Psalms 146:4

The Apostle says, "I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted from the chastity which is in Christ." But their minds are corrupted by such conversations: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Those who love these things, who pursue these things, who consider this life alone to be, who hope for nothing beyond, who either do not pray to God or pray to Him for these very things, for whom the discourse of diligence is burdensome, let them hear us say these things with great sadness. They want to eat and drink; for tomorrow they die. If only they truly thought that they would die tomorrow. For who is so mad and perverse, who is so much an enemy of his own soul, who, dying tomorrow, does not think that all things for which he labors will have ended? For it is written: "On that day all his thoughts will perish." Even if men take care in drawing up a will on the imminent day of their death for the sake of those they leave behind, how much more should they think of their own soul? Man considers whom he will leave behind, but he does not think of himself who leaves all these things behind.

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.

There are many uses of the word spirit in general in the sacred Scriptures, and a person could easily become confused from ignorance, if he did not know to what sort of spirit the particular text refers. Therefore, we must be sure of the nature of the Holy Spirit according to Scripture. For example Aaron is called Christ (anointed), and David also, and Saul and others are called Christs, yet there is only one true Christ; similarly since the name of spirit has been given to many things, we must determine what in particular is called the Holy Spirit. Many things are called spirits; our soul is called spirit; this wind that is blowing is called spirit; great valor is called spirit; impure action is called spirit; and a hostile devil is called spirit. Take care, therefore, when you hear such things, not to mistake one for another because of the similarity of name. Scripture says of the soul, "When his spirit departs he returns to the earth"; and again of the soul, "Who forms the spirit of a person within him." It says in the Psalms of the angels, "Who make your angels spirits";16 it says of the wind: "With a vehement spirit you shall break in pieces the ships of Tharsis"; and "As the trees of the woods are moved with the spirit";18 and "Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of storm." Our Lord says of his blessed teaching: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life," that is, they are spiritual. The Holy Spirit is not an utterance of the tongue; he is living, granting wise speech, speaking and discoursing himself.

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. […]

His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return into his earth. But when he shall have returned into his earth, what will happen? In that day all his thoughts shall perish: all the confidence of princes. All their thoughts shall perish. Put not your trust in princes. Many have trusted in princes. Today he was, tomorrow he is not. Today the army goes before him, and in the evening he lies in the tomb. After such great magnitude, such great glory, no intervals of time intervene: in the same moment is the working of Christ.