SULPHUR. A fat Mineral, inflammable and vitriolick. They distinguish two Sorts of Sulphur; the yellow Sulphur, or common Sort, which is hard, shining, friable, easy to melt and be inflamed. ‘Tis got from Mount Vesuvius, is melted on the Fire, and cast into Moulds to form it into Rouls. The Mines of Sulphur which are at the Foot of Mount Vesuvius, and of other Mountains of the same Nature, I mean burning Mountains or Volcano’s, are the Cause of the Inflammation of the Earth in the Bowels of these Mountains. The other Kind of Sulphur is what they call, Sulphur vivum, which is a grey, fat, bituminous, inflammable Matter, to be found in many Places, and which serves to make the yellow Sulphur.
The Scripture speaks of Sulphur in more Places than one. The Hebrews call it Gophrith גפריתGopher גפרGofrith, a Name which has much relation to the Hebrew Word Gopher, which signifies the Wood which Noah made use of to build his Ark. Moses says, that the Lord caus’d it to rain Fire and Brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah: That is to say, he destroy’d Gen. xix. 24.those Cities by sulphureous and fiery Exhalations. And in Deuteronomy xxix. 23. he says, that God consumed them by Sulphur and the burning of Salt. The Hebrews gave the Name of Salt to Nitre, Bitumen, and Sulphur, which are inflammable Substances. It is certain that Fire from Heaven fell down upon those wicked Cities. ‘Tis also known, that the Soil wherein they were situate abounded with Nitre and Bitumen. And even to this Day the Bottom of the Dead-sea, and the Places round about, are plentifully stock’d with them. Therefore it is very probable, that the Fire from Heaven taking hold of this Bitumen, Nitre, or Sulphur, did not only burn to Ashes the five Cities of Pentapolis, but also consumed the whole Soil which at this Day is possess’d by the Lake Asphaltites, or the Dead-sea.
Job xviii. 15.Job, or rather Bildad one of his Friends, says, by way of Imprecation upon the Wicked, that Brimstone shall be scattered upon his Habitation. That Lightning or Thunder shall fall upon his House, and there leave the Scent of Sulphur. Or otherwise, that the Wicked shall be drove out of his House, and those that take Possession of it, should purify it by the Smell of Sulphur. This was a common Fumigation for driving away any bad Air, and for purifying infected Habitations. The Psalmist allots to Psal. x. 7.the Wicked their Portion of Fire, Sulphur, and tempestuous Winds; in a Word, Thunders and Storms: For that is the Meaning of Ignis & sulphur, & spiritus procellarum. Isai. xxx. 33.Isaiah, describing the Burning of the Valley of Tophet, which was defiled by Idolatry, says, that a great Pile is provided for it, to purify it by Fire, and that the Breath of the Lord should inflame it as a Torrent of Sulphur. Flatus Domini sicut torrens sulphuris succendens eam.
Isa. xxxiv. 9.The same Prophet, that he might give a lively Idea of that Vengeance which God should take of the wicked Nations, says, that in his Presence Rivers should be turned into Pitch, the Earth into Sulphur, and burning Pitch; that they should burn Night and Day, and No-body be able to extinguish them; and that their Smoke should ascend to Heaven without ceasing. What Strength is there in these Images! Ezekiel threatens the Army of Gog with the severest Effects of God’s Wrath, the Plague, Blood, violent Rains, Thunder-stones, Fire, Sulphur, should fall upon them. We have already seen a Shower of Sulphur upon Sodom, and we often find it afterwards in the Revelations. Thunder, Lightning, and Fire from Heaven, generally leave after them a sulphureous Smell.