the Church formed, they and their followers should fast indeed. Aye! and many of them more severely than any disciple of John or Pharisee.

3A piece of new cloth.-The garments worn in Palestine were very light, and, when they wanted mending, must be thin indeed. A piece of new cloth would tear away more than its own size.

4Old bottles.-The bottles used for wine in the East, and still in Spain and some parts of France, are made of goat skins. When these skins are new they will expand with the fermentation of new wine. When they are old, and hard and wrinkled, they are sure to burst. The Apostles were too new in the faith for great austerities. They were too long accustomed to a worldly life to be broken from old habits at once.

20. Et ecce mulier, quæ sanguinis fluxum patiebatur duodecim annis, accessit retrò et tetigit fimbriam vestimenti ejus:

21. Dicebat enim intrà se: Si tetigero tantùm vestimentum ejus, salva ero.

22. At JESUS, conversus et videns eam, dixit: "Confide, filia fides tua te salvam fecit." Et salva facta est mulier ex illâ horâ.

23. Et cùm venisset JESUS in domum principis et vidisset tibicines et turbam tumultuantem, dicebat:

24. "Recedite: non est enim mortua puella, sed dormit." Et deridebant eum.

25. Et cùm ejecta esset turba, intravit, et tenuit manum ejus, et surrexit puella.

26. Et exiit fama hæc in universam terram illam.

20. And behold a woman, who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.

21. For she said within herself: If I shall but touch his garment, I shall be healed.

22. But Jesus turning about, and seeing her, said: Take courage, daughter: thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

23. And when Jesus came into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the crowd making a rout, he said:

24. Give place: for 'the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed at him.

25. And when the crowd was turned out, he went in, and took her by the hand: and the girl arose."

26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.

Many kinds of miracles have been already wrought, and the fame of them hath gone abroad; we must not be surprised if the Ruler (whose name was Jairus) believed that so wonderful a man could even raise a person from the dead. They had heard of the case of the prophet. His faith does not seem to be as strong as that of the Centurion; but it was strong enough to evoke the charity and kindness of Jesus Christ. Some think the miracle on the way to the Ruler's home was performed in order to strengthen his faith.

1Just now dead.-In some accounts of the story the girl is said to be dying. She was so when her father left the house, but news reached that she had died just then.

2Jesus went immediately, even getting up from His dinner, in order to attend a sick call.

3Touched the hem of His garment.-This cure is described more at length by the other Evangelists. This poor woman was forbidden to touch anyone by the law of Moses. She touched, as it were by stealth, and with a strong faith, and was cured instantly. Here we have the doctrine of relics established.

"The girl is not dead but sleepeth.-Asleep was a common expression for being dead amongst the Hebrews of that day. It is but a sleep for those who are to rise again. The girl was really dead as the sequel shows.

"Only the three favourite disciples and the parents of the girl were allowed to witness the great miracle. Those who laughed at Him were not worthy of such a favour.

28. And when he was come to the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus saith to them: 'Do you believe that I can do this unto you? They say to him: Yea, Lord.

29. Then he touched their eyes, saying: According to your faith, be it done unto you.

30. And their eyes were opened: And Jesus strictly charged them, saying: See that no man know it.

31. But they, going out, 'spread his fame abroad in all that country.

We come to another species of affliction which He cures many times during his ministry. No privation seems so hard upon one as blindness. Not to be able to see the heavens or the earth, the way you go, the people you meet, or the food that is set before you. Many make the best of it; and blind musicians are often the soul and life of parties. Society and charity do a great deal for such people now-a-days; but in the time of Our Lord there were no asylums, no hospitals, and no provision made for the afflicted. He cured all that came to Him and gave them a new life. How seldom do we thank the giver of all good things for the blessing of sight! A man deprived of it would give all the world for its possession.

'Son of David.-This was the usual name of the Messias, and we see from His being thus addressed that the belief in His having come was growing.

Do you believe ?-Jesus allowed them to follow Him all the way to the house He sojourned in, and then asked them if they believed. He did not need their confession, as He knew very well what they thought, but He wished the hearers to know the conditions, and themselves to realise its importance.

He touched them.-These outward ceremonies were not necessary; but they added to the kindness with which the thing was done and impressed the multitude.

4Spread His fame all over the country.—As remarked already, those who were cured never considered the silence enjoined upon them, no matter how sternly (as it was here), to be binding upon their consciences. Neither do any of the Evangelists blame them.