and Josephus states that Solomon having buried a vast treasure in the tomb, one of its chambers was broken open by Hyrcanus, and another by Herod the Great. It is said to have fallen into ruin in the time of Hadrian. Its situation is now unknown. Jerome speaks of a tomb of David as the object of pil grimage, but apparently in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem. A large catacomb at some distance to the north-west of the city has, in modern days, borne the title of "The Tombs of the Kings," and has been, of late years, by an ingenious French traveller, claimed as the royal sepulchre. The only site which is actually consecrated by traditional sentiment as the Tomb of David, is the vault underneath the Mussulman Mosque of David, on the southern side of modern Jerusalem. The vault professes to be built above the cavern, and contains only the cenotaph, usual on the tombs of Mussulman saints, with the inscription in Arabic, "O David, whom God has made vicar, rule mankind in truth."—Stanley's "Jewish Church." In a note on the above passage the dean remarks:-"In the Louvre may now be seen what M. de Saulcy believed to be the lid of David's sarcophagus. The main objection to this theory, apart from any archæological argument to be drawn from the character, or the design or workmanship of the remains, is that these sepulchres must have been outside the walls, and therefore cannot be identical with the tomb of David, of which the peculiarity was that it was within the walls." Matthew v. 16.-"LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH 1639. Christian Example.-Richard Cecil and his Mother.-A young infidel was one night in bed contemplating the character of his mother. "I see," said he within himself, "two unquestionable facts. First, my mother is greatly afflicted in circumstances, body and mind, and I see that she cheerfully bears up under all by the support she derives from constantly retiring to her closet and her Bible. Secondly, that she has a secret spring of comfort of which I know nothing, while I, who give an unbounded loose to my appetites, and seek pleasure by every means, seldom or never find it. If, however, there is any such secret in religion, why may not I attain to it as well as my mother? I will immediately seek it of God." Thus the influence of Christianity, exhibited in its beauty by a living example before him, led Richard Cecil to know Christ himself, and to glorify Him by a life of most successful devotion to His service.-Morse's " Working for God." Job xxx. 22.-"THOU LIFTEST ME UP TO THE WIND THOU CAUSEST ME TO RIDE UPON IT, AND DISSOLVEST MY SUBSTANCE." 1640. Sand-storms. Amongst other interpretations given of this passage, the editor of Calmet's "Dictionary" refers to a sandstorm, and justifies the application of such an idea by the following extract from Mr. Bruce :-" At seven in the morning we left Assa Hagga, our course being due north. At one o'clock we alighted among some acacia trees at Wadi el Halboub, having gone twentyone miles. We were here at once surprised and terrified by a sight surely one of the most magnificent in the world. In that vast expanse of desert, from W. and to N.W. of us, we saw a number of prodigious pillars of sand at different distances, at times moving with great celerity, at others stalking on with majestic slowness; at intervals we thought they were coming in a very few minutes to overwhelm us; and small quantities of sand did actually more than once reach us. Again they would retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. Their tops often separated from the bodies; and these, once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes they were broken near the middle, as if struck with a large cannon shot. About noon they began to advance with considerable swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong at north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me, at that distance, as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a wind at S.E., leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name, though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment. It was in vain to think of flying; the swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry us out of this danger, and the full persuasion of this riveted me as if to the spot where I stood, and let the camels gain on me so much in my state of lameness, that it was with some difficulty I could overtake them."-Travels, vol. iv., p. 553. If this quotation is allowed to explain the imagery used by Job, we see a magnificence in it not before apparent. "We see how Job's dignity might be exalted in the air, might rise to great grandeur, importance, and even terror, in the sight of beholders; might ride upon the wind, which bears it about, causing it to advance or to recede; and, after all, when the wind diminishes, might disperse this pillar of sand into the undistinguished level of the desert. This comparison seems to be precisely adapted to the mind of an Arab, who must have seen, or have been informed of, similar phenomena in the countries around him." Job xxx. 1.-"NOW THEY THAT ARE YOUNGER THAN I HAVE ME IN DERISION, WHOSE FATHERS I WOULD HAVE DISDAINED TO HAVE SET WITH THE DOGS OF MY FLOCK." 1641. Reproachful Speeches.-A sarcastic and reproachful form of speech, of which Sir William Ouseley gives the following example: : "Fateh Ali Shah contented himself one day, after a quarrel among his ministers, with telling them publicly that he should bestow their titles on some of his dogs, calling one the Sedr aazem, another the Amin ad douleh, and a third the Itimad ad douleh." Job xxviii. 18.-"NO MENTION SHALL BE MADE OF CORAL, OR OF PEARLS," &c. 1642. Coral. The word is П, ramoth, which is rendered "coral," in conformity with the opinion of the Hebrew interpreters and the renderings of the Oriental versions; and although certainty cannot be attained, we are disposed to rest in the conclusion thus authorized. This valuable substance is well known as an aggregation of animals, each resembling the common sea-anemone (Actinia), and hence the class is called ACTINOzoa, or actinia-like animals. The hard portion of the coralline structure is called the polypidom, and may be horny and flexible, or hard and stony; it may also be branched or arborescent, as in the coral of commerce (see engraving); or in other kinds assume the form of a compact mass of rock. The polypidom is invested with a jelly-like flesh, which connects together the individual polypes, and unites them into one community. The well-known red coral is found growing, tree-like, at the bottom of the Mediterranean and other seas, from which it is dredged up periodically. The stony corals are confined to the tropics, where with succeeding generations of their countless multitudes, enormous masses are formed, which, rising near the surface of the water, endanger navigation, or, rising above it, form islands, which ultimately acquire soil and vegetable produce, and become fit for the abode of men. We have the rather mentioned these particulars because much of this was probably known to Job, as the Red Sea abounds, in a remarkable degree, with coral masses, reefs of which extend throughout, and in some places rise ten fathoms above the water. One of the largest islands in the gulf, that of Kameran, is formed entirely of coral rock, which rises, without any inequality of surface, to the height of twenty feet above the level of the sea. As the coral rock is soft, and easily cut, most of the houses on the southwestern coast of Arabia are built entirely with it. The gulf has indeed, been in all ages celebrated for its coral, which strengthens the probability that it is here intended by Job, as it could scarcely fail to have been known to him. As this substance was anciently held in very high esteem, we need not wonder to find it mentioned along with the onyx and sapphire. Job xxviii. 7.-"THERE IS A PATH WHICH NO FOWL KNOWETH, AND WHICH THE VULTURE'S EYE HATH NOT SEEN. 1643. The Vulture.-The beautiful and picturesque accuracy of the book of Job on many points of natural history has been remarked upon by Biblical writers, and is strikingly illustrated in the above text. We quote from the Visitor an interesting description of these birds-The vultures are distinguished by a strong but elongated bill, hooked only at its point. In the most typical forms, the head and neck are denuded of feathers, a circumstance indicative of the nature of their food, which consists of putrid flesh: it is often their custom, when glutting on their foul repast, to bury head and neck, in the eagerness of the moment, in the putrescent mass; so that were these parts covered with feathers, the utmost inconvenience would arise, from their being saturated with gore and filth, and drying into a hardened, clotted layer. The skin on the breast also, over the crop, is more or less bare, being at most covered with down, or short, close feathers. The legs are moderately strong, but the feet are unarmed with formidable talons as in the eagle, and are incapable of lacerating a living victim, or of carrying it into the air. Indeed, they seldom attempt to remove their carrion food, but remain by it for hours, or even days, until they are quite unable to fly, or to exert themselves in any way to escape an enemy. Their wings are of great length, and their flight astonishing for speed, duration, and elevation. The |