tify him; the light that discovers is followed with a burning coal that purges away.

The Holy Spirit is that purifying fire, a touch of it cleanseth the hearts and lips, and all, and kindles that affection in the foul that cannot die out, that many, that no waters can quench again. It doth this to all that are fanctified, but eminently (it doth it, or at leaft they defire it may) to these that are to be the inftruments of enlightening, purging and kindling others: So, in the refemblance of fiery tongues, came down this Spirit on the Apoftles, and thence they themselves were as burning coals scattered through the nations, bleft incendiaries of the world, fetting it on fire with the love of Chrift, tanquam ligna ardentia difperfa. Aug.

Ver. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth, and faid, Lo, this bath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy fin is purged.

Thine iniquity is taken away.] How impure foever before. This free grace is wonderful, to make fome that have been notorioufly unclean, by the change wrought by this fire, the touch of a coal, to become eminently gracious, and meffengers of grace to others, carrying this and spreading it. They, though originally of dark clay, are by this fire made tranfparent glafs, through which the light of the gospel shines into the Church.

This coal, taken from the altar, may denote the deriving of the Spirit from Jefus Chrift, our Priest, Altar, Sacrifice, and all, by which we are purged and made fit for his fervice; he is the fountain of light, and life, and purity, and all grace to his meffengers and all his followers. His grace is indeed a live coal, where heavenly heat is mixed with earth, the fulness of the Godhead with our nature in human flesh: Thence we draw near, and especially they that bear his name to men, in a sense of their own impurity, intreat his touch, as devout Bernard, and in a holy hyperbole,

hyperbole, "Had the Prophet need of a coal; Oh "then grant for me a whole globe of fire, to purge "away my filthinefs, and make me a fit meffenger to "this people!"

Thy fin is purged.] The children of God are a wonder to themselves, when that Spirit comes in that conquers and purges fo fuddenly and eafily what they before groan under, and wrestle with very long to little or no purpofe. It is a change of the right hand of the Moft High, as the Latin reads that word in Pfalm lxxvii. 10. I faid, This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Moft High; mutatio dextræ Excelfi: a touch of that will cleanfe and heal; the all-purifying virtue of his Spirit, whereof this baptifm of the Prophet's lips was a fymbol, takes away the drofs, which by other means than that fire cannot be purged: So in metals much pains may be taken, and ftrength of hand ufed with little effect, at most that does but fcratch the superficies, makes the outfide a little bright and shining, but fevers not the drofs from within; that cannot be done without fire. Have we not found how vainly we attempt, while God withholds his hands? yea, while a man fancies felf-pureness, he is the more impure, as Job ix. 30, 31. If I wash myself with fnowwater, and make myself ever fo clean, yet fhalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes fhall ab bor me: Therefore prayer is the great resource of a foul under a fenfe of uncleannefs, begging a new creation; fo it is indeed; Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Pfal. li. 10.; following God with this fuit, and refolving to follow him till he grant it; for we well know he is able, and may fay, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

This fire hath two effects; it works purity and activity, it takes away fin, and puts in fpirit and life for obedience; and fo here, thy fin is purged; and then, fays he, Here am I; fend me: and the former is VOL. II. effectual

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effectual towards the latter; the more the foul is cleanfed, the more alive and able it is made for fervice. The purging out of thofe fickly humours makes it more vigorous and able, whereas they abounding, clog the fpirits, and make the vital operations heavy and weak. A foul well cleanfed from the love of fin, and the world, and self, is in a healthful temper, and goes nimbly to any work; outward difcouragements and difficulties are then nothing: a feverish distemper within, hinders and makes one lazy and unwieldy, unwilling and unable to labour; but that well purged and cured, he cares less for the hot weather without; ftrength of nature endures that more easily. Oh! how fweet to be thus acted by love pure intention and defire of doing God fervice, and bringing him in glory! Other motives, or the mixtures of them, are bafe; and though God may make ufe fometimes of fuch, yet he fees within, and knows what fpring makes the wheels go, and he gives them their reward here, fomewhat poffibly of that they feek, (fuccefs, and credit, and a name), but the after reward of faithful fervants they need not look for in that work; for they receive their reward, and can they expect more? Many an Here am I, comes from other incentives than an altar coal; and fo they may burn and fhine a while, but they foon confume and die out in a fnuff; the heavenly altar fire alone keeps in, and returns to heaven where it was kindled.

