"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion, for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." There is a great deal of instruction in the above scripture; it being expressed in language, at once, significant and comprehensive. But what mostly concerns us, is to know what that instruction is; i. e., to understand precisely what it proves respecting the condition of the dead absolutely, and their state relatively considered, when being contrasted with that of the living. The wise man in verse 3, introduces the subject of death, and this with the state of the dead, is continued through the three following verses as the principal subject of discourse. The subject of hope, which consists of desire and expectation, in the first clause of the text, is introduced in such a way as to carry strong conviction to the understanding, that this faculty of the mind is exercised by the living only, and not by the dead. Were it, according to the prevalent doctrines of men, that death is merely the separation of soul and body, and that their departed souls are in a kind of embryo state of happiness or misery, then the mind of the dead saint must constantly be exercised, not only with a desire, but also with an expectation of the resurrection of the just, when the soul and body would be re-united for the enjoyment of more perfect bliss. In the last clause of verse 4, a comparison is drawn between a living dog and a dead lion. The preference is given to the former. The object is not to instruct us as to the relative condition of living and dead beasts, nor to inform us as to the absolute condition of dead animals. We come to this conclusion from the fact that "all Scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine;" and we do not see how such information can be profitable to us. Further, verse 3 shows clearly that the state or condition of the sons of men when dead was the subject under consideration. This simile was calculated to show the vast superiority of the condition of a living man over that of a dead man: or it would be difficult to conceive what instruction it was designed to impart. If the mental faculties of the dead are so vastly superior to those of the living, that one dead man knows more than all the living, as we have formerly been taught, then the above comparison must be very much out of place; for though there be a total loss of physical power in death, yet, as the "mind is the stature of the man," according to their teachings, and as "bodily exercise profiteth little," according to the sacred writ, such an addition of mental power must more than counterbalance the entire loss of physical, and thus the dead man have the superiority still. Again, if it be true that the righteous, as soon as they die, become angels, as spiritualism and even the leaders of the so-called orthodox churches assert, (and quote Rev. xxii, 8, 9, to prove it,) then this declaration of Solomon must be rejected at least as an unmeaning figure, if not as a perfect falsehood, as we have a vast amount of testimony from various parts of the Bible, to prove that angels are greatly superior to men. Ps. ciii, 20, says that angels excel in strength. 2 Peter ii, 11, says, "Whereas angels which are greater in power and might." Greater than whom? Greater than wicked men; and truly all the mighty men are among the wicked and not among the righteous. If any are desirous to know the degree of their superiority in these respects, such are referred to the destruction of an armed force of one hundred and eighty-five thousand men by an angel in one night. Isa. xxxvii, 36. They are also referred to Matt. xxviii, 2, 4, which shows that there was power in one angel to cause a great earthquake, and also to cause the sentinels placed there to guard the tomb, to shake and become as dead men. Nor are we sure in either of these cases, that all the power of these angels was called into action. The description of the angel of Rev. xviii, 1, in which it is said, "the earth was lighted with his glory," gives us such a clue upon the subject, that our dim perception is enabled to discover something of the immense disparity between the power and majesty of angels and that of men. The result is as follows: Solomon gives us to understand that the living man is more than as much superior to the dead, as a living dog to a dead lion. The doctrines of men assert that as soon as men die they become angels; and the Bible in various places teaches us, as seen above, that angels are vastly superior to men; therefore if the doctrines of men be true, they make the Bible contradict itself. But whether their doctrines be true or not, they contradict the Bible. As the first clause of the 5th verse expresses the knowledge and certainty of death merely, and therefore needs no comment, I pass to the following sentence: "But the dead know not anything." Here is a simple and positive declaration, without any modifying term whatever. But the objector says, it is the dead body that knows nothing; but the soul the thinking part of man then knows much more than it did before. * But I pass to the next expression in the text. "For the memory of them is forgotten." Here the main point is to know what the true meaning of this last expression is. Does it mean that others have forgotten to remember them? Certainly this is no good reason why the dead have no reward. The wise man says, "neither have they any more a reward;" for, or because the memory of them is forgotten. If the dead still retained their faculties of mind they might have a reward just as well, though all others had forgotten them. But this is not the meaning. The sense of it is, that the dead have no reward, because their own memory is forgotten, or perished, so that they are wholly incapable of appreciating or receiving, enjoying or suffering any reward. It is true, the phrase, "the memory of them is forgotten," is somewhat peculiar, and is not in exact accordance with the English idiom, but it perfectly agrees with the idioms of some, at least, of the ancient languages. Again, it is contrary to