Psalms 146 : 4 by Alonzo T. Jones

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1885

By Alonzo T. Jones

IN Psalms 146 : 3, 4 we read: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." This is in harmony with the Scriptures throughout. As stated elsewhere, "the dead know not anything;" "their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished." Eccl. 9 : 5, 6. "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. 115 : 17.

To evade the force of the words of Psalms 146 : 4,—"In that very day his thoughts perish,"—it has been, for a long while, a favorite scheme of those who hold to the immortality of the soul to change the words of the text by substituting the word "purposes" for "thoughts," claiming that the man still thinks when he is dead, but that the purposes which he had formed while living have perished, that they cannot be accomplished. And now comes the Revised Version, and, with a marginal reading, bolsters up this theory. The text of Psalms 146 : 4 reads in the Revised Version just as it does in the Old Version, but "purposes" is put into the margin as an alternate reading. Thus this version is made to favor the idea that "thoughts" in the text is at least equivalent in meaning to "purposes;" and that when a man dies, in that very day his purposes perish, but his thoughts go on.

Such an interpretation of the text is, as we have seen, to make the scripture contradict itself. But that is not all, it is to make the scripture contradict every principle of fact and evidence as seen in human experience. Let us cite a few instances of men's purposes that did not perish "in that very day," in which their breath went forth and they returned to earth. Nebuchadnezzar formed the purpose of confining the River Tigris within certain limits, and built an extensive embankment at a place near where Bagdad now stands; and the bricks with which he faced and strengthened the embankment, and which have upon them his own name, lie to-day exactly as he placed them. We know, therefore, that that purpose of his did not perish in the very day in which his breath went forth, nor for ages afterward, if indeed it has yet perished.

Stephen Girard purposed that the poor white orphans of the city of Philadelphia, Pa., should have the benefits of education, and should be supported till they had acquired an education. That purpose did not perish when his breath went forth, and he returned to the earth; nor has it yet perished, nor will it ever while the world lasts.

Peter Cooper purposed that mechanics and artisans should have opportunity to acquire "the most skillful practice of their several trades; to that they could not only apply their labor to the best possible advantages, but enjoy the happiness of acquiring useful knowledge—the purest and most innocent of all sources of enjoyment." His purpose did not perish when he died.

James Lick purposed that the State of California should have an observatory, and in it a telescope having a larger object-glass than any that had ever yet been made. He died. But so far from his purpose perishing the "very day" in which his breath went forth, Europe and America have been engaged ever since in fulfilling that purpose, now soon to be accomplished.

Multitudes of such instances might be given from all ages of human history in illustration of the fact that to read purposes for thoughts in psalm 146 : 4, is to put darkness for light, and falsehood for truth. The fact of the matter is, men's purposes perish while they live as well as when they die. It is not necessary to wait till their "breath goeth forth," and they return to earth, to realize that fact. To-day I may form a purpose concerning to-morrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, and that purpose may, and indeed does as often as otherwise, perish. Yet I continue to live and to think. To-day I may purpose a thing in regard to even the things of this very day, and that purpose is just as likely as not to perish; but that affects neither the fact of my living, nor of my thinking. Again we say, and the experience of every human being proves the truth, that men's purposes perish in the days that they live, as well as in the day that they die.

It is not so with men's thoughts. When a man dies, it is the truth that "in that very day his thoughts perish"—he ceases to think, the mind ceases to act. As long as there is consciousness, there is thought; but when a man dies, all power of thought is destroyed. That a man can think when he is dead is certainly one of the most perverse ideas that ever entered men's brains. A man may be struck a slight blow on the head, and he ceases to think; but let him be struck a crushing, killing blow, and lo! he thinks more and better than ever! In other words: knock him senseless and he cannot think at all; kill him, and he can think better than ever before!! Was there ever such nonsense? Does any one suppose that Adam, before he lived, had any powers of thought? Assuredly not. Then upon what principle can it be supposed that he had any such powers after he died—when he had returned to the condition in which he was before he lived? Did he, by sinning, acquire the power to think after he was dead? Did he, by sinning, acquire the power to retain in death one of the very chiefest of the attributes of life—the power of thought?

It is the absolute truth that "the wages of sin is death;" and when, because of sin, death passed upon all mankind, it is equally the truth that when "his breath goeth forth," and "he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." A. T. J.

Psalms 146 : 4.