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saying: with such a fire are the hearts of those fervent in spirit warmed; such a fire Jeremiah received, for which reason he also said: And a fire came to be in my inward parts, and I am exhausted on all sides. And it shows the great honor and reverence concerning the altar, that the Seraphim did not dare to touch with its own hand, but used the tongs, as a kind of mediator. Let us therefore understand the coal as the true word, ardently and with reproof purifying falsehood, to whomever it is brought by the active power. For the hand of the Seraphim one must understand as an activity productive of good things. And he said: Behold, this has touched your lips, and it will take away your iniquities and will completely cleanse your sins. It must not be thought to have been said to Isaiah alone, but also to all, whom the ardent and true word touches, removing the things done outside the divine law and cleansing from things done sinfully. And let us also receive the visitation of the divine Word, so that, as if dwelling in our mouths and giving no place to falsehood, it may cleanse our lips and take away our sins. And not implausibly will the coal be understood as the nature of the word, according to the testimony of the psalm, saying: Your word is exceedingly refined, and your servant has loved it. 6.188 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said: Behold, it is I; send me. It is worthy of investigation, why indeed Moses, being sent, refuses and for a long time fights against the commission, declining it; but Isaiah so readily gives himself over. For Moses is not asked, "Whom shall I send?" but he receives the command to his face: And now (he says) come; I will send you to Pharaoh in Egypt, and you will lead out my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt. But Isaiah, when the word was indefinitely seeking one to minister in the commission, submits himself. What then do we say? The dispositions of the Saints are not in conflict, being opposed to one another concerning the same matter. But that Moses knew the situation, for which he was being sent, for this reason he hesitated, looking both at the unyieldingness of Pharaoh's heart and again at the disobedience and unruliness of the people. For he had experience of the ingratitude of the Jews, that even having received benefits, they had driven him into exile. For which reason, not bearing their wickedness, he had withdrawn to the tranquility in the desert; on the pretext of shepherding, fleeing the disturbances of cities and of many men. For this reason he says: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead out the people from the land of Egypt? For neither will Pharaoh send away the people without great evils, and the people are not easy to handle, always resisting those caring for their salvation. And the following things also show the mind of Moses. For when after the making of the calf God, having given grace to his servant for the forgiveness of the sin of the people, finally says: Go and lead this people and I will send my Angel before you, what then does Moses say? I pray, Lord, if you yourself do not go before us, do not lead us up from here. What then is the thought of the man? That the people are sinful and need the One who forgives sins, which is impossible for Angels. Angels are indeed punishers of things sinned, but not forgivers of transgressions. For this reason he seeks for Him to come, that is what he also now says: 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 since the fullness of time had not yet come and it was necessary for humanity to be prepared beforehand in the types, for this reason the request of the Prophet was not heard. Isaiah, however, after his sins had been forgiven, since he had said, that I dwell in the midst of a people, having unclean lips, then heard: Who will go to this people? Thinking that similar things

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φάς· τοιούτῳ θερμαίνονται πυρὶ τὴν καρδίαν οἱ τῷ πνεύ ματι ζέοντες· τοιοῦτον ἔλαβε πῦρ Ἱερεμίας, διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἐγένετο πῦρ ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου, καὶ παρεῖμαι πάν τοθεν. Ἐμφαίνει δὲ πολλὴν τὴν περὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τιμὴν καὶ εὐλάβειαν, τὸ μὴ καταθαρσῆσαι τῇ ἰδίᾳ χειρὶ ἐφάψασθαι τὸ Σεραφεὶμ, ἀλλ', οἱονεὶ μεσίτῃ τινὶ, χρήσασθαι τῇ λαβίδι. Νοήσωμεν οὖν ἄνθρακα λόγον ἀληθῆ, διαπύρως καὶ ἐλεγ κτικῶς καθαίροντα τὸ ψεῦδος, οἷς ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς δραστηρίου δυνάμεως προσενεχθῇ. Τὴν γὰρ χεῖρα τοῦ Σεραφεὶμ ἐνέρ γειαν χρὴ νοεῖν ἀγαθῶν παρεκτικήν. