THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Praise should be offered without condemnation. A hymn serves as a melody of adoration. Approach with thanksgiving rather than with reproach. When you implore the Almighty to punish your adversary, or when you derive happiness from another’s misfortune and invoke God concerning that sorrow, you inadvertently involve Him in your wrongdoing. In doing so, your petition transforms from an act of praise to one of reproach.
You may have offered praises to unfamiliar deities, perhaps even to ancient hymns born from the old self rather than the renewed one. Let the new self arise and celebrate with fresh melodies, embracing those divine things that facilitate this renewal. What can be older than God, the Almighty, who exists beyond time with no beginning or end? He becomes new to you when you turn back to Him, for in His absence, you have grown weary, lamenting, “I aged because of my adversaries.” Thus, we compose a song of worship to our God, and this very hymn liberates us. I will call upon the Lord to exalt Him, and through this praise, I shall find deliverance from all my foes. A hymn is indeed a song of adoration; we should call upon God to glorify Him rather than to express dissatisfaction with Him.
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If one were to inquire about the figure alluded to in this psalm, I would succinctly answer: it is Christ. It is essential to recognize, dear brethren, that at times Christ speaks in His own voice and also through His Body. He, as the Savior of the Body (Eph. 5:23), is our Head; the Son of God born of a virgin, who endured suffering for our sakes, who was resurrected for our justification, and now sits enthroned at God's right hand interceding for us (Rom. 8:34). He must restore justice with reparation for both the wicked and the good in His judgment over all that has been done. He humbly chose to be our Head by taking on our humanity, the very flesh in which He suffered for us, which He also resurrected to demonstrate the promise of our own resurrection. This grants us renewed hope in what we previously feared to hope for, enabling us to stand firm upon the Rock and to walk in Christ.
At times, He speaks on behalf of our Head and also on behalf of us, His members. Even when He proclaimed, “I was hungry, and you gave Me food” (Matthew 25:35), He voiced the needs of His members rather than His own. And when He questioned, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4), the Head lamented for His members, saying, “Why do you persecute Me?” If He experiences suffering through us, we will also share in the glory with Him. What can compare to the love of Christ? This is why He has filled our mouths with hymns, speaking for His members.
The righteous will observe, tremble, and place their trust in the Lord. Who are the righteous? They are the believers, for it is by faith that the righteous shall live (Hab. 2:4). In the Church, there is an order: some lead while others follow; the leaders are tasked with setting a standard for those that follow, who in turn should mimic those in front of them. However, do those who position themselves as examples for others fail to follow anyone themselves? If they do not, they risk falling into error. Hence, they too must follow someone, specifically Christ Himself.
The righteous will witness and feel reverence. They perceive the narrow path here and the broad way there: on one side, the few, while on the other, the multitude. As a righteous person, do not tally the numbers; rather, discern their weight. Use a just balance rather than a deceptive one, for you are called righteous. The just shall see, and fear shall also touch you. Therefore, do not be swayed by the throngs filling the broad ways, who will soon crowd the arenas to celebrate the city’s anniversaries, indulging in wickedness. Do not fixate on them; their multitude is beyond count. Instead, focus on the few traversing the narrow road. Apply the balance, and measure the weight—a mere few grains against a mountain of chaff.
The righteous, those who faithfully follow, should weigh this. What remains for those leading? They should remain humble and refrain from self-exaltation; they should not mislead those following them. How can they misdirect? By claiming salvation originates with themselves. What then should the followers do? The righteous will observe, fear, and trust in the Lord—not in those preceding them. They may look to their leaders for guidance, imitating them, but they do this because they recognize from whom they have received the grace to proceed; they trust in Him. So, while they consider leaders as models, their true trust is in the source of grace from which others have received their identity.
The just will notice this, tremble, and place their trust in the Lord. As another psalm states, “I will lift my eyes to the hills,” representing all distinguished clergy in the Church who possess substantial integrity and are not inflated with pride. Through these leaders, we receive the Scriptures; they are prophets, evangelists, and sound teachers. To them, I look for help, but to clarify, he continues, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The righteous shall see this, tremble, and trust in the Lord.