"Many of the most beautiful things in nature are so delicate in their structure that to touch them almost means to destroy them. Man could not pretend to imitate these works of beauty, they are so frail that they for the most part escape even his notice. Yet God builds this beauty, and delights to put it everywhere, to show us His beauty, and His tenderness as well. The delicate little flower, the wing of the butterfly, crushed by the rude hand of a boy, were made by the almighty God, who takes thought of them.

And so in spiritual things, there are characters so frail that the touch of man seems to mar them. The new-born sold, with its desires after God, its love for Christ, its almost inarticulate prayers and praises, is surely more beautiful in His sight than the fairest flower of earth. And yet by our cold criticism, our rigid exactness, may we not crush the beauty out of this flower ? Let us learn to be more tender with one another. Let not our rude touch mar God's beautiful work. May we rather be imitators of Him, and learn to develop rather than to dwarf that which is of Him.

For how does He deal with us ? How has He built us up ? By gentleness. Our love to Him, our joy, the early fruits of the Spirit, have been watched and nourished; our coldness has been borne with, and so He has gently led us on. Oh, to learn to do likewise in all our dealings with God's lambs !