Verse 11. — 'Who teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the sky' (Job xxxv, 11). God teaches us to beware the pleasures of the flesh and the elation of the spirit. The beasts of the earth are those who by the practice of carnal life seek the lowest things; but the birds of the sky are those who by the zeal of proud curiosity scrutinize sublime things. The former by living lay themselves down below what they are; the latter by inquiring raise themselves beyond what they can. Fleshly pleasure casts the former down into the lowest depths; the lust of curiosity, as it were, erects the latter into the higher regions. To the former it is said through the sacred oracles: 'Do not become like the horse and mule, which have no understanding' (Psalm xxxi, 9 [Ps. 32:9]); the proud labor of the latter is rebuked when it is said:
'Do not seek things higher than you, and do not search out things stronger than you' (Sirach iii, 22 [Ecclesiasticus 3:21]). To the former it is said: 'Mortify your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence' (Colossians iii, 5); to the latter it is said: 'Let no one deceive you through philosophy and empty deceit' (Colossians ii, 8). God therefore teaches us above the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky, because while we acknowledge what we are, neither does the infirmity of the flesh cast us down, nor does the spirit of pride lift us up; neither by flowing downward are we subjected to the lowest things, nor by being proud are we puffed up concerning sublime things. For he who slips by the flesh is prostrated by the appetite of beasts; but he who is exalted in mind is lifted up, after the manner of birds, as it were on the feather of levity.
Pride is the seed-bed of luxury. The flesh drowns those whom proud knowledge lifts up. Justly does the mind lose dominion over the flesh if it refuses to serve God. But if it is watchfully attended, so that both humility of mind and chastity of the flesh may be kept, we quickly recognize that the one is guarded by the other. For to many, pride has often been the seed-bed of luxury, because while the spirit as it were erected them on high, the flesh drowned them in the lowest depths. For these are first exalted in secret, but afterward fall publicly, because while they swell with hidden motions of the heart, they fall by open lapses of the body. Thus, thus were they to be smitten by a just retribution: that because by pride they prefer themselves to men, by luxury they might sink down even to the likeness of beasts.
'For man, when he was in honor, did not understand; he was compared to the senseless beasts, and became like them' (Psalm xlviii, 13 [Ps. 49:12,20]). For as it were the feather of knowledge had lifted them on high, concerning whom Paul said that which we also cited above: 'Because when they had known God, they did not glorify Him as God, or give thanks, but became vain in their thoughts' (Romans i, 21). But how they fell into the pleasure of beasts, or more than of beasts, he subjoined, saying: 'God delivered them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness' (ibid., 24). Behold, the flesh drowned those whom proud knowledge lifted up, and from the flight of birds they slipped down beyond the appetite of beasts;
and thence were they prostrated beneath themselves, whence they seemed to go above themselves. Care must therefore be taken, and the mind must be guarded with all vigilance from the swelling of pride. For our thoughts do not fly across empty before the eyes of God; and no moments of time pass through the soul without a standing of retribution. Within, therefore, God sees that which elevates the mind, and therefore He permits to grow strong outwardly that which may bring it down. Within it is first exalted, which afterward outwardly is smitten by the corruption of luxury. An open striking, namely, follows a hidden fault, so that by outward evils the inward parts may be punished, and the heart may fall publicly which was secretly swelling. Hence indeed through Hosea it is said against the Israelites:
'The spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord' (Hosea v, 4). And that he might show that the cause of lust broke forth from the fault of elation, he presently subjoined, saying: 'And the arrogance of Israel will answer to his face' (ibid., 5). As though he said: The fault which through elation of mind lay hidden in secret, answered openly through the luxury of the flesh. Therefore the cleanness of chastity must be preserved through the guarding of humility. For if the spirit is piously pressed down under God, the flesh is not unlawfully lifted up above the spirit. For the spirit has dominion over the flesh committed to it, if only under the Lord it acknowledges the rights of legitimate service. For if by pride it despises its own author, it justly undergoes battle also from the subject flesh.
