ing more generally, Jesus Christ means to say that everything foretold in figure by the Law shall be truly accomplished in the Gospels, even to the smallest circumstance. The least things are significant in the Old Testament, and the least things must be fulfilled by the New Testament. ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn on the floor.’ [1] St Paul applies this to preachers. [2] It is the same with other details. ‘Thou shalt not boil a kid in the milk of its dam ’; [3] and, again, if a bird is found sitting on her nest ‘thou shalt not take her with her young, but shalt let her go, keeping the young which thou hast caught.... Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of linen and wool together. Thou shalt make strings to the hem of the four corners of thy cloak.’ [4] All these little details have great meanings, and are intended to inspire Christians with gentleness, moderation, simplicity, uprightness, and all other virtues.
What Our Lord deduces from all this is that we are not to forget the very least of His precepts; for if every single thing that God decreed for His Son must be accomplished in the most
