"He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity." (Rom. 12:8.)

Giving is one of the highest privileges the believer enjoys. But its very nature is such that it offers to our adversary the devil an excellent opportunity to excite in the giver pride and a feeling of superiority; hence we find the above and many similar exhortations.

Did we but bear in mind that we are only '' stewards of the manifold grace of God," pride could gain no foothold. It is His bounty which we are privileged to dispense,-His "manifold grace," whether "carnal things" or spiritual things.

When one gives thus-as a steward, not only is he "blessed in his deed," but the recipients are put in mind that what they have received has come from God, and to Him first their thanks are due. So the apostle writes concerning the help supplied the poor saints at Jerusalem, " For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God."

A beautiful example of the way God would have us give is found in the law concerning the reaping of the harvest, laid down in Lev. 19:9, 10 and Deut. 24:19-22,-"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger:I am the Lord your God." " When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands," etc.

The wisdom of this law is so apparent, that one is led to exclaim with the prophet, '' This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working." Let us look for a moment at some of the numerous advantages of this simple method of giving. In the first place, the habit of leaving the gleanings of vineyard, olive-yard, and field for the poor, the fatherless, and the widow would be a potent guard against the tendency to become grasping and penurious-that covetousness which is so common to human nature. On the other hand, the temptation to be proud of being generous would be much less than if the gleanings were first gathered by the owner of the field and then given to the poor. Again, the distribution of labor would be more equal:the giver would not be overworked by having to go over his fields a second time. Even as the apostle says in 2 Cor. 8:13,-"For I mean not that other men be eased and ye be burdened."

On the part of the recipients, industry and thrift would be encouraged rather than indolence and dependence, quite in accord with the scripture in 2 Thess. 3:10-"That if any would not work, neither should he eat."

Then, too, they would be spared needless humiliation on account of their poverty; for poverty in itself is not a reproach, though it is often keenly felt to be such on account of the condescending manner in which help is given. Our Lord Himself has been called "the poorest of men;" and His disciples, as they walked with Him through the corn-fields on the Sabbath, and plucked of the corn to satisfy their hunger, were taking advantage of a similar gracious provision of the law. (Deut. 23:25.) Then, again, the thoughts of the gleaners would naturally be occupied first and most with Him who had given the increase, for the very fruits of the earth which they were engaged in gathering bear witness of Him, as it is written, "He left not Himself without witness in that He gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." And so their thanksgiving would be rendered first to Him, afterward to the owner of the field, who had not forgotten the law of his God.

So much for the law and its workings in temporal things :is it not equally instructive and applicable concerning our ministry in spiritual things ?

Among God's children there are those who have taken possession of a goodly portion of the land, and have broad acres of rich grain-fields, olive-yards, and vineyards. In other words, those who are well instructed in the Word of God, who have abundance of food for themselves and others. There are also those who are poor, who have never perhaps gotten beyond the '' first principles of the doctrine of Christ."

"The poor shall never cease out of the land," says Jehovah, so there will always be those who have need of just such ministry as these spiritually rich believers have to offer. And it is well that it is so, for the very poverty of these needy ones calls forth the spiritual activities of those who by the grace of God are richer, demands the exercise of their various gifts and keeps them from becoming selfish and careless of the interests of other saints. The Lord would never have His people forget their need one of another. It is written, "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth."

There are fields enough for all the saints in the good land our God has given us; the land is '' wide and quiet and peaceable," and those who are of God's mind will rejoice to see "the poor " come into possession of fields they can call their own.

Ruth the gleaner did not remain a gleaner. After a short season of gleaning she became joint-owner of all the fields of Boaz !

We have often been grieved to hear young believers remark, "I do enjoy listening to a good address, but when I read the Bible for myself I can't get any thing out of it."

And we have often replied, mentally, You have never learned how to glean, and perhaps it is because those who have ministered to you carefully gleaned their fields themselves, and then gave you out of their abundance; instead of leading you straight to the fields where the reapers are at work, and instructing you, as Boaz did Ruth, " Let thine eyes be on the fields that they do reap, and go thou after them."

Had you but been in the fields, you would know where the grain grows, and how it is gathered, and you would not be so helpless.

In plainer language, if he who desires to teach another some truth or line of truth from the Scriptures, is content to lead his pupil on slowly, from text to text, in the Word, giving him time to find each for himself, and see its bearing on the subject in hand, progress may seem slow, and the teacher may not be able to manifest how much he knows about the subject, but the benefit the pupil receives is great and lasting. It may take days, perhaps weeks, to teach him a single lesson; but once learned, it is well learned. He can take you to the Scriptures and give you from them a reason for the hope that is in him. He has been in the fields at work, and the next lesson will be easier to teach him.

Moreover, what he has thus gleaned will be precious in his sight, as the fruit of his own labor. He will measure it as Ruth did, and though it be only "about an ephah of barley," he will, like Ruth, carry it home with him, and after being sufficed therewith himself, will no doubt give of his treasure to some one else, even as Ruth '' brought forth and gave to her (Naomi) that she had reserved after she was sufficed." She was first sufficed, for "the husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits."

When believers are thus taught they are not apt to get their eyes upon the teacher instead of the truth
taught. Their eyes have been upon the field, the Scriptures, and it is their worth and perfection they learn to appreciate.

Such simplicity of teaching is also an excellent guard to the instructor against teaching any thing that cannot be clearly established by the Word of God.

The one thus taught also learns to more readily detect false doctrine, to be suspicious of any teaching for which he is not given Scripture, and to "prove all things," and "hold fast that which is good." Thus, little by little, he increases "in wisdom and stature," and ere long has fields of his own where he may reap and others glean.

Many a young untaught believer upon first hearing some deeply instructed saint open the Scriptures to others, is quite discouraged, and thinks there is not the least hope of his ever gaining such a knowledge of the Word of God. But if this same teacher sits patiently down with him, and leads him to the same fields whence he has acquired all his wealth, and gives him a few lessons in gleaning, he takes fresh courage, his interest is aroused, he sees what possibilities of wealth are before him, and goes earnestly to work. In giving with simplicity, as in every thing else, our Lord Jesus has left us a perfect example. Of Him it is written, '' For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."

One can but marvel at such a strange thing as that. We would suppose that if a rich man wanted to make others rich he must surely do it while he himself was rich, and not first become poor ! But not so, From the beginning of the world God had been giving to men as One who was rich and able indeed to give ; but not thus were their hearts won, not thus were they made rich toward God. Not until He came "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," did God accomplish His desire. As a poor Man He walked among men and made many rich indeed. He came to minister, but He came as a poor Man. Nevertheless all the resources of heaven were at His command when man's need called them forth. He could heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the multitudes, and all as a poor Man who had "not where to lay His head."
Dearly beloved, would to God we better knew how to give with "the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus." Always '' poor in spirit," that we may be in sympathy with those whom we seek to help, and yet '' filled with all the fullness of God." "Full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

So should we be according to the scripture, '' Approving ourselves as the ministers of God … as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." G. M. R.