The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-09-16
WE ARE SEVEN.

The "sacred number seven plays a
C nspicuous part in Masonry, theology,
history, astronomy and mythology.
Seven is required to make a perfect
lodge, with seven officers and the summit
of Anc ent Craft Masonry is said to be
reached when the three lodge and four
chapter degrees are taken and the august
mysteries are discovered.
The first temple. or Temple Of Solomon,
was seven years in building and the sec
ond was seven years in building and the
second was built by z -rubbabel after 10x7
years captivity.
The theol gical ladder of the Entered
Apprentice has seven rounds, referring
to the four cardinal and three theological
virtues.
Among the ancients the mystical num-
Der seven was highly revered, because it
was derived from four, signifying the
natural, and three, the spiritual world.
Pythagoreans deemed seven the perfect
nun Der, because it was made up of three
and four-the triangle and the square
which are two perfect figures.
God added seven days to h promieed
patience toward the old world; clean
beasts and birds were taken into the ark
by sevens. The ark rested in the seventh
month, and doves were sent out at inter-
walls of seven days.
The years Of plenty and famine in
Egypt and their embiemS were by sevens.
The seventh day was blessed and made
holy by the Creator, and the seventh year
was ordained d Sabbath of rest to the
land the seventh time seventh year was
the jubilee.
Tho orroo+ foocFC 0hCoruaH fcr
seven days.
Seven priests with seven trumpets sur
rounded Jericho for seven days, and seven
times sever on the >eventh day.
In Revelations we find tt e seven
churches, seven candlesticks, seven stars,
seven seals, seven trumpets, seVen thun-
ders, seven walls, seven plaques, sever
angels, s~even-headed monster
The Hebrew shabang (~seven), says
Parkhurst, is suficiency or ~fullness.
Seven in Scripture often signifies a
great, a complete number: I Samuel ii:
5; Job V: 10; Proverbs XVI: 1926;
Isaiah ": l, etc. Wisdom has hewn
out her seven pillars. "-Proverbs tx: l.
Jacob served sev@n years for Leah and
seven more for Rachel.
A lepIous person, house or garment
was made clean by dipping or sprinkling
seven times e~viticus xiv: 51-55.
Seven years was the period of repent
ance, and the prophet praised God sever
times a day.
Samson kept his nuptials seven days,
seven locks were shaven from him sndh he
was bound by seven withes.
Forgiveness of a brother is not to be
withheld, according to Christ's te aching,
" till seven times seven, but until seventy
times seven;" or, if he trespass seven
times a day, and ask forgiveness, it is to
be granted.
There were "seven Champions of
~Christendom," "seven Wise Men of
Greece" seven Wonders of the World"
"seven sleepers," and Rome was called
the "seven-hilled city
Among the planets are the seven Plei-
AIDES and V Hyades.
Seven affairs burned before the god
Mithras, and the Hindoos supposed the
world to be incIo8ed within sever PENN
sulas.
In the Persian mysteries were seven
caverns, in the Gothic seven distractions
were called the road of the seven stages"
The names of our seven week days
came from the seven deities of the Cloths,
viz: The Sun Sunday, the Moon mon
day., Tuisco CTuesday), Wooden (Wednes-
day., Thor Thursday, Friga (Friday),
| Seatur Saturday.
I The subject is inexhaustible.