“"God created man from the earth," namely as regards the body, "and made him according to His own image," namely as regards the soul. He gives us to understand that the human soul has three operations, according to its power and operation. "Every noble soul has three operations," by which it turns itself upon its own body, upon itself, and toward divine things. Sometimes it turns itself upon the body: it has the tongue for speaking, ears for hearing; sometimes it turns itself upon itself; sometimes toward understanding and knowing God. And this is according to the threefold consideration of the soul; for the soul is considered as the form and perfection of the body, as a this-something, and as an image.”

“"Counsel and a tongue and eyes and ears and a heart He gave them for thinking, and He filled them with the discipline of understanding." He gives us to understand that the human soul has three operations, by which it turns itself upon its own body, upon itself, and toward divine things. That this understanding is partly from the dictate of nature is evident in Adam, because he imposed names upon all things. But that God "filled him with the discipline of understanding," this was his privilege; hence it is not in us. But our soul has signed upon it a certain light of nature, through which it is apt for knowing first principles; but that alone does not suffice, because, according to the Philosopher, "we know principles insofar as we know terms." For when I know what a whole is, what a part is, I immediately know that "every whole is greater than its part."”

“The ways of human beings are their desires and their actions, which in any case do not escape God's knowledge, since "everything is naked and exposed before his eyes." This is why the psalmist says, "The Lord knows a person's thoughts: they are but a breath." But he has especially known the way of those whom he approves. Conversely, it is said that he does not know the ways of those whose actions he condemns. Thus it is written, "The Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked ends in ruin."”

“We may interpret that the rulers placed by God over every people are the angels to whom he entrusted the care of each people, according to that word of Deuteronomy, "He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the angels of God." And one reads in the book of Daniel that there is a head of the Greeks and a head of the Persians, besides Michael, who is the head of the people of God. It also deals with the holy doctors, whom divine election established as those who would preach his word throughout the earth. Thus John was commanded in the Apocalypse to write to the angel of Ephesus and to the angel of Smyrna, and also to the angel of Pergamum and to the angels of the other churches.”

“Remember thou then at all times that God looketh at thee, and do thou thyself also look at Him inwardly, even as He seeth thee inwardly, and sin shall not abide in thy thoughts. For as in the place whereupon the sun looketh darkness abideth not, even so in the soul upon which God looketh, and which itself also feeleth that He is regarding it, the darkness of wickedness remaineth not. "The eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun," saith the Holy Book, "and He seeth all the works of the children of men." And in another place it saith, "All the deeds of men shine as the sun before Him, and He examineth and knoweth their ways." Now the prophet of God also rebuketh by his speech the wickedness of that man who is without the fear of God, and who upon the cushion of his couch acteth abominably, and rebuking his stupid thought that God could not see him, for God doth see him, he brought forward this proof saying, "The eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun," in order that he might teach every man that God seeth our secret things, and that we should take heed with all diligence against the sins which are wrought in secret.”

“"And do not let the abyss swallow me or the pit close its mouth around me." What does this mean? What is he praying for? The abyss of human iniquity is a great pit, and anyone who falls into it will fall very far down. However, if the one who has fallen confesses his sins to God, then the pit will not close its mouth around him. As it is written in the Psalms, "Out of the depths have I cried to you, Lord. O Lord, listen to my voice." But it is different if the disaster found in another Scripture has happened to the sinner: "One who is devoid of reverence sinks deep into sin and is defiant." The pit has closed its mouth on him. In what sense does it mean that it closed its mouth? It has plugged the sinner's mouth shut. When the sinner refuses to confess his own guilt, then he is truly dead, and it has been fulfilled in him what is said elsewhere, "A confession coming from a dead person is like one who does not exist." Brothers and sisters, we must greatly fear such a disaster. If you see someone commit a sin, consider that person as though he or she were sunk in the pit. But if, at present, you point out the person's sin and he says to you, "I have sinned. I truly confess," the pit has not yet closed its mouth on him. If instead you hear that person saying, "Is what I have done that bad?" then he has become a defender of his sin and the pit has closed its mouth. There is no way for him to be pulled back outside. Clearly if there is no confession, there is no recourse to mercy. If you defend your sin, how can God free you from it? If therefore you want him as your liberator, you must be your own prosecutor.”