y and rest it is
to give; and it is surely easy _buying_ from Him whose whole heart's
desire is to _give_. Nothing is required but need and faith to
complete the purchase.

"Need and Faith" are our "two mites." They are to us what the two
mites were to the poor widow--all our "living," all we have. Yet,
casting them into the treasury, God counts them of far more value than
all the boasted abundance of Laodicea. They are the servants, too,
that open all doors to the Lord. They permit no barriers to keep Him
at a distance. That gracious waiting Lord then may enter, and sweet
communion follow as He sups with poor "Need and Faith"--Himself
providing all the provender for that supper-feast.

CHAPTER XI.

We are drawing near the end, and to the highest conclusions of true
human wisdom; and full of deepest interest it is to mark the character
of these conclusions. Reason speaks; that faculty that is rightly
termed divine, for its possession marks those who are "the offspring of
God." He is the Father of _spirits_, and it is in the spirit that
Reason has her seat; whilst in our Preacher she is enthroned, and now
with authority utters forth her counsels. Here we may listen to just
how far she can attain, mark with deepest interest, and indeed
admiration, the grand extent of her powers; and at the same time their
sorrowful limit,--note their happy harmony up to that limit, with her
Creator; and then, when with baffled effort and conscious helplessness,
in view of the deepest questions that ever stir the heart, she is able
to find no answer to them, and groans her exceeding bitter cry of
"Vanity," _then_ to turn and listen to the grace and love of that
Creator meeting those needs and answering those questions,--this is
inexpressibly precious; and with the light thus given we must let our
spirits sing a new song, for we are nigh to God, and it is still true
that "none enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth." Joy and
praise have their dwelling ever within those boundaries; for He
inhabiteth the praises of His people.

In the first eight verses of our chapter we shall thus find man's
Reason running in a beautiful parallel with the divine, and yet in
marked contrast with the narrow, selfish, short-sighted policy of the
debased wisdom of this world. Their broad teaching is very clear; look
forward,--live not for the present; but instead of hoarding or laying
up for the evil day, cast thy bread--that staff of