judgment shall be public and visible, ordained by the divine providence for many reasons.
i. To confirm the sentence that was given in the particular judgment, and to manifest to the world its equity, and withal to supply what was wanted. For in death judgment is made of the soul only, and not of the body; and sometimes it happens that the soul is condemned in the judgment of God, and the body is carried to the grave with great honour. [1] Or, contrarily, that the soul is carried with great glory to heaven, and the body with great ignominy to the grave. And since body and soul were united together in serving or offending Almighty God, it is just that there should be a day in which judgments should be made of them both. On which I will animate my flesh to serve the spirit, seeing that with it it is also to be judged.
ii. The second reason is, for Almighty God to manifest Himself for the honour of the just that were oppressed in this life, and much more for the good credit of His government, that all may see that He was both wise and holy in all whatsoever He ordained or permitted. So that neither the good may then complain any more that virtue was oppressed, [2] nor the wicked glory that vice was exalted [3] ; and, finally, to " confound " [4] the rash judgments of those that dared to judge what they knew not. Upon this the Apostle counsels that we should "judge not before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." [5]
iii. The third reason is, the glory of Christ Jesus our Lord, that He may not only discover Himself in heaven to the good, but also that on earth, where His ignominy was apparent, He may manifest Himself to the wicked; and
