Psalms 146:3

The poor Christian sees this, ignoble, sighing in daily labor with groans, and perhaps says to himself: "What good is it to me that I have become a Christian? Am I better off than he who is not, than he who does not believe in Christ, than he who blasphemes my God?" The psalm advises him: do not put your trust in princes. Why does the flower of the grass delight you? All flesh is grass, as the Prophet says; he not only speaks but exclaims. The Lord exclaimed to him: Cry out, He said. And he answered: What should I cry out? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of the flesh is like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, the flower falls. Is everything lost then? By no means. But the word of the Lord endures forever. Why does the grass delight you? Behold, the grass has perished. Do you want not to perish? Hold on to the Word. So too in this psalm. For the poor, humble Christian might be looking at a rich and powerful pagan, looking at the flower of the grass, and perhaps choosing him as a patron rather than God. The psalm addresses him: Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men in whom there is no salvation. He immediately responds: "Does he say this about one who has salvation? Behold, he is healthy. Today I see him vigorous. I myself am constantly sick with misery." Why do you look at things that please and delight you? There is no salvation. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. Behold all his salvation, a vapor appearing for a moment. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. Let a few years pass. Let the river move, as usually happens, running through various tombs of the dead. Distinguish the bones of the rich man from the bones of the poor man. Upon his spirit departing, he returns to his earth. He said nothing of his spirit for the best because when he lived, he thought nothing spiritually. […]

To these were added the sons of Maximin, with whom he had already shared imperial honors and whose features he had displayed publicly in portraits. Those who previously had boasted that they were related to the tyrant and tried to lord it over others endured the same sufferings and disgrace, for they did not accept correction or understand the precept in the sacred books:Put not your trust in princes, In the sons of men who cannot save. His breath shall depart and he shall return to his earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. When the impious were thus removed, the rule that belonged to them was preserved secure and undisputed for Constantine and Licinius alone. They had made it their priority to purge the world of hostility to God, and, acknowledging the blessings he had conferred on them, they showed their love of virtue and of God, their devotion and gratitude to the Deity, through their edict in behalf of the Christians.

"Put not your trust in princes" [Psalm 146:3]. Brethren, here we receive a mighty task; it is a voice from heaven, from above it sounds to us. For now through some kind of weakness the soul of man, whenever it is in tribulation here, despairs of God, and chooses to rely on man. Let it be said to one when set in some affliction, "There is a great man, by whom you may be set free;" he smiles, he rejoices, he is lifted up. But if it is said to him, "God frees you," he is chilled, so to speak, by despair. The aid of a mortal is promised, and you rejoice, the aid of the Immortal is promised, and are you sad? It is promised you that you shall be freed by one who needs to be freed with you, and you exult, as at some great aid: you are promised that Liberator, who needs none to free Him, and you despair, as though it were but a fable. Woe to such thoughts: they wander far; truly there is sad and great death in them. Approach, begin to long, begin to seek and to know Him by whom you were made. For He will not leave His work, if He be not left by His work.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. This he says generally to all: Put not your trust in princes, not in the emperor, not in prefects, not in the judges of the world. Put not your trust in princes. Who are the princes? The sons of men. Who are the sons of men? Those in whom there is no salvation.

There is indeed a Son of man in whom there is help, in whom there is salvation, and who will not fail those that trust in him. But all other sons of men are like the man they are sprung of, who, being in honour, did not abide.