THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Bless the Lord, my soul. Let the collective spirit within us, united in Christ, declare this. O Lord my God, You are greatly exalted! Psalm 102:1. Where do You receive glory? You have adorned Yourself with confession and beauty. Acknowledge Him to be adorned; may He be your covering. You are draped in light as if it were a garment. Psalm 103:2. You find your place in His Church, which has transformed from darkness to light in Him, as the apostle articulates: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Ephesians 5:8. You stretch forth the heavens like a tapestry, as easily as one would extend a covering; or, if possible, by the authority of Holy Scripture spread across the world, likened to a covering, for mortality is symbolized in this covering. All the authority of the Divine Scriptures has been entrusted to us through mortal beings, whose legacy continues after their passing.
You cover the upper realms with water. Psalm 102:3. What are these upper realms? They are heavenly. What is Heaven? Figuratively, we have alluded to it as the Divine Scriptures. What comprises the upper aspects of these Scriptures? The commandment of love, which stands above all. Mark 12:31. Why is love compared to water? Because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. Romans 5:5. Where does the Spirit originate—like water? For Jesus proclaimed: "Whoever believes in Me, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38. How do we affirm this was stated concerning the Spirit? The evangelist clarifies it, stating, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive."
He who rises above the wings of the winds—that is, above the virtues of the soul. What encompasses a soul's virtue? Self-love. And how will He conquer it? Because God's love for us surpasses our love for Him.
He makes spirits His angels, and a consuming fire His ministers. Psalm 102:4. It refers to those who are already spirits, those who are spiritual rather than earthly; He sends them forth as His angels to proclaim His Gospel. A consuming fire serves Him, for if the minister fails to burn with zeal, he does not inspire fervor in those who hear him.
He established the earth upon its solid foundation. Psalm 103:5. He built the Church on the steadfastness of this foundation. What is this firmness? It is the foundation of the Church. What is that foundation? It is what the Apostle says: "No one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." 1 Corinthians 3:11. Thus, what does this foundation merit? It shall not be shaken forever. He set the earth on its foundation; He situated the Church on the cornerstone of Christ. The Church would crumble if its foundation were compromised; but when will Christ, the Creator of all who before His incarnation brought everything into existence, be shaken? John 1:3, who sustains all by His glory, Hebrews 1:3, also us through His grace, cannot fail. Because Christ endures, the Church shall not falter. Where are those who claim the Church has vanished from this world—when it remains steadfast?
The abyss, as a garment, is its covering. Psalm 102:6. Whose garment is it? Might it be God’s? Yet He has already stated, "Clothed in light as a garment." If God wears light as a garment, then what is the abyss? The great expanse of waters is referred to as the abyss. All water, all moist matter, flows through seas, rivers, and hidden chambers, collectively known as the Abyss. This informs our understanding when He said, "He founded the earth." I believe He referred to it, stating, "The abyss, like a garment, is its garment." For water symbolizes the clothing of the earth, enclosing and enveloping it.
The waters stand above the mountains, indicating that the earth's covering, which is the abyss, has risen so high that the waters now loom over even the mountains. We read of this during the flood, where the prophet aimed to prophesy the future, not recount the past, indicating that the Church must endure a deluge of persecution. At one time, torrents of oppressors shrouded God’s creation and His Church, concealing even the mighty mountains. When they scattered, how did they continue to be unrecognizable? And perhaps it is these very waters that proclaim, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my very soul." Especially those torrents that render the sea tumultuous and desolate. For any terrain submerged by the sea becomes barren rather than fertile. Underwater were the mountains, for waters surged even above the mountains.
Why did the apostles flee? Because the waters overtopped the mountains. The power of the waters was immense, yet for how long? Listen to what unfolds subsequent to this.
At Your rebuke, they shall scatter. Psalm 102:7. And so it happened, brethren; through the command of God, the waters receded, returning from their advance on the mountains. Now the mountains themselves—Peter and Paul—how they are elevated! Those once oppressed by persecutors now stand honored like emperors. The waters have receded at the command of God; for He holds the hearts of kings in His hand, directing them as He wishes. Proverbs 21:1. He decreed peace for Christians; the authority of the Apostles has thrived and risen.
The waters fled at the Lord's rebuke. At the sound of Your thunder, they were filled with dread. Who wouldn’t tremble at God's voice through the apostles, the Scriptures, and through His tempestuous presence? The sea settled, the waters were still, the mountains were laid bare, the emperor issued the commands. Who would have uttered such commands had God not thundered? Because God desired it, they commanded and it occurred. Therefore, let no one presume anything for themselves.
