תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

found. For Jameson informs us that, "The geognostic situation of the sapphire is in alluvial soil, in the vicinity of rocks*, belonging to the secondary floetz trap formation, and imbedded in gneiss." In reference to its geographic situation the same writer says, it is found particularly beautiful in Asia, in the Capelan mountains, in Persia, and the Island of Ceylon. Dr. Davy states that "The sapphire occurs in considerable abundance in the granitic alluvion of Matura and Saffragam (in Ceylon)." Thus, the STONES of which the MOUND is formed, are the true geognostic situation where the sapphire is found; and there can be no doubt that the workmen, in hewing and detaching the masses from the rocks, and in joining them to the mountains, did, by this secondary kind of mining, often find the precious sapphire. "And it hath dust of gold." The same mineralogist states (and it is a well known fact), "that in Asia the sand of many rivers affords gold," and it is washed down in great quantities from the mountains on the west coast of Sumatra, where it is afterwards found in the beds of rivers.

7.There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and
which the vulture's eye hath not seen." 8.-
"The
lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion
passed by it."

What is that PATH which is UNKNOWN to the birds, and which the wild beasts will not enter? Herodotus says, the lake Moris "communicated by a SECRET CHANNEL with the Nile." What is it but the TUNNEL which forms a PATH for the rushing water, through the base of the MOUND? Davy says of one he saw in Ceylon, "The water, passing through the EMBANKMENT, appears on the other side, gushing out into a NOBLE stream, through two apertures formed by a transverse mass of rock, supported by three perpendicular masses;" and of another seen by him, "the water rushing out in a con

* Arabia Petræa!

siderable volume, with GREAT force dashes amongst the rocks beneath." Bertolacci considers these openings for letting out the waters, to be the same as those in the lakes of Italy, known by the name of the condottori. He says, also, "That which led both the Romans and Ceylonese to use this peculiar manner of giving an egress to the waters of the lakes was, apparently, the expediency of having at all times the same supply requisite for cultivation; so that this supply should never fail to the fields, as long as any water remained in the lakes. Upon this plan it can be obtained without ever employing the labour of man, even where from the DEFECT of rains, or other causes, the lakes are brought, by a constant discharge, under their ordinary level; for, being placed horizontally, so very low as the under part of the bed of the lake, the TUNNEL! has the advantage of always discharging a sufficient quantity of water, as long as there is any in the lake itself; and the passage can never be encumbered by leaves or branches of trees floating on its surface; which would not be the case were the PASSAGE made in any other manner." This PATH! then, the fowl knoweth not: it is concealed from the keen ken of the vulture's eye! the lion's whelps have not dared to enter it! nor the fierce lion, when in pursuit of his prey, presumed to pass near it.+

9." He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots."

There is something peculiarly dignified in this language; describing man as putting his hand upon the rocks and tearing them from their beds; and again, as overturning the mountains by the roots. He places his hand upon the rocks away the stones! for his noble mound! some of which

to take

See History of Ceylon.

+ The Septuagint alone, a Latin Bible printed in Geneva, and some of the Continental translations, have not lion's whelps, but "the boasting high sons of the fierce animal." The venerable Mr. Benson and other commentators explain it by "the sons of the wild, or cruel, or arrogant beast."

are several tons in weight: nay, so large are some of the stones in the Giant's Tank, that no one can ascertain by what means they were placed there. Davy says of some he saw, they were "twelve feet by four;" and where the work was required to be very strong," the stones were nicely adapted to each other; or, to use the technical phrase, rabbited together." Near the lake of Kandelly in Ceylon), “is an IMMENSE hollow, intersected by steep ridges of quartz: and it appears to have been the spot from whence the stones! of the embankment ! had been taken. They are of the same kind as the adjoining rock." Hence even the appearance of the insulated ridges of quartz rock may be accounted for, on the supposition that the more valuable gneiss* only was quarried. How emphatically, then, may it be said of man (and that without any poetic licence), who detaches, squares, and removes such ponderous masses; "he putteth forth his hand upon the rock!" and in joining together his MOUNDS! to the mountains! by immense excavations, "he overturneth the mountains by the roots!"

10. "He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his

[merged small][ocr errors]

Savary informs us, the canal Bahr Joseph "must have cost immense sums, being in MANY parts CUT THROUGH! the ROCK!" Bishop Heber also states that the lake of Ajmeer is formed "by damming up the gore! of an extensive valley, and conveying different small rills! into it."

Thus, in making his rivers and rivulets through the rocks, in order to convey the water to its destined place, he at the same time sees "every precious thing:" because his work lies in the geognostic situation of those valuable gems.

11.-" He bindeth the floods from overflowing, and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light."

The geological place of the sapphire.

The floods which he has collected in his glorious works which flow through that PATH, unknown to the fowls of the air! or the fearless beasts of the desert! he by his majestic mounds BINDS! together, so that they cannot OVERFLOW OF "weep" the bounds he has established. And thus, again, the precious stones are brought from the mountain, and conveyed through the streams, and brought to the light of day!

12.-" But where shall wisdom be found? and where is

the place of understanding?"

Job seems now to have found his resting-place: he has boldly glanced at the triumphant productions of the WISDOM and PROWESS of man; but with dignity now asks "Where shall wisdom be found?" Man has reared to himself the most stately structures; his name floats in the memory of ages: but is true wisdom to be found in these, the triumphs of his genius and power? No; the desolating hand of time hath seized them for her own; "they are carried downward by the flood, and lost in following years." "Where shall wisdom be found?"

14.

[ocr errors]

"The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me."

"The depth," the abyss, which man has made to receive the rolling flood, says, "It is not in me;" nay, the unfathomable sea responds, "It is not with me.

[ocr errors]

15, 16, 17, 18, 19." It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia

A6voroç! Septuagint.

shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with

pure gold."

Foolish man would estimate the worth of wisdom by gold, or the precious onyx*; by the sapphire, or the ruby; by the topaz, or pearls, or coral; but "neither shall it be valued" by them.

20." Whence, then, cometh wisdom?"

Again the fearless enquirer brings us to the tribunal: man has made a PATH! which is concealed from the fowls that fly, and the beasts that rove! but the WISDOM of the Lord is hid! from the eyes of ALL living. Puny man has the temerity to try to find out the wisdom and secrets of the Almighty; his daring mind would make a bound into eternity but "hitherto shalt thou come, and no further.”

:

[blocks in formation]

Produced by the devastating flood, have conveyed the tidings of the futility! of the wisdom of man.

23.-"God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof." 24.-"For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven." He knows the PATH! of wisdom; he is well acquainted with the place! thereof; he can look into the most SECRET! places, for he "seeth under the whole heaven!"

25.-"To make the weight for the winds! and he

WEIGHETH! the waters by measure." 26." He made a decree for the RAIN! and a WAY for the LIGHTNING of the thunder!"

Here is majesty, indeed! Man has regulated his MOUNDS

*The onyx is found in Arabia! There are pearl banks on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf. The topaz is found in a small island of the Red Sea. The ruby is found, not only in the sand of rivers, but also imbedded in gneiss.

« הקודםהמשך »