Thoughts that Perish
S. Conway Psalm 146:4 His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. It has been remarked that whilst in so large a part of the Bible we have the history of the Church, in the Psalms we have the voice of the Church. And a very varied voice it is - varied as are the vicissitudes and manifold experiences of the people of God. But here, at the close, the tremulous tones of sorrow and distress, of fear and anxiety, and of piteous pleading, which we have so often met with, are all hushed, and instead, we have one jubilant note of praise - at eventide there is light. It is with this Book of Psalms as it is with those who love it most, that both for it and them there is this bright and gladsome ending. But it is for them only. Here, in the words which are before us, a very different termination is contemplated. The enemies of God and of his people are spoken of; and concerning them and their utter extinction, the psalmist declares that not only do they die - their "breath goeth forth" - but their bodies crumble into dust - "he returneth to his earth" - and even their very thoughts perish. They may have boasted loudly of what they would do - have breathed out threatening and slaughter; but death comes, and in that very day their thoughts perish. Now, in considering this declaration, let us - I. EXPLAIN ITS MEANING. 1. It tells of men's thoughts. Thoughts are the rulers and real governors of men. The power of thought is man's noblest faculty, and its results are more far-reaching than that of all his other powers. By it he is distinguished from, and raised above, all the rest of the creation of God; and upon the use of this faculty depend his character and condition now, and his eternal destiny beyond the grave. 2. But it is said that men's thoughts perish. This is not true of all thoughts of men, for many of them do not perish, but live with a vigour and vitality, after the death of him in whom they originated, far greater than ever they possessed during his lifetime. And this has to be said even of many of those thoughts which it were well for men that they should perish; for embodied in books, imprinted on the hearts and nature of children, transmitted from one generation to another, it is all too plain that evil thoughts may live on, and work wide mischief, though the men whose minds first conceived them have long passed away. Happy would it have been for us if their thoughts had perished with them; but they have not, and in a very real and awful sense, "he that is unholy is unholy still, and he that is filthy is filthy still." And assuredly good thoughts do not perish. What is the Bible, but the record of holy and precious thoughts, which have by no means perished, and which are fruitful of good now, perhaps, more than at any previous period since they were given to the minds of the holy men of old who spake or wrote them down? And what do we not owe to the recorded or remembered thoughts of good men now no more? How the deep convictions of such men, expressed not only in words, but in their lives, have influenced those who have come after them, even to many generations! It is, therefore, certain that all men's thoughts do not perish in that very day on which they die. But our text is true of all unembodied thoughts. Like as it was needful for God to become incarnate if men were to fully know him, or, indeed, to know him at all, so those spiritual product of our minds - our thoughts - must take form and substance, body and shape, if they are to have any influence upon ourselves or others. And they do this in many ways. They are seen in character. "As a man thinketh.., so is he;" so that we can reason back from a man's character to the nature of his thoughts. And in the character of others. Now, a man's children reveal not seldom what he is; what his main thoughts have been are shown by the impress they have left on them, and this both for good and evil. And they are heard or read in his words - in a man's letters, or books, or discourse - and thus their influence is made permanent. And in deeds. These stereotype thought, and make for it an abiding power. Now, such thoughts do not perish with a man's earthly life; they continue, and often increase in power. But all other thoughts perish - all such as are merely thoughts, and have never been embodied in character, or word, or deed. And there are a vast number of these. Mere purposes and intentions that remain such. The psalmist is comforting himself with the reflection that the wild, cruel purposes of the foes of God's people will all come to naught when those who have formed them die. And for the blessing of the Church of God, what a host of these thoughts have perished! And so, too, with good intentions, if they are not acted on. The road to hell is paved with such. Death comes, and "in that very day," etc. II. ILLUSTRATE ITS TRUTH. The endeavors against Israel in Egypt. The destruction of Sennacherib. Haman's wrath and discomfiture. Deliverances of the Church in the age of the martyrs, through the death of persecuting emperors. Destruction of the Armada, etc. And there have been illustrations also on the side of those who had cherished good purposes, but put off fulfilling them. Felix, who said to St. Paul, "Go thy way, and at a more convenient season," etc. Herod, who heard John the Baptist gladly, but ended by putting him to death. And the sad but large army of the waverers and unready ones, who are found in every rank and order of society, in the Church and in the world, in public positions and in such as are obscure. All these furnish proof and illustration of our text. And there was that rich fool to whom God said, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee," etc. (Luke 12:16, etc.). III. POINT OUT ITS LESSONS. They are such as these: 1. Of thankfulness; that God so puts an end to the evil purposes of evil men. 2. Of diligence. "What thy hand findeth to do," etc. Have done with the halting, wavering, fruitless thinkings, and do what God would have thee do; and at once, lest thy thoughts perish with thee. 3. Seek to have thy mind filled with thoughts that will not perish, but that shall live and bless thee and many more besides. 4. Commit thine heart into God's keeping; "for out of it are the issues of life." 5. By surrender to Christ hasten the day when all thine evil thoughts shall perish from out of thy mind, and Christ's thoughts shall take their place. - S.C. Parallel Verses KJV: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. WEB: His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.