July 19

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.—Isaiah 6:8.

This inquiry imports not a doubtful deliberation in God, but a purpose to send. He is represented as a king, advising with himself or his council. And this is by some conceived as an intimation of the mystery of the Trinity, as Genesis 1:22, And God said, Let us make man in our own image.—Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? But were they not ready, millions of these winged messengers? What need, then, of such a word? True; angels were ready, but a man was sought. God, vouchsafing to send an embassy to men, will send one that might speak their language to them, and might stay and treat with them, in a familiar, friendly way, an ambassador in ordinary, to lie still and treat with them. And in this condescension much wisdom and love appear. He will take men subject 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 suitable; were not men invincibly obstinate, more suitable than that God should send by angels, that one of themselves should come and deal with men for God, and bear witness of his graciousness and readiness to forgive, so as to give himself for an instance of it, and say, "I have found him so." And they being changed and sanctified, show really that the thing may be done; that it is feasible to sanctify a sinner; and so, sinful men appear to be fitter for this service than embodied angels.

I said, Here am I, send me. What a blessed change was wrought on Paul, when east to the ground! His own will was broken all to pieces, and now he is only for his service, whose name he so hated, and whose servants he persecuted. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? These are the very words and characters of a true convert. And thus a soul turned to Christ may in some cases doubt what is his will, but that once resolved, there is no deliberation whether to do it or not. He says not, if the service be honorable 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, Here am I. And this makes the meanest work of his station excellent.

Then said I, Here am I. A strange change in the prophet, even but now an undone man, and here presently a ready messenger, and so turned to an angel. Something of this, most find who are truly called to his high work of delivering messages from God: sometimes a sense of pollution benumbs and strikes them dead, and anon again they feel the flame of love kindled by that coal, quickening them to such a readiness and such free offers of themselves to service, as, to those who understand not the reason of it, would seem presumptuous forwardness. And there may be in some minds, at one and the same time, a strange mixture and counterworking of these two together; a sense of unfitness and unworthiness drawing back, and yet the strength of love driving forward, thinking thus, how can I, who am so filthy, so vile, speak of God? Yet he hath shown me mercy! How, then, can I be silent?

Send me. Moses' reluctance, this same prophet would have vented too, before the touch of the coal, while he said, Woe is me, I am undone, or struck down, as the word may signify; he can not speak with such unholy lips of so holy a God. Isaiah cries out of polluted lips, as Moses complained of stammering lips. And this is fit to precede, first, a sense of extreme inability and unworthiness, and then, upon a change and call, ready obedience. A man once undone and dead, and then recovered, is the only fit messenger for God. In such a one, love overcomes all difficulties both without and within, and in his work no constraint is he feeling but that of love; and where that is, no other will be needed. The sweet, all-powerful constraint of love will send thee all-cheerful, though it were through fire or water: no water can quench it, nor fire outburn it; it burns hotter than any other kindled against it. After the touch of that coal, no forbearing. So Jeremiah 20:9; But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, I could not stay. Feed the flock of God which is among you, says St. Peter, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint but willingly; not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind. Yet the prophet says, Send me. Though he had so ardent a desire and readiness to go, yet he will not go unsent, but humbly offers himself, and waits both for his commission and instruction; and how awful are they!