Such,^[1] however, is not the nature of the righteous person. But what manner of person is he? Hear the same prophet, saying, They that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion. What does the phrase as Mount Zion mean? He shall not be shaken forever, he says. For whatever engines [instruments of warfare] you bring up, whatever darts you hurl, desiring to overturn a mountain, you will never be able to prevail. For how can you? You will break in pieces all your engines and exhaust your own strength. Such also is the righteous person. Whatever blows he may receive, he suffers no evil therefrom but destroys the power of those who take counsel against him, and not of human beings only but of demons. You have heard often what engines the devil brought up against Job. But not only did he fail to overthrow that mountain but drew back exhausted, his darts broken to pieces and his engines rendered useless, by that assault!

For to those who thus examine themselves and conform their hearts to the Lord, nothing adverse shall happen; for indeed, their hearts are strengthened by confidence in the Lord, as it is written, They who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion; he who dwells in Jerusalem shall not be moved forever.^[1] For if at any time, the crafty one shall be presumptuously bold against them, chiefly that he may break the rank of the saints and cause a division among brethren; even in this the Lord is with them, not only as an avenger on their behalf but also when they have already been beaten, as a deliverer for them.

And again I said, Lord, and what of those who have received baptism? And I heard a voice saying to me, Then the race of the Christians shall be examined, who have received baptism. And then the righteous shall come at my command, and the angels shall go and collect them from among the sinners, as the prophet David foretold: The Lord will not allow the scepter of the sinners in the lot of the righteous; and all the righteous shall be placed on my right hand^[1] and shall shine like the sun. As you see, John, the stars of heaven were all made together but differ in light.^[2] So shall it be with the righteous and the sinners—the righteous shall shine as lights and as the sun, but the sinners shall stand in darkness.

God is good, but he is also just, and it is the nature of the just to reward in proportion to merit, as it is written: Do good, O Lord, to those that are good and to the upright of heart. But such as turn aside to their own crooked ways, the Lord shall lead out with the workers of iniquity. He is merciful, but he is also a judge, for the Lord loves mercy and judgment, says the psalmist.^[1] And he therefore also says, Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord.^[2] We have been taught who they are on whom he has mercy: Blessed are the merciful, says the Lord, for they shall obtain mercy.^[3] You see with what discernment he bestows mercy, neither being merciful without judgment nor judging without mercy, for the Lord is merciful and just.^[4] Let us not, therefore, know God by halves or make his loving-kindness an excuse for our indolence; for this, his thunders, for this, his lightnings—that his goodness may not be held in dispute. He who causes the sun to rise^[5] also strikes people with blindness.^[6] He who sends the rain^[7] also causes the rain of fire.^[8] By the one he manifests his goodness; by the other, his severity. For the one let us love him, for the other let us fear, that it may not be said also to us, Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and patience and longsuffering? Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to penance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you store up for yourself wrath against the day of wrath.^[9]

Therefore, the devil and his angels, by turning from the light and warmth of charity and going over to pride and envy, were made numb as by an icy hardness. Therefore they are figuratively located in the north. Thus, while the devil weighed down the human race, the future grace of the Savior was spoken of in the Canticle of Canticles thus: Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden and let the aromatical spices thereof flow.^[1] Arise, you who did rush in, who does weigh on the conquered, who does oppress those whom you own, arise, that those whose souls you have pressed on and bowed down may be relieved of your weight and may lift up their heads. And come, O south wind, he says, calling on the spirit of grace, breathing from the south, as from a warm and luminous quarter, that the aromatical spices may flow. Hence the apostle says, We are the good odor of Christ in every place.^[2] Hence, also, it says in another psalm, Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south; doubtless, the captivity in which they were held under the devil, as under the north wind, where they were chilled by abounding iniquity, and were, so to speak, frozen. Hence, also, the Gospel says, And because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.^[3] But, truly, when the south wind blows, the ice is melted and the streams flow; that is, when their sins are forgiven the people flock to Christ by charity. Hence, also, it is written elsewhere, And your sins are melted away as the ice in the fair, warm weather.^[4]