The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-09-25
The Nu,nher sexen.

Hhe Number seven.
Every school boy knows that autumn
begins withthe month We are now in,
September. The name is derived from
the Latin sEPTEM, seven, this month be-
ing, according to the old Roman year
which began with March, the seventh
month instead of the ninth as in our
modern calendar. The mathematician
does not meet, in all his computations, a
more mystical, categorical or important
number than seven. 1t enters largely
into the history of the world, and espe-
cially into Sacred History. 1t is men
toned more frequently in the Bible than
any other number. Gin six days God
made heaven and earth, and rested on
the SEVENTH" which was hallowed and
called the Sabbath of the Lord. "On
the seventh day OF the seventh month a
holy observance was ordained by the
children of Israel, who there Toasted for
seven days" Every seven years the
law was read to the people. Jacob serv-
ed seven years for Rachel, and tsby
fraud" was forced to serve seven years
more before he obtained her. 1t is said
that the sailor Noah had seven DAYS
warning of the flood and took beasts and
fowls by sever into the ark. In the
seventh month the ark rested on Mount
Ararat; the dove was sent out in seven
days, and again in seven days more.
The seven years of famine and the sew
en- years of plenty were foretold in Phar-
aoh's dream of the seven fat and the sew
en- lean beasts, and by the seven full and
seven blasted ears ofcorn. History says
Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like a beast
of the field for v years. The fiery
furnace was heated seven times hotter
to burn Shadrach, Mesheck and Abed-
nego.
In the overthrow of the old city of Jer-
icho, seven priests bore seven trumpets
for seven days, and on the seventh day
they surrounded the walls seven times
before they fell. Balaam prepared seven
years for sacrifice it is said that seven
of Saul's SOM were hung to stop a ia
mine. Within this sacred number were
concealed all the mysteries of the Apoc-
alypse revealed to the seven churches of
Asia. There appeared seven golden can
dlesticks and stars in the land of him
that sat in the midst; seven lamps be-
fore seven spirits of God ; seven seals up
on the book; seven angels with Sc ven
trumpets seven Kings, seven thunders.
The beast had seven heads and seven
angels bore seven plaques and seven
walls of wrath. There were known to
the ancients seven heavens, seven plan
cts, seven champions of Christendom,
seven sacraments in the Roman Catho-
lie Church, and seven colors of the rain
bow. We find this number entering
largely into NEUROLOGICAL history, and it
is to be found in the ancient philosophy
of Egypt, Persia and Greece. Students
frequently hear of the 'sseven wise men"
of the ancient world. They each had a
motto which was inscribed upon the
walls of the Delphian Temple, and they
are surely worthy of careful considera-
ton:
/. "Know Thyselr'-Solon.
2. tsConsider the End"-Chilo.
8. "Know Thy Opportunity"-Pitta-
Gus.
4. "Most Men are Bado-Bias.
5. Nothing is Impossible to Indus
try"-Periander.
6. "Neyer Despair"-Cleobulus
z. "Suretyship is the Precursor to
Ruin''-Thales.
No less interesting are the "seven
wonders of the ancient world"
l. The Pyramids of Egypt.
2. The Pharos of Alexandria.
8. The walls and hanging gardens OF
Babylon.
4. The Temple of Diana at Epesus.
s.. The statue of the Olympian Jupiter.
6. The Mausoleum of Arteinisia.
I. The Colossus of Rhodes.
Seven is reckoned by all nations as a
mystical number, and by some as a PER-
Feet number. 1t is composed of the first
two perfect numbers, 8 and 4, for two
consists of repeated unity, and is not
perfect. The Romans regarded the high
est blessing for mortals in "thrice and
four times blessed" and Virgil puts this
expression in the mouth Of Aeneas, book
I, line 81:
\ = y o, TERoUE oUATERoUE BEAT1.
We have now seven days in the week,
seven primary colors, seven sciences,
and seven branches required by law to
be taught in our common schools. Man
himself is a creature OF seven ages, says
Shakespeare. "All the worlds a stage,
and all the men and women merely
players; they have their exits and their
entrances, and one man in his time plays
many parts, his acts being even ages"
Joseph Cook has deemed this subject
of such high import as to write a famous
lecture upon the "seven wonders of the
modern world" which is certainly a
prophetic utterance. Thus we see the
number seven seems yet to possess some
occult virtue which the ancients recog-
nized and called it the mystical num-
ber." DENovo.