that ever-new and quickening power of the Spirit wliich, coming from God, can alone satisfy the soul's thirst for Him (Zee I4«, Jer 2" 17'=). So Christ seems to use it here. If the woman but knew 'the gift of God,' that fount of the living Spirit which, springing up within, and independent of Samaritan books of the Law, is the assurance of eternal life (v.'''), and if she could but recognize the supremacy of love and spiritual power in Him wlio was speaking, then she would not hesitate to ask an infinitely greater gift than He had asked of her. Thus Christ would be the agency ; the Eternal Spirit would be ' the gift.'
The greatest of all gifts would be one's life. This Christ gave. All other gifts of His are in- cluded in this. They are the fruit of this complete self-surrender, which could yield up all things for love of men. True, He §ave, and gives His dis- ciples, the unfathomable gift of a Peace which the world could not give (Jn 14"), a Rest for all weary .spirits (Mt 11-"). To His own He is the Living Water (Jn 4'^), the Bread of Life (6^*'). He gives the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt IB''-*), the new commandment of Love (Jn 13"'), and Life Eternal (10=»). But the higliest "ift included these and more. It was the gift of His life, ' a ransom for many' (Mt 20=8, Mk 10*^). This He ofl'ered to the Eternal Father, to that Righteous- ness whose final decision was beyond tlie Son of man's bestowal : ' To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give ^ (Mt 20=", Mk 10"). For the gift of the Holy Spirit see art. Holy Spirit. See also art. Giving.
Edgar Daplyn.
GIRDLE See Dress, p. 498''.
GIVING. — The duty of giving springs naturally out of the gospel fact. Jesus Christ is God's gift (Jn 3'"), and wlien St. Paul associates the liberality of the Christians of Corinth and this grace of God (2 Co 9"*), he is true to the mind of Christ. Giving and receiving are correlatives : ' freely ye received, freely give ' (Mt 10* ; the endow- ment is of Divine power and authority, and the service is to be as wide as human need ; cf. Ac 3"). Throughout the Gospel nanative the welcome of Christ awakens generous impulses. The new re- solve of Zacchfeus (Lk 19") is tlie free expression of his new life. The grace of Christ had come near to him, and he, in that high fellowship, could not but be gracious. So, generally, giving is the necessary expression of Christian faith and love, the spontaneous outcome of Christian life.
Almsgiving is recognized by Jesus as a part of ' righteousness' (Mt 6"- RV), and the duty of prac- tising it is often enforced (see ALMSGIVING). But the care of the poor by no means exhausts the activities of the generous spirit. Treasury gifts for the temple service were recognized by Jesus (Mk 12" = Lk 21'), and gifts for the upholding of public worship are an essential part of worship.
So, too, Jesus accepted and lionoured gifts directly bestowed upon Himself. ' Certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmi- ties . . . ministered unto him of their substance ' (Lk 8=^-). In the same spirit were Matthew's feast after his call (Lk 5^), tlie anointing by the woman of the city (Lk 7""-), and the supper at Bethany (Jn 12=). These were acts of grateful love, and they were welcomed by Jesus. The incident of the outpouring of the spikenard (Jn 12"'- = Mt26"-, Mk 14"') is the more significant because of the criticism it provoked, and the reply of Jesus, ' Ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ve will ye can do them good' (Mk 14'). Is there here a hidden rebuke for neglect of opportunities ever present, on the part of tliose wlio here pro- fessed disapproval of waste ? Certainly the reply
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GIVING
GLORY
suggests tlie thought ' that expenditure in one direction does not disqualify for beneficent acts in another. The willing-minded will always have enough for all purposes' (Expositor's Gr. Test., iv loco). By accepting and honouring this costly act of thankful love Jesus sanctions the utmost that love prompts. It is in such giving that the joy of sacrihce is known and the secret of Jesus realized —'It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Ac 2CP).
But all service is included in Christ's law of giving, not alms to the poor alone, but all the manifold expressions of love, the helpfulness which springs out of the new family bond of brother- hood. How this spirit works practically is illus- trated in the ministry of Jesus. Once and again before His gracious acts of healing or of bountj', it is said, 'he was moved with compassion' (Mt 9*" 15", Mk 6") ; and His fellow-feeling found expres- sion in the sending forth of the Twelve, the feed- ing of the multitude, and in teaching.
So is it with His disciples. All tender minis- tries are the expression of a Di\-ine compassion, ' the exceeding grace of God in you ' (2 Co 9").
But the law of Christian serWce goes beyond this. It is founded in justice, the recognition of the true relations which men hold one to another in Christ. The second commandment of love to our neighbour (Mt 19" 22^') and the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk lO*"') teach the true inward- ness of generosity.