The Spirit of Animals Perishes at Death

The following is adapted from Matthew Henry's commentary on Ecclesiastes.

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Ecclesiastes 3:21

As to the spirits of men and beasts, there is indeed a vast difference, but not a visible one. It is certain that the spirit of the sons of men at death is ascending. It goes upwards to the Father of spirits, who made it, to the world of spirits to which it is allied. It dies not with the body, but is redeemed from the power of the grave (Ps. 49:15). It goes upwards to be judged and determined to an unchangeable state.

It is certain that the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth. It dies with the body; it perishes and is gone at death. The soul of a beast is, at death, like a candle blown out—there is an end of it; whereas the soul of a man is then like a candle taken out of a dark lantern, which leaves the lantern useless indeed, but itself shines brighter.

This great difference there is between the spirits of men and beasts; and a good reason it is why men should set their affections on things above (Col. 3:2), and lift up their souls to those things, not allowing them, as if they were the souls of brutes, to cleave to this earth. But who knows this difference? We cannot see the ascent of the one and the descent of the other with our bodily eyes; and therefore those who live by sense, as all carnal sensualists do, who walk in the sight of their eyes and will not admit any other discoveries, by their own rule of judgment have no preeminence above the beasts. Who knows, that is, who considers this (Isa. 53:1)? Very few. Were it better considered, the world would be every way better; but most men live as if they were to be here always, or as if when they die there were an end of them; and it is not strange that those live like beasts who think they shall die like beasts, but on such the noble faculties of reason are perfectly lost and thrown away.