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us all things?" "Freely ye received, freely give." True giving is the love and generosity of the Spirit-quickened heart responding to the love and generosity of the Father's heart.
In his second letter Paul made a stirring appeal to the Corinthians for a generous gift to their poorer brethren in Jerusalem. He suggests some principles of giving that are always applicable, for giving is a grace that adds to the spiritual growth of all men in all times. Without giving the soul shrivels, but when giving is practiced as a part of Christian living, the soul expands and becomes Godlike in the grace of liberality and generosity. No restoration to the likeness of God can be complete unless mind, heart, and soul are daily opening out into that large, free, bestowing spirit which so characterizes our God and Father. Therefore it is not surprising that Paul classes the grace of giving with faith, knowledge, and love.
A very simple yet practical plan for exercising this grace of giving had been suggested by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian church. "Upon the first day of the week," he said, "let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper"; that is, each member was asked to contribute to the establishing of a treasury. This was to be the Lord's storehouse, into which each one was to put his offerings regularly and in proportion to his means. In adopting this plan the offerer became a steward of the Lord's goods and entered upon a course of training and discipline needed to make a good steward, for it takes wisdom to know how rightly to dispense the
