- Series:History, Transcript English
Proverbs 11:28
“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”
Alchemy is considered to have played a significant role in the development of early modern science. The history of alchemy is filled with fascinating stories about the precursor of chemistry and includes the names of such famous scientists as Robert Boyle and Roger Bacon. But perhaps no tale is more fascinating than the true story of glass-maker and alchemist Hennig Brand.
Name doesn’t ring a bell? In the early years of the seventeenth century, Brand thought he could transform a very common substance into gold because, like gold, it was yellow in color. That substance was urine. After getting permission to collect urine from a whole camp full of German soldiers, his experiments finally paid off, but not in the way he had hoped.
Brand produced a mysterious substance that had never been seen before. The stuff glowed in the dark when exposed to oxygen, and it would also burst into flame. So he called it “cold fire” or “liquid gold”.
Today the substance Brand discovered is known as phosphorus. Its name comes from the Greek word phosphoros, meaning “light bearing” or “luminous.” Though Brand’s “liquid gold” didn’t make him a wealthy man, his discovery eventually led to such things as matches and phosphorus-based fertilizers.
Alchemists are still with us today. We now call them evolutionists. They are trying to transform ape-like creatures into humans. But as far as we are concerned, they would have a much better chance transforming common metals into gold!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, though riches are alluring, I know I can trust You to provide everything I need in this world … and in the next! Amen.
Author: Steven J. Schwartz
Ref: Richard Duncan, Elements of Faith, Volume 1, pp. 34-35 (Master Books, 2008). Painting: “The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone” by Joseph Wright depicted Hennig Brand discovering phosphorus.
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