The Number Seven.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1935, 29 November 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Number Seven.

BOMK CURIOUS liOBE CONCERNING IT AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE. In the year 1502 thore was piinted at Leipsic a work entitled "Heptalogium "Virgilii Salsburgensis," in honor of the number seven. It consists of seven parts, each consisting of seven divisions. In 1624 appeared in London a curious work on the subject of numbers, tostring the following title : " The Secret of Numbers, according to Theological, Arithmetical, Geomotrical, and Harmonical Computation ; drawn, for the better part, out of those Ancients, as well as Neoteriques. Pleasing to read, profitable to understand, opening themselves to the capacities of both learned and unlearned ; being no other than a key to lead men to any doctrinal knowledge whatsoever." In the ninth chapter the author has given many notable opinions from learned men, to prove the excellency of the number seven. " First, it neither begets nor is begotten, according to the saying of Philo. Some numbers, indeed, within the compass of ten, beget, but are not begotten ; and that is the unarie. Others are begotten, but beget not ; as the octonarie. Only the septenarie, having a prerogative above them all, neither begets nor is begotten. This is its first divinity or perfection. Secondly, this is a harmonical number, and the well and fountain of that fair and lovely JDlgamma, because it includeth within itself all manner of harmony. Thirdly, it is a theological number, consisting of perfection. Fourthly, because of its compositure; for it is compounded of the first two perfect numberß equal and unequal — three and four ; for the number two, consisting of repeated •unity, -which is no number, is not perfect. Now, every one of these being excellent of themselves (as hath been demonstrated), how can this number be but far more excellent, consisting of them all, and participating, as it were, of all their excellent virtues ? " , Hippocrates says that the septenary number by its occult virtue tends to the accomplishment of all things, is the dispenser of life and fountain of all its changes ; and, like Shakespearo, he divides the life of man into seven ages. In seven months a child may be born and live, and not before. Anciently a child was not named before seven days, not being accounted fully to have life before that periodical day. The teeth spring put in the seventh month, and are renewed in the seventh year, when infancy is changed into childhood. At thrice seven years the faculties are developed, manhood commences, and we become legally competent to all civil acts ; at four times seven man is in full possession of his strength ; at five times seven he is fit for the business of the world ; at six times seven he becomes grave and wise, 01 never : at seven times seven he is in his apogeo, and from that time he decays. At eight times seven he is in his first climacteric ; at nine times seven, or sixty • three, he is in his grand climacteric, or year of danger ; and ten times seven, or threescore years and ten has, by the Eoyal Prophet, been pronounced the natural period of human life. In six days creation was perfected, and the seventh was consecrated to rest. On the seventh of the seventh month a holy observance was ordained to the children of Israel, who feasted seven days and remained seven days in rest ; the seventh year was directed to be a sabbath of rest for all things ; and at the end of seven times seven years commenced the grand Jubilee ; every seven years the land lay fallow ; every seventh year there was a general release from all debts, and all Bondsmen were set free. From this law may have originated the custom of binding young men to seven years 1 apprenticeship, and of punishing incorrigible offenders by transportation for seven, twice seven, or three times seven years. Every seventh yeai tho law was directed to be read to the people ; Jacob served seven years for the possession oi Rachel, and also another seven years. Noah had seven days' warning of the flood, and was commanded to take the fowls of the air into the ark bj sevens, and the clean beasts by sevens. The aris touched the ground on the seventh month ; and in seven days a dove was sent, and again in seven days after. The seven years of plenty and seven years oi famine were foretold m Pharoah's dreams by the seven fat and the seven lean beasts, and the seven ears of full corn and the seven ears oi blasted corn. The young animals were to remain with tho dam seven days, and at the close of the seventh taken away. By the old law, man was commanded to forgive his offending brother seven times ; but the meekness of the last revealed religion extending his humility and forbearance te seventy times seven times. "If Cain shall be revenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy times seven." In the destruction of Jericho, seven priests bore seven trumpets seven days, and on the seventh day surrounded the wall seven times, and after the seventh time the walls Ml. Balaam prepared seven bullocks and seven rams for a sacrifice ; Laban pursued Jacob seven days' journey; Job's friends sat with himj. seven days and seven nights, and offered seven bullocks and seven rams as an atonement for tho witness. Elijah sent his servant seven times to" look for the cloud. Hezekiah, in cleansing the temple, offered seven bullocks and seven rams, and seven he - goats for a sin offering. The children of Israel, when Hezeldah took away the strange altars, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, and then again another seven days. King Ahasuerus had seven chamberlains, a seven days' feast, and sent for the queen on the seventh day ; and in the seventh year of his reign she was taken to him. Queen Esther had seven maids to attend her. Solomon was seven years building the temple, at the dedication of which he feasted seven days ; in the tabernacle were seven lamps; seven days were appointed for an atonement upon the altar, and the priest's son was ordained to wear his father's garment seven days ; Abraham gave seven ewe-lambs to Abimelech as a memorial for a well ; Joseph mourned seven days for Jacob. The rabbins say God employed the power of answering this number to percept the greatness of Samuel, his name answering the value of the letters in the Hebrew word, which signifies seven — whence Hannah, his mother, in her thanks, says "that the barren had brought forth the seventh." In Scripture are enumerated seven resurrections — the widow's son, by Elias ; the Shunamite's „son, by Elisha ; the soldier who touched the bones of the prophet ; the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue ; the widow's son of Nain ; Lazarus, and our blessed Lord. — The Argonaut. ________ _____