Conscience has been anticipating the trial—and no sooner is the soul united to the body, than immediately conscience ascends its throne in the soul. It begins to accuse, to convict, to pass sentence, to upbraid, and to torment! The sinner is condemned, condemned at his own tribunal—before he arrives at the bar of his omnipotent Judge!! The first act of consciousness in his new state of existence, is a conviction that he is condemned—an irrevocably condemned creature. He enters God's court, knowing beforehand how it will go with him. When he finds himself ordered to the left hand of his Judge, when he hears the dreadful sentence thundered out against him, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" (Matthew 25:41), it was just what he expected. While on earth, he could flatter himself with vain hopes and shut his eyes against the light of conviction—but then he will not be able to hope better. Then he must know the worst of his case.