“If we understand what it means to be subject to Christ, especially in light of the passage, "And when everything is subject, he also, the Son, will subject himself to him who made everything subject to him," then we will understand the lamb of God who takes on himself the sin of the world in a way worthy of the goodness of the God of the universe. And yet the lamb does not take on himself the sins of all, if they do not suffer and experience torment until their sins are taken from them. There are in fact thorns that are not merely loose but firmly stuck in the hands of whoever is so drunk with vice as to even forget the state of sobriety, as it says in Proverbs, "Thorns are hidden in the hands of a drunkard." Must we spend words describing what troubles such implanted evils cause to the one who accepts them in the body of his soul? One who has accepted moral evil so deeply in his soul as to become a land that produces thorns needs to be deeply cut by the living Logos of God, which is "effective and sharper than any two-edged sword," hotter than any fire. Into a soul reduced to this state, that fire must be sent that is capable of finding the thorns and getting at them in virtue of its divinity, without setting fire to the stems and ears of the fields. Many are the ways in which the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world, in the first place through the sacrifice of himself. Some of these ways can be shown to the many, while others are hidden to them and known only to those considered worthy of the divine wisdom.”

“How is it possible that Elisha, when Elijah his master gave him the opportunity, asked for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah? The Lord says in the Gospel, "The disciple is not greater than the master. But everyone who is well prepared will be like his master." But if we examine the mystery of this request, we will find that it is not an inopportune one but necessary. In fact, "Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I must do for you before I am taken from you. Elisha responded, I beg you that a double portion of your spirit be in me. And he responded, You have asked a difficult thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken away from you, it will be granted to you. If not, it will not be granted you." What does Elijah symbolize here but our head, that is, the Lord our Redeemer, and Elisha his body, which is the church? Elijah, then, gives the occasion to ask, because in the Gospel it says, "Ask, and it will be given you." And also, "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Having received this assurance from the Lord, Elisha, that is, the Christian people, asks that the spirit of Christ be doubled in him, which is to say, a double grace of the Holy Spirit, for the remission of sins and for the conferral of virtue. Our Redeemer, who had no sin, and neither did he commit sin, nor was deception found in his mouth, had no need for the remission of sins, not having any sin, but carried out the works of the Holy Spirit. He says this to the Jews in the Gospel: "If I cast out demons by the finger of God, it is because the kingdom of God has come on you."”

“When it says, "There remained only a people very few in number, with a prince of the house of David. Some of them did what was pleasing to God, but others multiplied sins," it indicates that the descendents of the house of David and the tribes of Judah and of Benjamin did not completely reject the worship of God and his temple, as did the ten tribes that were in Samaria. But some of them were idolaters, such as Joram, Ahaziah, Manasseh, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. Others adhered to their God, as did Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah. Similarly, their subjects also acted in different ways: some followed the right way, others stumbled into error. For this reason it later happened that when many had already deviated from the truth, they were punished with imprisonment, so that those who had worshiped idols in their own land would also worship them in a foreign land.”

“What it says in this passage, "He dug a canal in the rock with iron and built cisterns for water," mysteriously indicates the holy city, of which it is written, "The Savior is our fortified city," which cannot remain hidden since it is built on a hill. Elsewhere it is also written, "The rush of the river gladdens the city of God," and, "Marvelous things are said of you, city of God." He founded it and fortified it. And the Father says, "He built my city" and restores all the walls—which were in part knocked down by the malice of the pagans or of the heretics—with correct faith and true religion, raising the towers of the virtues and putting another wall without, a bulwark. In the building of forts these are called parapets, and they teach us to hold on to the efficacy of good works. It is not enough in fact to have the wall of faith, if this faith is not reinforced by good works. This wall and this bulwark are in fact made of living stones, which, according to the prophet, turn on the earth. The king made every kind of armor and shield, establishing the various testimonies of Scripture and commanding the evangelical doctrine in defense of his church. He established doctors who would lead the spiritual warriors and guide all the armies in a just and reasonable way, adequately defending the church's camps against every enemy.”

“For Hezekiah, by now without hope, according to the words of the prophet who told him the judgment, his life was extended fifteen years. The sun, continuing on its way, he made to retreat. This was a sign. The sun went backwards for Hezekiah but was eclipsed for Christ. In both phenomena, the retreat and the eclipse, a sign was given, although with different meaning with respect to Hezekiah and to Jesus. If Hezekiah managed to have the divine judgment revoked, would Jesus not give the remission of sins? Be converted, therefore, and mourn over your sins, close the door and pray to obtain the forgiveness of sins and avoid the burning flames, since confession has the power to put out the fire itself, just as it has the strength to tame lions.”