Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/224

 Book of the Kings, saith unto the Leprous person; Go, and wash thy self seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall be made whole, and thou shalt be cleansed, and it follows a little after, And he washed himself seven times in Jordan, according to the Prophets saying, and he was cleansed. Also it is a number of repentance, and remission: Hence was ordeined the seaventh years repentance for every sin, according to the opinion of the wise man, saying, And upon every sinner seaven fold: Also the seaventh year there were granted remissions, and after full seaven years there was giving a full remission, as is read in Leviticus. And Christ with seaven petitions finished his speech of our satisfaction: hence also it is called the number of liberty, because the seaventh year the Hebrew servant did challenge liberty for himself. It is also most sutable to divine praises. Whence the Prophet saith, Seaven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgements. It is moreover called the number of revenge, as saith the Scripture, and Cain shall be revenged seaven fold. And the Psalmist saith, Render unto our Neighbours seaven fold into their bosome, their reproach. Hence there are seaven wickednesses, as saith Solomon, and seaven wickeder spirits taken, are read of in the Gospel. It signifies also the time of the present circle, because it is finished in the space of seaven days. Also it is consecrated to the Holy Ghost, which the Prophet Isaiah describes to be seaven fold, according to his gifts, viz. the spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsell, and strength, the spirit of knowledge, and holiness, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord, which we read in Zachariah to be the seaven eyes of God. There are also seaven Angells, spirits standing in the presence of God, as is read in Tobias, and in the Revelation; seaven Kamps did burn before the Throne of God, and seaven golden Candlesticks, and in the midle thereof was one like to the son of man, and he had in his right hand seaven Stars. Also there were seaven spirits before the Throne of God, and seaven Angells stood before the Throne, and there were given to them seaven Trumpets. And he saw a Lamb having seaven horns, and seaven eyes, and he saw the book sealed with seaven Seales, and when the seaventh seal was opened, there was made silence in heaven. Now by all what hath been said, it is apparent that the number seaven, amongst the other numbers, may deservedly be said to be most full of all efficacy. Moreover, the number seaven hath great conformity with the number twelve; For as