There are two kinds of imitators:imitators of God and imitators of the works of God’s servants. The first, all saints are to be:"Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children" (Eph. 5:1 JND). God has presented Himself as a model for our imitation and in such a way that we cannot fail to understand. In His blessed and perfect Son as Man we have One who has left us an example that we "should follow His steps." Christ is the Object before us; to imitate Him is our life-work, and to do this we are to be occupied with Him. In result, "we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18).

When his people are before us, it is not them, but their faith we are to imitate:"considering the issue of their [conduct], imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7 JND). In Acts 19 we have an account of mere imitation, without any faith. Godless Jews use the names of Jesus and Paul to conjure with merely to gain fame and power:"We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth" (Acts 19:13). The satire of the satanic spirit is striking:"Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" (v. 15).

Satan does not recognize sham power. While this is true in its fullest sense for the unsaved, there is a lesson for all of the children of God. We hear, for example, of an evangelist who is gifted with the power of presenting the truth in a bright attractive way, and we try to imitate him only to find the power and brightness have all gone. On the other hand, a fellow-Christian is walking on the waters calmly and surely, and we step forth only to sink (Matt. 14:29). These, and numerous other cases, only show us that faith is an individual thing_ that we must imitate none and follow the Lord only. What a relief, if one has perhaps been trying to imitate his brother in Christ, to come down from the stilts, to lay aside Saul’s armor (I Sam. 17:38,39), and to trust the Lord for himself; to let Him work by His Spirit in His own blessed way, using us as His instruments according to His will. Efforts cease, and now, instead of a colorless imitation, there is power. God would use every one of us, but often He is hindered by the fact that we want to be used as others are. Consequently we often remain idle and silent, or, worse yet, are but as sounding brass. May not this explain why many are silent in meetings? They can talk freely and easily enough socially, but in the meeting their lips are sealed it seems, because they may not speak so well as others _ their prayers may not be so well expressed! How common! Oh, away with such thoughts! Let us be more simple, willing to be used in a small way if only He use us. Thus God’s assembly would be refreshed by thousands of channels (which are now choked and dry), pouring forth the living water fresh from the fountain.

FRAGMENT In proportion as we do not care to communicate to others the "sound words" (2 Tim. 1:13) which we have received (from the Scriptures), we shall find their power over our own souls diminish and their sweetness for us also.