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ, ἥψατο τοῦτο τῶν χειλέων σου, καὶ ἀφελεῖ τὰς ἀνομίας σου καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου περικαθαριεῖ. Οὐ πρὸς μόνον Ἡσαΐαν νομιστέον εἰρῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντας, ὧν καθάπτεται ὁ διάπυρος καὶ ἀληθὴς λόγος, πε ριαιρῶν τὰ ἔξω τοῦ θείου νόμου ἐπιτελούμενα καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτητικῶς πραττομένων καθαίρων. ∆εξώμεθα δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς θείου Λόγου ἐπιδημίαν, ἵνα οἱονεὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενος τοῖς στόμασιν ἡμῶν καὶ μηδεμίαν χώραν παρέχων τῷ ψεύδει, καθαρίσῃ ἡμῶν τὰ χείλη καὶ ἀφέλῃ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. Οὐκ ἀπιθάνως δὲ ὁ ἄνθραξ εἰς τὴν τοῦ λόγου φύσιν μεταληφθή σεται, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ μαρτυρίαν, λέγοντος· Πεπυρω μένον τὸ λόγιόν σου σφόδρα, καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σου ἠγάπησεν αὐτό. 6.188 Καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς Κυρίου λέγοντος· Τίνα ἀποστεί λω, καὶ τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; Καὶ εἶπον· Ἰδού εἰμι ἐγώ· ἀπόστειλόν με. Ζητήσεως ἄξιον, τί δήποτε Μωϋσῆς μὲν παραιτεῖται πεμπόμενος καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀπομάχεται τὴν ἀποστολὴν παραιτούμενος· Ἡσαΐας δὲ οὕτω προχείρως ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδίδωσι. Μωϋσῆς μὲν γὰρ οὐχὶ ἐρωτᾶται Τίνα ἀποστείλω; ἀλλ' αὐτὸς εἰς πρόσωπον δέχεται τὸ ἐπίταγμα· Καὶ νῦν (φησὶ) δεῦρο· ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραὼ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἐξάξεις τὸν λαόν μου, τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ, ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. Ἡσαΐας δὲ, ἀορίστως τοῦ λόγου τὸν διακονούμενον τῇ ἀποστολῇ ἐπιζη τοῦντος, ἑαυτὸν ὑποβάλλει. Τί οὖν φαμεν; Οὐκ ἀπομαχό μεναί εἰσι τῶν Ἁγίων αἱ διαθέσεις περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πρᾶγμα ἐναντίως ἔχουσαι πρὸς ἀλλήλας. Ἀλλ' ὅτι Μωϋσῆς μὲν ᾔδει τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ἧς ἕνεκεν ἀπεστέλλετο, διὰ τοῦτο ὤκνει πρός τε τὸ ἀνένδοτον τῆς καρδίας τοῦ Φαραὼ ἀποβλέπων καὶ πρὸς τὸ δυσπειθὲς πάλιν καὶ δυσάγωγον τοῦ λαοῦ. Πεῖραν γὰρ εἶχε τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι καὶ εὐεργετηθέντες, ἐφυγάδευσαν αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν κακίαν αὐτῶν μὴ φέρων, πρὸς τὴν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἡσυχίαν ἀνεχώρησεν· ἐπὶ προφάσει τοῦ ποιμαίνειν, τοὺς τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων θορύβους ἀποδιδράσκων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Τίς εἰμι, ὅτι πο ρεύσομαι πρὸς Φαραὼ καὶ ὅτι ἐξάξω τὸν λαὸν ἐκ γῆς Αἰ γύπτου; Οὔτε γὰρ Φαραὼ ἄνευ μεγάλων κακῶν ἐξαποστέλ λει τὸν λαὸν, καὶ ὁ λαὸς οὐκ εὔκολος μεταχειρισθῆναι, ἀν τιβαίνων ἀεὶ τοῖς πρὸς σωτηρίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελομένοις. ∆είκνυσι δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν Μωϋσέως καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς. Ὅτε γὰρ μετὰ τὴν μοσχοποιίαν δοὺς τὴν χάριν τῷ θεράποντι αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῆς συγχωρήσεως τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος τοῦ λαοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, τελευταῖόν φησι· Πορεύου καὶ ὁδήγει τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ Ἄγγελόν μου ἔμπροσθέν σου, τί οὖν Μωϋσῆς; ∆έομαι, Κύριε, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς σὺ προπορεύῃ ἡμῶν, μὴ ἀνα γάγῃς ἡμᾶς ἐντεῦθεν. Τί οὖν ἡ διάνοια τοῦ ἀνδρός; Ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς ὁ λαὸς καὶ χρῄζει τοῦ Ἀφιέντος ἁμαρτίας, ὅπερ Ἀγγέλοις ἀδύνατον. Τιμωροὶ μὲν τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων Ἄγγελοι, συγχωρητικοὶ δὲ τῶν πλημμελουμένων, οὐκέτι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖ αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν, τουτέστιν ὃ καὶ νῦν φησι· Προχεί ρισαι ἄλλον, ὃν ἀποστελεῖς, τουτέστιν ἐλθέτω ὁ ἀληθινὸς Νομοθέτης, ὁ δυνατὸς Σωτὴρ, ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἀφιέ ναι ἁμαρτίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὔπω ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν καιρῶν καὶ ἔδει ἐν τοῖς τύποις προεθισθῆναι τὴν ἀνθρω πότητα, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἰσηκούσθη τοῦ Προφήτου ἡ αἴτησις. Ἡσαΐας μέντοι, μετὰ τὸ ἀφεθῆναι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ εἴρηκεν, ὅτι Ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ ἐγῶ οἰκῶ, ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος, εἶτα ἤκουσε· Τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; Νομίσας ἐπὶ τῷ τὰ παραπλήσια