The duty of almsgiving is one which natural ethics recognizes, and which the Scripture clearly enforces. Job, in referring to the blessedness of his former estate, says, " When the ear heard me, then it blessed me ; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me ; because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him ;" and he takes to himself, as a proud title that then belonged to him, the title of " father of the poor" (xxix. II, 12, 16). The benevolent aspect of the Jewish law towards the poor has been already noticed. In the ethical parts of the O. T., the duty of considering, and helping, and protecting the poor, is forcibly urged ; and God is continually represented as on the side of the poor, ready to avenge their cause against those who oppress them, and to reward those who shew them kindness (Ps. xii. 5 ; xli. I ; cvii. 41; cix. 16; Prov. xiv. 21, 31 ; xix. I 7 ; xxii. 16 ; xxix. 7; Is. iii. 14, 15; Am. ii. 6, 7; Zech. vii. io, etc.) In the predictions concerning the Messiah, a pro minent feature of his reign, on which the prophets dwell, is his regard for the poor (Ps. lxxii. 4, 13 ; Is. xi. 4, etc.); and in the spirit of these our Loid, as the Christ, constantly acted when He came on the earth. He inculcated the duty of giving alms
(Luke xi. 41 ; xii. 33) ; he taught that " it is more blessed to give than to receive ;" and though Him self often dependent on the benevolence of others, there can be no doubt that when He had the means, He exemplified in practice his own maxim (John xiii. 29). By his apostles, the duty of alms giving is not only strongly commended to Chris tians, but is elevated to a superior place among the duties incumbent upon them as Christians (Acts ix. 36 ; x. 4 ; Rom. xv. 26 ; 2 Cor. viii. 1-7 ; ix. 1-6 ; Gal. ii. 20 ; vi. 10 ; Jam. ii. 15, 16, etc.) Among the Jews of post-biblical times, alms giving has been regarded with a feeling which is excessive. The poor are proclaimed to be the people of God ( ranch. fol. 29, col. 4) ; the rich man who gives to the poor is as if he kept all the commandments (Ibid. fol. 29, coL 4). Alms satisfy for sins (Berechot, p. 183); him who gives alms God will keep from all harm (Hieros. Peah, fol. 15, 2) ; whoever shall give a halfpenny to a poor man in alms shall be a partaker of the beatific vision (Baba Bathra, foL to, t, Alidrash Tillin in Ps. xvii. 15), etc. (Otho, Lex. Rab. on Eleemosynm and Pau peres).—W. L. A.