κατέλιπε τῷ Θεῷ, μηδὲν ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἀσθενείᾳ τῆς φύσεως ...περ οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἑαυτῷ, τοῦτο χαρίζεται Κύριος, εἰπών· Πορεύθητι, καὶ εἶπον τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ. Τὸ δέ· Ἰδοὺ, εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, θαῤῥῶν εἶπεν, ὡς ἤδη τοῦ ὄντος μεταλαβὼν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ἀριθμῶν ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, διὰ τοῦτο Ἡσαΐας πρῶτον τὸ τῆς ἀποστολῆς δέχεται χάρισμα· καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἀκούει· "∆εῦρο ἀποστελῶ σε·" καὶ Ἱερεμίας· "Ὅτι πρὸς πάντας οὓς ἂν ἐξαποστελῶ σε, πορεύσῃ." Ἀκούει δὲ φωνῆς Κυρίου ὁ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τυπωθεὶς, διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ καθαρότητα τοῦ