what we know to be facts, to say on general principles that the dead are forgotten by the living. Think you that the fond mother who has seen her daughter, just in the opening bloom of youth, droop, die, and housed away in death, will cease to remember with mournful yet fond recollections that darling youth, until all other faculties of her mind shall fail? Most certainly not. Or the affectionate father who has witnessed his youthful son just merging into manhood, giving promise of distinguished future life, and of being the solace of his own declining years, fall the most unexpected prey to the common destroyer, and become an inmate of the tomb. Think you that this son is forgotten by his parent? The hero and statesman remember with a proud satisfaction the names and acts of a vast catalogue of heroes and statesmen of other ages which history has brought down to their remembrance. The humble saint remembers with a holy delight, the names, sufferings, and acts of a great multitude of prophets, apostles, and saints, some of whom, wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, and others not accepting deliverance, suffered to the death that they might obtain a better resurrection. Hence we have strong evidence that the dead are not forgotten by the living. Further, there is not only no evidence that the dead are forgotten by the living, but even if they were, there would be a perfect inconsistency in the idea, that the dead have no more a reward because the living cease to remember them. Could not God reward them just as well though all men had forgotten them? certainly he could. But if their own powers of mind are gone, of course they are incapable of any reward. And that their faculties are gone, Psalm cxlvi, 4, proves in the most clear and positive language: viz., "His breath goeth forth; he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." Verse 6. "Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished." As the objector always will say, that it is the dead body that knows nothing, but the mind, the thinking part that remains intelligent, here let me ask in candor, Are love, hatred, and envy attributes of the body, or of the mind? Any rational man will answer, They are attributes of the mind. Hence it appears that they have the wrong side of the argument; for the reason that three of those faculties of the mind have perished, which are so essential to its existence, that it would be difficult to conceive how they can perish unless the whole mind perish with them. If the doctrine alluded to be true, that the thinking part of man goes to a place of happiness or misery at death, we will examine the condition of one who has just reached the world of bliss. Though his hatred and envy have perished, can any one hence believe that his love is perished also? What! believe as soon as the soul reaches that blissful region where God the Father and Jesus the Saviour dwell in matchless excellence and glory, and where angels, God's most exalted servants dwell in all their loveliness, that then is the time the love of the poor saint must wax cold and perish? When they have left all the hateful snares and unlovely conduct of this world, and have reached the place, where every thing is calculated to bring that faculty of the mind into its most exquisite actions, is it rational to believe that this most essential attribute of the mind must then perish? Let any candid man answer. We will now examine the case of the wicked. Our opponents have always held forth that the employment of the lost is to blaspheme God's holy name, and vent their hatred and malice against20their associates. And here, though all admit that their love is now perished, yet their envy and hatred must rage without control. The conclusion of the matter is this: The Word says, "their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished." The objector says their love in this case has perished; but their envy and hatred are wrought up to the most active malignity. Here is another plain contradiction to the word of God. Error always brings us into a contradiction with the Bible; but truth brings us into harmony with it. The usual reply to the above sentiment is, we make poor man to die like the beasts. Such should be referred to Eccl. iii, 19, 20, to see how they die. "For that which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth so dieth the other, yea they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again." Hence in nearly every sentence taken up, we find almost an entire want of harmony between the doctrines of men in the present age, and the word of the Lord. As it respects the application of this truth to Spiritualism, we find here the most complete refutation of that deceitful magic that there is in all the Bible. Though the emphatic declaration "The dead know not any thing," would seem to be of itself sufficient to refute the false doctrine, we are instructed still further on this point, "that they have no more a reward," that "their memory is forgotten," also that "their love, envy and hatred is now perished:" three faculties so essential to the existence of the mind that one or more of them must exist as long as the mind itself exists; yet the Holy Spirit as if to guard us doubly strong against this fatal error, adds, in conclusion, "Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." They not only have no more a portion in any thing that is under the sun; but they have no portion in any thing that is done under the sun. Therefore the erroneous teaching that the spirits of the dead are ministering or guardian spirits, and that they rap, write, speak, sing, &c., is completely refuted by this epitome of divine truth on this subject. How could the poor saint withstand this deceptive fallacy, had it not been for the development of this truth? With what gratitude to God should our hearts be exercised, that he has graciously given us, in due time, the doctrine of the unintelligence of the dead, so completely adapted to guard us against this strong delusion of the last days which is about to envelope the world.