The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-21
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
eTHE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Seven in the Bible"

SIoucSlS lie.
The mathematics Of the Bible is noticeable,
The geometry and the arithmetic; the square
In Ezekiel; the circle spoken Of in Isaiah; the
eurve alluded to in job; the rule of fractions
mentioned in Daniel; the rule Of loss and
yain in Mark, where Christ asks the people to
cipher out by that rule what it would profit
b man if he gain the whole world and lose
dis own SOUL But there is one mathematical
6gure that is crowned above all others in
he Bible, it is the numeral seven, which
khe Arabians got from India, and all follow
ng ages have taken from the Arabians. 1t
stands between the figure six and the figure
light. In the Bible, all the other numerals
bow to it.
Over three hundred times is it mentioned
n the Scriptures, either alone or compounded
with other words. In Genesis the week is
founded into seven days, and use my text
because there this numeral is for the first
Sntroduced in a journey which halts not un-
eil in the close Of the Book Of Revelations its
monument is built into the wall of heaven in
Rgsolite which in the strata Of precious
Zones is the seventh. In the Bible we find
hat Jacob had to serve seven years to get
Rachael, but she was well worth it; and
6retelling the years Of prosperity and fam
be in Pharaoh's time the seven fat oxen
we're eaten up of the seven lean oxen; and
Wisdom is said to be built on seven pillars;
knd the ark was left with the Philistines
Reyen wears; and Naaman for the cure OF his
eprosy plunged in the Jordan seven times;
Rhe dead child, when Elisha breathed into
b mouth, signaled its arrival back into
consciousness by sneezing seven times; to the
house that Ezekiel saw in vision there were
beven steps; the walls of Jericho before they
sell down were compassed seven days;
Eachariah describes stone with seven eyes;
10 c'eanse leprous house the door must be
,,;n finooc.
In Canaan were overthrown seven nations;
10 one occasion Christ cast out seven devils;
IN a mountain he fed a multitude of people
with seven loaves, the fragments left filling
Bowen baskets; and the closing passages OF
She Bible are magnificent and overwhelming
Bith the imagery made up of seven churches,
Aeven stars, seven candlesticks, seven seals,
even angels, and seven heads, and seven
rowns and seven horns, and seven spirits,
nd seven vials, and seven plaques, and seven
hunders
Yea. this numeral seven seems favor
% with the Divine mind outside as we'll as
kside the Bible, for are there not seven pris-
atic colors? And when God with the rain
bw wrote the comforting thought that the
vorld would never have another deluge, he
rote it on the scroll of the sky in ink of
- eyen stars. Rome, the capital of the
korId, sat on seven hills When God
kould make the most intelligent thing on
larth. the human countenance. He fash
bns it with seven features-the two ears, the
wo eyes, the two nostrils and the mouth.
Tea, our body lasts only seven years, and
10 gradually shed it for another body after
bother seven years, and so on, for We are,
to our bodies, septennial animals. So the
umeral seven ranges through nature and
hrough revelation. 1t is the numter of
brfection, and so use it while speak Of
be seven candlesticks, the seven stars, the
bven seals and the seven thunders.
The seven go den candlesticks were and are
le churches. Mark you, the churches never
ere, and never can be, candles. They are
bly, candlesticks They are not the light,
bat they are to hold the light. A room in
ke night might have in it five hundred can
Resticks, and yet you could not see your
ani before your face. The only use of
Rndlestick, and the only use of a church, is
hold up the light. You see it is dark
Aprld, the night Of sin, the night Of trouble,
night Of superstition, the night Of perse.
htion, the night Of poverty, the night OF
ekness, the night of death; aye, about fifty
tghts have interlocked their shadows. The
hole race goes stumbling over Frustrated
bpes and fallen fortunes, and empty
our barrels, and desolated cradles and death
= DDS. Oh. how much we have use for all the
wen candlesticks, with lights blazing from
e top Of each one of them! Light Of par
bn for all sin! Light Of comfort for all
ouble Light Of encouragement for all
spondency! Light Of eternal riches for
poverty! Light Of rescue for all perSecu-
pn! Light of reunion for all the bereftl
tht Is Christ, who is the the Light that
[all yet irradiate the hemispheres. But
ark you when say churches are not can
les, but candlesticks, 1 cast no slur on can
Iesticks.
II believe in beautiful candlesticks The
ndlesticks that God ordered for the ancient
bernacle were something exquisite. They
pre- dream OF beauty carved out OF lowell
es They were made of hammered gold,
bod in foot of gold and had six branches
gold blooming all along in six lilies of gold
eh, and lips Of gold from which the candles
fted their holy fire. And the best houses in
by city ought to be the churches-the best
nilt, the best ventilated, the best swept the
est windowed and the best chandeliered.
here most Of the people live in log
bins: but let there be palatial churches
r regions where many Of the peo-
% live in palaces. Do not have better
ace for yourself than for your Lord and
ing Do not live in parlor and put your
hrist in kitchen. These seven candlesticks
which speak were not made out OF pew
r or iron; they were golden candlesticks.
I'D gold is not only valuable but bright
etal Have every thing about your church
ight-your ushers with smiling faces, your
usic jubilant, your hand shaking cordial,
bur entire service attractive. Many people
el that in church they must look dull in
der to be reverential and many whose
ices in other kinds of assemblage show al
be- different phases Of emotion,
ave in church no more expression than
he back wheel of hearse. Brighten up and
) responsive If you feel like weeping.
eep. If you feel like smiling, smile. If
bu feel indignant at some wrong assslled
ON the pulpit, frown. Do not leave your
hturalness and resiliency home because it is
anday morning. II as officers OF church
bu meet people at the church door with
ack look, and have the music black, and
ke minister in black preach black sermon,
I'D from invocation to benedictlon have the
hpression black, few will come, and hose
ho do come will wish they had not corae at
[Golden candlesticks! Scour up the six
les on each branch, and know that the more
2Fely and bright they are, the more ut they
e to hold the light But Christless church
a damage to the world rather than good.
Eomwell stabbed his cavalry horses in st
{Aul's Cathedral, and many now use the
urch as a place in which to stable their
Inities and worldliness. A worldly church
a candlestick without the candle, and it
Id its prototype in st. Sophia, in Con-
antinople, built to the glory of God by Con-
antine, but transformed to base uses by
fohammed the Sc; ond. Built out of colored
arble; a cupo,a with twenty-four win
Pws soaring to the height Of $50 feet:
le ceiling one great bewilderment OF
psaic; galleries supported by eight columns
porphyry and sixty-seven columns OF
een jasper; nine bronze doors with alto
hievo-work fascinating to the eye OF any
tist; vases and vestments encrusted with
manner of precious stones. Four walls