would be a want of fitness in their fasting, so long as He, their Bridegroom, was with them. But He does not stop there. He goes on to show, by two parables, that young beginners in the school of Christianity must be dealt with gently. They must be taught as they are able to bear. They must not be expected to receive everything at once. To neglect this rule would be as unwise as to " put new wine into old bottles," or to put '^ a i3iece of new cloth to an old garment."
There is a mine of deep wisdom in this, which all would do well to remember, in the spiritual teaching of those who are young in experience. We must be careful not to attach an excessive importance to the lesser things of religion. We must not be in a hurry to require a minute conformity to one rigid rule in things indifferent, until the first j)rinciples of repentance and faith have been thoroughly learned. To guide us in this matter, we have great need to pray for grace, and Christian common sense. Tact in dealing with young disciples is a rare gift, but a very useful one. To know what to in- sist upon as absolutely necessary from the first — and what to reserve, as a lessoti to be learned when the learner has come to more perfect knowledge — is one of the highest attainments of a teacher of souls.
Let us mark, in the next place, ivhat encouragement 0U7^ Lord gives to the liumhlest faith.
We read in this passage, that a woman sorely afflicted with disease, came behind our Lord in the crowd, and " touched the hem" of His garment, in the hope that by so doing she should be healed. She said not a word to obtciin help. She made no public confession of faith.