The mountains rise, and the plains descend to the place which You have established for them. Psalm 102:8. He continues to speak of the waters. Let us not interpret mountains here as just earthly formations; nor plains as mere flatlands, but as great waves that could be likened to mountains. The sea has surged, and its waves could have cloaked the mountains revered by the Apostles. But how long do these mountains rise and the plains sink? They have raged, yet now they are subdued. When they were tumultuous, they towered; now that they are tranquil, they are likened to plains, for He has designated a place for them, a certain channel as if it were a deep basin where all these once unruly hearts have retreated.
Once mountains, now they are plains; but, dear brethren, even the calm sea still holds power. Why no longer do they act with cruelty? Why do they not rise in fury? Why, if they cannot overthrow our land, do they not seek to engulf it? Why don’t they?
Listen. You have set a boundary that they cannot surpass, nor return to overwhelm the earth. Psalm 103:9. Therefore, now that the fiercest waves have been contained, we are allowed to proclaim such things with freedom; they possess appointed limits, incapable of surpassing their bounds, and will not return to cover the earth. What is happening on the earth in this time, left bare by the sea? Although gentle waves murmur at its edge, and even the Gentiles cause some disturbance around it; I hear the murmurs of shores, yet I do not fear a flood.
What transpires on the earth? Who sends forth springs into the valleys? Psalm 102:10. You send, he remarks, springs into the low places. You know what valleys are—those humble dips amid the land. For hills and mountains stand opposed to valleys and low places in their elevation. Hills and mountains represent the high places of the earth, and valleys signify the lowly. Do not disregard these lowly places, for springs flow from them. You send forth springs to the valleys, not the high ground.
Hear the mountain. The apostle declared, I have labored more than anyone else. Here is some greatness presented before us, yet for the waters to flow; he made for himself a valley, stating, but not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10. There is no contradiction in mountains being also valleys; for they are called mountains by their spiritual elevation and valleys by the humility of their spirit. "Not I," he states, "but the grace of God with me."
What does it mean, “In the midst of the mountains the waters shall flow through”? We recognize the mountains as great Proclaimers of the Word, exalted Angels of God, albeit in mortal flesh; elevated, not by their strength but by His grace. In their humility, they become valleys pouring out springs. Thus it is said, “Between the mountains shall flow the preaching of the Word of Truth.” What exists in between the Apostles? That which is termed "in the midst" implies a shared inheritance. The shared inheritance, through which all equally live, belongs to all and does not singularly belong to me or to you.
For if it is not communal, it becomes personal, flowing without public access, where I have my own and you have yours, which is no place for such sharing; yet this is not the denomination of peace. As such, dear brethren, let that which we have articulated serve this intention because of the springs: may they flow through you, as valleys, and share all that you have received from God. Allow the waters to flow in the midst, desiring nothing for yourself, but rather be filled, and as you are filled, let it spill over. Let the shared water of God be glorified everywhere, not the personal falsehoods of humanity.
Hence, all the beasts of the forest shall drink. Psalm 103:11. We witness this in the visible creation, where the beasts of the forest quench their thirst at the springs flowing between mountains. Yet, since it pleased God to hide His wisdom within the elements of creation, not to withhold it from the eager, but to reserve it for those who seek earnestly; the Lord God delights in exhorting through us, that amidst these corporeal things, we might seek spiritual mysteries that, once discovered, bring us joy. By the beasts of the forest, we comprehend the Gentiles; and the Scriptures affirm this in various passages.
These creatures sip from these waters, yet fleetingly; not remaining, but passing through, for all the teachings disseminated in this time are transient. Unless your love believes that in that city to which it is commanded to praise the Lord, Jerusalem, praise your God, Zion; for He has fortified the bars of your gates; when the bars are now strengthened, and the city is secure that no friend may exit nor enemy enter; there will we find a comprehensive discourse to read, or a teaching clarified as it is presently articulated to you. Thus, we articulate it now, that it may be preserved; we word it in segments so that it can be contemplated in its entirety.
There will be no deficiency of the Word of God there, nor of writings, nor of sounds, nor of books, nor of readers, nor interpreters. How, then? As it is written, "In the beginning was the Word." John 1:1. He did not come to us to be taken from there; for He was in the world, and the world was created through Him. This is the Word we should reflect upon. For the God of gods will appear in Zion. But when will this occur? After our pilgrimage, once the journey is complete: unless, however, after our journey concludes, we are ushered before the Judge, who may then cast us into prison. But if, upon the conclusion of our journey—as we hope, aspire, and strive—we arrive at our homeland, there we shall behold that which we shall eternally praise; and he who possesses this, and we who partake, will never be satiated; neither will he who eats be satisfied, nor shall he who consumes know satisfaction in what he eats. Great and marvelous will be this contemplation.