Hence also that first disobedient one, as soon as he sinned by pride, covered his shameful parts (Genesis iii, 7). For because he brought the insult of the spirit upon God, presently he found the insult of the flesh. And because he was unwilling to be subject to his author, he lost the right over the subject flesh which he ruled, so that, namely, in himself the confusion of his disobedience might redound, and, being overcome, he might learn what, being elated, he had lost. If we neglect humility of heart, God despises the integrity of the flesh. No one, therefore, after he has begun to seek supernal things, if he is prostrated by pleasure of the flesh, should judge himself conquered then only when he is openly overcome. For if for the most part the poison of lust is born from the root of elation, then the flesh conquered when the spirit secretly swelled:
even then the soul fell, through the origin of the fault, into the wantonness of beasts, when, exalting itself after the manner of birds, it flew beyond what it ought. For hence it is that a long continence is suddenly dissolved, hence that for the most part even a virginity preserved unto old age is corrupted. For because the humility of heart is neglected, the upright Judge despises even the integrity of the body; and at some time He announces as reprobate through open evil those whom for a while He tolerated as reprobate in secret. For he who suddenly lost a good long preserved, held within himself another evil, from which another suddenly burst forth, through which he stood alienated from Almighty God even then when he showed himself to cleave to Him through cleanness of body.
Because, therefore, the elation of the mind draws to the pollution of the flesh, the heart of the reprobate is sunk from the flight of birds to the wantonness of beasts. But holy men, lest by bestial appetite they be rolled down into the abyss of luxury, solicitously guard the thoughts of the mind from the flight of pride; and lest by growing foolish they fall into the lowest things, whatever they know sublimely, they press down humbly. Rightly, therefore, is it said: 'Who teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the sky.' You must supply: even this he did not say. In adversities we fail, because we know not how to use prosperities with moderation. This, therefore, which excels beasts and birds, he says that the weak one does not remember in tribulation; as though he said:
Every weak person for this reason in no way strengthens himself in perturbation, because in tranquillity also he does not exercise moderation; and therefore he knows not how to tolerate adverse things, because, being established in prosperities, he did not by consideration learn to press himself down from the flight of birds, nor to lift his carnal motions up from the gluttony of beasts. But this is by so much the more unfittingly said of blessed Job, as his life is wondrously tempered between things high and low. Which indeed can also be understood otherwise: 'Who teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the sky.'
For just as by the term 'beasts' is signified the life of men still subject to the motions of the flesh, so by the appellation of 'birds' is figured the elation of proud spirits, so that by beasts indeed earthly men, but by birds the demons, may be designated. Whence when the Lord said that the seed had fallen by the wayside, He subjoins: 'The birds of the sky came and devoured it' (Matthew xiii, 4), signifying assuredly by the birds the aerial powers. Holy men, while they subject themselves to God, surpass and despise all transitory things. But holy men, because they neither seek the lowest examples of men, nor again are deceived by demoniacal subtlety, both above the beasts of the earth and above the birds of the sky grow up by the virtue of instruction.
For they are taught above the beasts of the earth, because whatever can be desired in the lowest things they despise. They are also instructed above the birds of the sky, because they comprehend all the snares of unclean spirits. They are taught above the beasts of the earth, because they seek nothing in this life which passes away. They are instructed above the birds of the sky, because the aerial powers, which they still tolerate through the infirmity of the flesh, they already trample by the merits of their life. Paul had already been taught above the beasts of the earth, saying: 'For many walk.' And a little after: 'Whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their confusion, who mind earthly things. But our conversation is in heaven' (Philippians iii, 18-19). And again he showed himself instructed above the birds of the sky,
when he said: 'Do you not know that we shall judge angels?' (1 Corinthians vi, 3). He beheld the beasts beneath himself, because, namely, being still placed on the earth, he trampled the ways of men who dwell in the lowest things. And again he had transcended the flight of birds by the dignity of his merits, because, being about to enter upon heavenly things, he was not ignorant that he would judge the angels. In the former he trampled the lowest things of the unclean, in the latter the highest things of the proud. For the minds of the saints despise all transitory things, and behold slipping beneath themselves whatever is proud, whatever passes away; and, as it were established on a certain summit of things, they perceive all things to be beneath them by as much as they more truly subject themselves to the author of all;
and thence they transcend all things, whence they lay themselves under the Creator of all things with true humility. Let him say, then: 'Who teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the sky.' As though he said: The weak one, conquered by faintheartedness, did not say these things, and therefore the adversity of temptation struck him, because in the time of tranquillity he by no perfection overcame all these transitory things. For he would not shudder at the adversities of this life, if by the merit of perfection he had also trampled its prosperities. There follows: