A Sensible Farmer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 5, 1874

A Sensible Farmer.

Some time ago, a pious agriculturist was speaking of a minister of his acquaintance, who, he thought, preached too smoothly—that is, with too little application to the conscience; as though he were fearful of hurting the feelings of men, unconscious of their danger of eternal destruction. Our friend said of him, “Why, he seems to be a good man, but he will rake with the teeth upwards.” To the agriculturist this figure will appear impressive and full of meaning. Raking with the teeth upwards is as bad as sowing in fallow ground without breaking it up. Raking with the teeth upwards will never gather the hay. Raking with the teeth upwards, or harrowing in the same manner, will smooth over the field, but will neither rake in the seed, nor rake out the weeds. A preacher will never succeed in his work, who rakes with the teeth upwards. The teeth of the gospel implements are not set in this way, but point down into the heart and conscience.

Men who pursue only riches of earth do not rake with the teeth upwards, but downwards. They vigorously labor to obtain their object at any risk. Wily politicians often rake with the teeth upwards, but then they only aim at a temporary object. Flatterers always work in this way; but honest people despise them, and know, notwithstanding pretensions to the contrary, that their real design is not to rake, but, to smooth and cover over. For the minister of God to rake with the teeth upwards is to “handle the word of God deceitfully.” It is to teach as Satan taught our first parents,—“ye shall not surely die.” Paul raked the Corinthians with the teeth downward, and made them both sore and sorry. 2 Cor. 7. They sorrowed to repentance; and in this the apostle rejoiced, for in his hand the gospel had effectually done its work. Ministers of Christ!—subserve the glory of your Master, and the salvation of your hearers, by raking with the teeth downwards.—Sel.