November 27

1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;

2 She hath killed her beauty, she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crith upon the highest places of the city.

4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth: understanding, she saith to him.

5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

7 He that reproveth a scorner geteth to him-

self shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man geteth himself a bkt.

8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

In several chapters of Proverbs the Lord Jesus Christ is beautifully described under the figure of Wisdom. For He is "the Wisdom of God," and He is "made unto us Wisdom"

In verse 5, He "gives a double invitation—to eat of His bread, and drink of His wine. These are the symbols of life and joy—His life and His joy. 'Come, eat of My bread.' 'Feed on Him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving.' For Jesus Himself is the true Bread from heaven. And he that eateth of this Bread shall live forever. For He is the Bread of Life, life-giving and life-sustaining. . . . It is not only the solid life-need of bread that is provided at the feast which the Lord has made for us, but Wine, the symbol of joy, 'that maketh glad the heart of man.' 'Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price,' because the price is already paid for it. His sorrow was the price of the joy offered to us. He poured out his soul unto death, that He might pour out His joy into our lives. He emptied the cup which His Father gave Him, that He might fill ours till it runs over. Without price to us—but oh, the price to Him! . . . Oh come! and put your trust under the shadow of His wings; and then you shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of His house, and He shall make you drink of the river of His pleasures.'—F. R. Havergal.

Closet Promise.—Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.—Prov. xxix. 25.

It was a prayer of George Herbert's that he might wholly be led to resign the rudder of his life to the sacred will of God, to be moved "as Thy love shall sway." How much fretting, how much worry, it would spare us all if we asked our heavenly Father that he would cause us to lean utterly in perfect faith, in cheerful, unquestioning obedience, upon His will and wisdom, whether in life's trivial concerns or in those shades of darkness from which we recoil in fear! We can ask Him nothing beyond His power; some of us know the feeling, "In all but this I could say, Thy will be done;" but if we will only tell the story at His feet, pouring out our hearts before Him, we shall be able to trust our Father, even to rejoice in Him, through every changeful pathway.