West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-11-01
THE NUMBER SEVEN.
THE NUMBER or PERFECTION.
Rev. DIR. Talmage Teaches an Instrc-
tive and Entertaining Chris
tian Lesson from y.

tne geometry anu the arithfnetlc; the squar
an Ezekiel; the circle spoken of in Isaiah; tn
curve alluded to i'm Job; the rule of fraction
mentioned in Daniel; the rule of loss an
gain in Mark, where Christ asks the people Z
cipher out by that rule what il would prof
n man il he gain the whole world and los
his own soul. , But there is one mathematics
figure that is rowne above ali others Il
the Bible, IL is tho numeral seven, whicl
the Arabians got from India, and all follow
ing ages have taken from the Arabians. |
glands between the figure SIX and the fgur,
eight. In the Bible, all the other numeral
bow 70 il.
Over three hundred times Is IL mentionet
IN tbs Scriptures, either alone or compounds
with other words In Genesis the week II
rounded into seven days, and l use my tex
because there this numera is for the frs
introduced in a journey which halts not un.
I'll IN the close OF the Book OF Revelations its
monument IS built into the wall of heaven in
crysoite, which in the strata of precious
stones is the seventh. In the Bible we hnd
that Jacob had to serve seven Years 10 Gel
Rachael, but she was well worth IL: and
foretellng the years OF prosperity and fam.
inc i'm Pharaohs time the seven fat oxen
were eaten up of tho seven lean oxen; and
wisdom is said TO be built on seven pillars:
and the ark was Left with the Phillistines
seven years.; and Naaman for the cure Of his
leprosy plunged in the Jordan seven times
the dead child, when elisha breathed into
Its mouth, signaled its arrival back into
Consciousness by sneezing seven times: TO tho
house that Ezekiel saw in vision there were
seven steps; the walls of Jericho before they
lelt down were compasse1 seven DAYS;
Zachariah describes a stone with seven ewes,
10 g eanse a leprous house the door must be
%spr1nkled with pigeons blood seven times.
IN Canann were overthrown seven nations:
ON one occasion Christ cast out seven devils:
on a mountain he fed n multitude OF peopla
with seven ~loaves, the fragments left filling
seven baskets: and the closing passages o{
the Bible are magnificent and overwhelming
with the imagery made up of seven churches,
seven stars, seven candlesticks. seven seals
seven angels, and seven heads. and seven
crowns, and seven horns, and seyen spirits.
and seven vials, and seven plaques, andseven
thunders.
Yea. this mineral seven seems n favor.
lite with the Divine mind outside ms well az
inside the Bible, for are there not seven pris.
matic coiorsf AnC when God with the rain.
DOW wrote the comforting Thought that the
world would never rave another deluge. he
seven colors. He grouped into the Pleiades
seven stars. Rome. the capital OF the
world, sat ON seven hills. When Col
would make the most intelligent thing ON
eartn. the human countsnance. lie fash
ions it with seven features-t thu two ears. the
two eyes, the two nostrils and the month.
Yea, our body lasts only seven years. and
we gradually shed it for another BODY after
another seven years, and so on, for we are.
as 70 our bodies, septenninl animals So the
NAAOnkl uAiuI0 anu
through revelation. It is the numl err of
perfection, and SO i use it while 1 sneak of
the seven candlesticks, thu seven stars. the
seven seals and the sever %thunders.
The seven golden candlestlcks were and ara
the churches. Mark you, the churches never
were, and never can be, candles. They nro
only candlesticks. They are not the iigbt
but they are 10 hold the light. A room IN
the niGht might have in IL five hundred can
uiesticks, and yet You could not sec your
hani before your face. The only use of a
candlestick, and the only uss OF n church is
TO hold up the light. You see It il q dark
world, the night Of sin, the night of trouble,
the night of superstition, the night of Derse'
cntfon, the night of poverty. tho night ~
sickness, the night Of death; ave, about 6ftv
nights have interlocked their shadows Tbs
whole race goes stumbling over prostratad
1opeS and fallen fortunes. and empty
hour barrels. and desolated cradles, and death
beds Oh. how much we have use for ali the
seven candlesticks, with lights blazing from
the top OF each one OF themi Light Of mar.
