But, as this is by no means the only instance, in which the Number SEVEN occurs in " The Revelation," the further consideration of its emblematical import and application may tend to throw additional light upon some passages, which may be otherwise thought obscure.

It must be remarked, then, that, for some causes, for ever, perhaps, inscrutable by human reason, THIS is most remarkably a sacred and mystical Number: and that a septenary arrangement is found to prevail, in a vast variety of cases, both in the moral and natural world; and, as far as the bounds of our knowledge have hitherto extended, is likewise discovered to imply perfection, and universal comprehensiveness, in each of the Classes, to which that arrangement is adapted.

A few examples may suffice to illustrate these positions.

1. The Week has uniformly consisted of seven days, from the Creation of the world to the present time, among all those nations, which have paid any attention to the precepts of Revealed Religion.

In six days was the Creation itself completed; and God sanctified and blessed the seventh day, for the commemoration of it. And, according to this ordinance, the Sabbath was observed as a day of holy rest, during the Patriarchal and Mosaical dispensations.

But, when the Redemption of mankind had

been fully achieved, by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead on the first day of the week, then the Israelitish and the Christian Sabbaths changed places in the week; and the day of rest became transferred from the seventh to the first. And this has been of universal obligation ever since; whence it is called " the Lord's day.” Rev. i. 10.

2. Before the general deluge, the animals that were clean, whether four-footed beasts, or fowls of the air, were selected" by sevens, the male and the female," of each kind, to be preserved alive in the Ark, for the replenishing of the earth with their respective species after that catastrophe:

And the commandment of GOD to this effect was given just seven days, before the actual commencement of the deluge *:

And it was in the seventh month of the sixhundredth year of Noah's life, that is, exactly five months from the time of his entering into the Ark, that "the Ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat "."

b

3. Among the ancient people of GOD, under the Law, it was ordained, for the regulation of the offering of the First-fruits, that there should be

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seven Sabbaths complete," that is, seven complete weeks, from "the wave-offering of the Sheaf" to "the wave-offering of the Bread."

a Gen. vii. 2, 3, 4. 10.

b Gen. viii. 4. compared with vii. 11.

e Levit. xxiii. 11—20.

4. So also the Feast of Trumpets, with them,

was to be on the first day of the seventh month":

5. The great day of Atonement was appointed

for the tenth day of the seventh month*:

6. And the Feast of Tabernacles was appointed to commence on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, that is, after two complete weeks had elapsed; and to be continued through seven days*.

7. The Israelites had also their weeks of years; and the seventh year in the series was dignified with the peculiar distinction of being "a Sabbath for the Lord":"

8. And their year of Jubilee was to take place immediately after the completion of every seven weeks or Sabbaths of years".

9. Nor must it be forgotten, that, agreeably to the prophecy of Jeremiah, the duration of the Captivity of this people in Babylon was of ten times seven years1:

10. And that "seventy prophetical weeks," or ten times seven weeks of years, "were determined,"-" from the going forth of the com

i Jerem. xxv. 11, 12. and xxix. 10. Dan. ix. 2. So also "the days of the years of man," or the period generally limited for his scene of action in this world, is said to be "threescore years and ten," that is, ten times seven years. Psalm

xc. 10.

"mandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,”→ 66 upon this people and upon the holy city, to "finish the transgression, and to make an end of "sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, "and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and "to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint "The MOST HOLY *."

k

So much for some of the cases, in which this mysterious number is introduced in the Old Testament, in describing some of the operations and appointments of GOD, in the earlier ages of the world!

And if we now advert to the System of Nature,

11. It is now well ascertained, that the various kinds of Attraction, by which that system itself is compacted, are exactly seven. There is, 1. the attraction of cohesion; 2. the attraction of gravitation; 3. the attraction of crystalization; 4. capillary attraction, which in animals may be called glandular attraction; 5. luminary attraction, or that by which the rays of light are acted upon in their various refractions and inflections; 6. electric attraction; and 7. magnetic attraction.

12. It is also now well known, that the Solar System itself contains precisely seven large primary Planets; namely, the Herschel, or Georgium Sidus,-Saturn,-Jupiter,-Mars,—the Earth, Venus,-and Mercury.

13. A Beam of the Solar light is resolvable, by

k Dan. ix. 24, 25.

a Prism, into exactly seven distinct colours,red,—orange,—yellow,—green,—blue,— indigo,

-and violet.

14. And in Music, there are also only seven natural notes, for the foundation of all harmony.

Instances of Septenary arrangement and division, in the system of nature, might perhaps be greatly increased, if it were at all requisite1: but, as this is not the case, I come at once to the fair conclusion, from the whole that has been advanced on this remarkable subject,-That St. John, in "The Revelation," and under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, has done no more, than apply the same mysterious, and generally prevailing analogy, to those wonderful and deeply interesting circumstances and events, which he was divinely appointed to predict; and which most certainly admitted, with the greatest truth and propriety, of being placed under such an arrangement.

15. We, therefore, read of "the seven Spirits of GOD;" a description, which thus becomes, as has been seen, a very lively and expressive emblem,— not only of the species, but of the perfection, and universal applicability, of the Divine influences of the Holy Ghost. i. 4. iii. 1. iv. 5. v. 6.

upon

The reader, who may be desirous of further information this point, is referred to the second part of the "Morsels of Criticism," by the late Edward King, Esq. Vol. III. p. 171 -227. 8vo. 1800. This gentleman has gone very far, and very learnedly, and with much pious feeling, into the subject.