There is many a hot furious march under the femblance and name of zeal for God, that loves to be feen, as Jehu, 2 Kings x. 16. Come with me, and fee my zeal for the Lord. Such perfons may flatter themfelves into that conceit in the heat of action, to think it is for God, while he sees through it, and judges it as it is, zeal for felf and their own intereft; and he gives them accordingly fome hireling journeyman's wages, and then turns them off. But Oh! where the heart is purely acted by a defire of this glory,

and

and feeks nothing elfe; for fuch remains that blessed word, Well done good and faithful fervant, enter into thy Master's joy.

This, then, is to be fought for by minifters and eminent fervants in public affairs, yea, by all that offer any service to God, a readinefs from love; fomething of this there is in all that are truly his, though held down in many, and almoft fmothered, with rubbish; and in these there is fome mixture of flesh drawing back, The Spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak, and a load to it, hindering its working; and this ftrife is often found as a horfe to an unskilful rider, at once pricked with the fpur, and checked with the bridle: But where this fpirit of love is, it doth prevail, and wastes that oppofition daily, and groweth in ftrength, more quick and ready, more freed from felf, and acted by the will of God; attaining fomewhat further in that conformity with heaven, where shall be no will ftriving but His alone, where thofe glorious bright spirits ftand ready for all commands, that excel in frength, and employ it all to do his commandments, Pfal. ciii. 20.; and the more like them we be here, the more lively hope have we to be thortly with them, and to be wholly as they are.

Ver. 8. Alfo I heard the voice of the Lord, faying, Whom fball I fend, and who will go for us? Then faid I, Here am I; fend me.

This inquiry imports not a doubtful deliberation in God, but a purpose to fend. He is represented as a king, advifing with himfelf or council; and this is by fome conceived as an intimation of the mystery of the Trinity, as Gen. i. 26; and God faid, Let us make man in our own image. Whom shall I fend, and who will go for us? But were there not ready millions of thefe winged meffengers; what need then fuch a word? True, angels were ready, but a man was fought; God, vouchfafing to fend an embaffy to

men,

men, will fend one that might speak their language to them, and might stay and treat with them in a familiar friendly way, (an ambaffador in ordinary to lie still and treat with them); and in this condefcenfion much wisdom and love appears; he will take men fubject to the like infirmities and pollutions with the people, as the Prophet here acknowledges, but one purged from these pollutions, made holy, though not perfectly, yet eminently holy. This is very fuitable, were not men invincibly obftinate, more fuitable than that God fhould fend by angels, that one of themfelves fhould come and deal with men for God, and bear witness of this graciousness and readiness to forgive, fo as to give himself for an inftance of it, and fay, "I have found him fo." And they being changed and fanctified, fhow really that the thing may be done; that it is feasible to fanctify a finner; and fo finful men appear to be fitter for this service than embodied angels.

I faid, Here am I ; fend me.] What a bleffed change on Paul caft to the ground! his own will was broke all to pieces, and now he is only for His fervice, whose name he fo hated, and perfecuted his fervants; Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Acts ix. 6. ; these are the ; very words and characters of a true convert, and thus the foul turned to Christ may in fome cafes doubt what is his will, but that once refolved, there is no deliberation whatever to do it or not. He fays not, if the fervice be honourable or profitable, that is, carrying worldly credit or profit in it, then will I do it ; no, but whatever it is, if it be thine, and thou appoint me to it, bere am I; and this makes the meaneft work of this ftation excellent.

Then faid I, Here am I.] A ftrange change in the Prophet, even now an undone man, and here prefently a ready meffenger, and fo turned an angel. Something of this moft find that are truly called to this high work of delivering meffages from God; fométimes a fenfe of pollution benumbs and ftrikes them

dead,