don Tor all sinl Light of comfort for an
Jronolei or encouragement for all
despondencyi Light of eternal riches for
poverty Light of rescue for all persecn-
6lonl Light OF reunion for all the berefti
Ldght OF heaven for all the dyinRl And that
Iignt Is Christ, who is the the Light that
shall yet irradiate the hemispheres Pnt
mark you, when / say churches are not can
dlesticks. :" 09h-
believe in beautiful candlesticks Tho
candlesticks that God ordered for the ancient
t~anernacle were something exquisite. Thev
were a dream of beauty carved ont of v
ness They were male Of hammered gold
$1,000 IN a foot OF gold and had six branches
OF goid blooming al along in six lilies OF gold
lifted their holy fire. And the hest bonsss H.
any city ought to be the churches-tbe host
built, the hest ventilated, the hest svvent a.
pest windowed and the best chandeIiered
Lpg cabins may do in neighborhoods
where most Of tho people live in To-
cabins; but let there be palafiaI cbnrcbfs
TOT regions where many Of the noe.
pie live In palacrs. Do not have n hettsr
place FOR yourself than for your Lord ANA
GHing 10 noI i've IN a parior and nut your
Christ IN q Kitchen. These seven candiesficks
or which / speak were not made out OF new
t@ or iron; they were golden candlest.cks
and gold Is not only n valuable but n brioh,
metal. Have everything about vour cbuTcb
pIlehb-your usherB with smiling faces. vo1r
music 1uhilant, your hand shakirn eordieI
your entire service attractive. Many peonIe
Leei shas IN church they must look dun i'm
9Ioer % re reverentlal. and many whose
faces in other kinds of assemblags show al
me dlterent phases Of emotion
nave IN church no moro expression fh.v
she back wheel OF a hearse. Brighten no and
- responsive II you feel like weeping.
weep. III you feel like smiling. smile III
you feel indignant at some wrong assaflei
rom tho pulpit, frown. Do not feavo -,
and resiiency homo because M IA
sunday morning. n as officers OF n churc,
you meet people at the church door with n
Dlack look, and have tho music black and
tne minister in black preach a black sermon
.ho from Invocation 10 benediction have The
impression black, few viii como. and tho
ali. "O e'"' ~
Golden candlesticksi soour up the sr
silies on each branch. and know Chat ne mora
lovely and bright they arc. tho moro ft inv
are bohold the li2ht But n Christfces ehurch
!. q damage 70 the world rather than a pood
1Ion"ell stabbed his cavalry horses in ST
taul6 Cathedral, and many now uco fto
church az q place in which 70 stable tbeir
vanities and worldhness a worldly cbYrrb
y 2 candlestick without tho candle. and h
nad - prototype fn 80. Sophia. I'm Con-
sthtinopie built 10 the glory of God bv Com
..ontine but traneformcd 10 base uees by
The Sc 0n1. Bnilt out ~ colonel
marble q cupo.a With twenty four win.
soaring 70 tho height of $50 feet.
Hlo4alct galleries supported by eight columns
~ porphyry and siEtv-asven columns ~
green 1atDer, Dino br0uz8 doors with alto
felleYo-work f~aecIn1t ug 90 tao eye OF any
aftiaLi vases ard vegfmeufs Cncrusted with
1H nihHner ~ precious stonos. -Four walls
q. hfe with udescribablo sDiendor. Though
laDor va chenp tho buliing cot one million
n.s 1ulofe1 thcusnui dollars Fec esl
h7N'ai atfnctife almost f~uDernntural iu
pomp and majesty. But Wohemmedanien
tore down from Tire walls ~ that
building at the saiutiy Christian IMAGE. and
hlgh up iu The dome the figure N tho cross
"h3 fu.nei out that tho cre. cent Of the bare
nifou3 Turk minht 81 substituted "A great
souLen Dgt no Christ q gorgeous candle.