The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-07-12
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE Blythe NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: The Sacred Number-Signifcance
of Seven-Iinportant Truths OF the
Bible Illustrated by the Use Of That
Numeral-Favored by the Divine Mind.
tCopyrioht. Louis Klopsch, 1899. j


Bible illustrated by the Use Of That
Numeral-Favored by the Divine Mind.
Copyright Louis Klopsch. 1891
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Many Of the most
important doctrines of the Bible are by DR..
Talmage presented in this sermon in very
unusual way. Genesis H., 8, "God blessed
the seventh day."
The mathematics OF the Bible Is notice
able; the geometry and the arithmetic; the
aqunre in Ezekiel; the circle spoken OF in
Isaiah; the curve alluded to In Job; the
rule OF fractions mentioned in Daniel; the
rule of loss and gain in Mark, where Christ
asks the people to cipher out by that rule
what it would "proflt a man II he gain the
whole world and lose his SOUL" But there
is one mathematical figure that Is crowned
above all others In the Bible; 1t is the
numeral seven, which the Arabians got
from India, and all following ages have
taken from the Arabians. 1t stands be-
tween tho figure six and the figure eight.
In the Bible all the other numerals bow to
it. Over 3U0 times 1t Is mentioned In the
Scriptures, either alone or compounded
with other words. In Genesis the week Ia
rounded into seven days, and use my text
because there this numeral Is for the first
time introduced in journey which halts
not until in the close of the book OF Revela-
tion its monument is built into the wall OF
heaven in chrysolIte, which, in the strata
OF precious stones, is the seventh.
In the Bible We find that Jacob had to
serve seven years to get Rachel, but she
was we'll worth It, and, foretelling the
years OF prosperity and famine in Pharaoh's 3
time, the seven fat oxen were eaten up OF
the seven lean oxen, and wisdom is said to
be built on seven pillars, and the ark was
left with the Philistines seven years, and
Naamap, for the cure Of bis leprosy,
plunged in the Jordan seven times; the
DEAD child, when Elisha breathed into its
mouth, sienaled its arrival back into con-
sciousness by sneezing seven times; to the
house that Ezekiel saw in vision there
were seven steps; the walls OF Jericho, be-
fore they fell down. we're compassed seven
days; Zechariah describes a stone with
eyes; TO cleanse leprous house the door
must be eprinkled with pigeons blood
seven times; In Canaan were overthrowr
seven nations; on one occasion Christ cast
out seven devils; on mountain He fed a
multitude Of people with seven loaves, the
fragments left filing seven baskets, and
the closing passages Of the Bible are mag
nifcent and overwhelming with the i'm
agery made up OF seven churches, seven
stars, seven candlesticks, seven seals, seven
angels and seven heads and seven crowns
and seven horns and seven spirits and
seven vials and seven plaques and seven
thunders.
Yea, the numeral seven seems a favorlte
with the divine mind outside as we'll as in-
side the Bible, for are there not seven pris-
matte colors2 And when God with the
rainbow wrote the comforting thought
that the world would never have another
dsluge He wrote 1t on the scroll OF the sky
l. ~, of nn1nro Hn nod int
the Pleiades seven stars. Rome, the capt.
tai OF the world, sat on seven bills. When
God would make the most intelligent thing
on earth, the human countenauce, He
fashionedit with seven features-the two
ears, the two eyes, the two nostrils and the
mouth. Yea, our body lasts only seven
years, and we gradually shed It for another
body after another seven years, and 30 on,
for we are, as to our bodies, septennial an
imals. SO the numeral seven ranges through
nature and though revelation. It is the
number OF perfection, and so use 1t while
I speak Of the seven candlesticks, the seven
stars, the seven seals and the seven thun-
dsrs.
The seven golden candlesticks were and
are the churches. Mark you, the churches
never were, and never can be, candles.
They are only candlesticks. They are not
the light but they ure to hold the light. A
room in the night might have In 1t 500 can-
dlesticks, and yet you could not see your
hand before your face. The only use OF a
candlestick and the only use o: a church is
to hold up the light. You see 1t is dark
world, the night OF sin, the night Of trouble,
the night OF superstition, the night OF per-
secutlon. the night OF poverty, the night
OF sickness, the night OF death. Aye, about
fifty nights have interlocked their shad-
ows. The whole race goes .:umbling over
prostlated hopes, and fallen fortunes, and
empty -four barrels, and desolated cradles
and deathbeds. How much we have use
for all the seven eandlesticks, with lights
blazing from the top OF each one OF theml
Light OF pardon for all sinl Light OF COM
fort for all trouble! Light Of encourage
ment for MI despondencyl Light OF eter-
nal riches for all poverty! Light OF
rescue for all persecution! Light OF re-
union for all the bereftl Light OF heaven
for all the dying! And that light Is Christ,
who is the light that shall yet irradlate the
hemispheres.
But, mark you, when say churches are
not candles, but candlesticks, cast no
slur on candlesticks. I believe In beautl-
full candlesticks. The candlesticks TINT
G0d ordered for the ancient tabernacle
were something exquisite. They were n
dream OF beauty carved out OF loveliness.
They were made OF hammered gold, stood
iu foot OF gold and had six branches Of
gold blooming all along in six lilies OF gold
each and lips OF gold, from which The can
dies lifted their holy fire. And the best
houses in any city ought to be the churches
the best built, the best ventilated. the
best swept, the best windowed and the best
chandeliered. Log cabins may do in
neighborhoods where most OF the people
1.-Two In log cabins, but let there be palatial
churches for regions where many OF the
people live in palaces. Do not have bet.
ter place for yourself than for your Lord
and King. Do not live in parlor and put
your Christ in a kitchon. These seven
candlesticks OF which I speak were not
made OF pewter or iron; they were gold
en- capdlesticks, and gold Is not only
q valuable but bright metal. Have every
thing about your church bright-your
ushers with smiling faces, yonr music iubi-
liant, your handshakipg cordial, your en-
that In church they must look dull, in Or
der to look 1everential, and many whose
faces In other kinds Of assemblage show all
the different phases OF emotion have iI
church no more expression than the back
wheel OF hearse. Brighten up and be re-
sponsive. II yop feel like weeping, weep.
II you feel like smiling, smile. II you feel
indignant at some wrong assailed from the
pulpit, frown. Do not leave your natural
ness and resiiency home because 1t Is Sum-
day m orning. II rs officers OF n church you
meet people at the church door with q
black look, and have the music black, and
the minister in black preach Il black SER
mon, ard from invocation to benediction
have the impression black, few will come.
and those who do come will wish they had
not come at all.
Golden candlesticks Scour up the six
lilies on each brunch, and know that the
more lovely and bright they are the more
fit they are 20 hold the light. But n
Christless light is a damage to the world
rather than good. Cromwell stabbed his
cavalry horses in St. Panl's Cathedral,
and many now use tho church In which to
stable vanities and worldiness. 4 worldly
church Is a candlestick without the candle,