p. 16 | Practice What You Preach by Albert Hedgecock

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 26, 1914

Practice What You Preach

By Albert Hedgecock

We moved from Iowa to Nebraska in the spring of 1870, and settled on a homestead in York County. A little later Stephen Rider, a Seventh-day Adventist and a brother-in-law of Elder G. I. Butler, settled on a homestead near us. Elder Butler and his family made them a visit in the fall of 1873, and he held a series of meetings. I heard the last sermon of that series, and well do I recollect the text used: “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:28. I listened attentively, and when Elder Butler had finished his discourse, I turned to the one who sat next to me and said, “That man has the truth on the Sabbath question.” He stated that he would return and hold a longer series of lectures on Bible subjects, but he did not reach our community until about one year later.

I was running a threshing machine and did not have an opportunity to hear his first lectures. The first I attended was on the messages of Revelation 14, and it sent to my heart the conviction that I ought to obey. A little later Elder Butler came to spend the day with us. We were threshing, and in the course of his visit, had to move our machine. He assisted by driving the stakes for the horse power. I said to him, “You would better let me drive those stakes. You are not used to that kind of work.” “O, yes,” he said, “we hold meetings in tents and have lots of stakes to drive.” In a very short time we had the machine ready for work again, and Elder Butler stepped up on the table and began to feed the thresher. I allowed him to feed a short time, and then offered to take his place, saying, “You are not used to this kind of work. You would better let me do it.” “O, yes,” he said, “I used to run a threshing machine in Iowa, and have done lots of this kind of work.”

“Well,” I thought to myself, “you are not like most preachers I have seen.” I do not suppose Elder Butler knew he was preaching to me by his actions as well as by his words, but such was the case. I write these lines thinking they may help some of our young men who are just starting out in work for the Master. Take heed to the words of Christ: “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” May the Lord indeed bless the young men who are hastening this last message of mercy to final victory, and may the rich blessing of the Lord rest upon his aged servants who have borne the burden in the heat of the day.

Albert Hedgecock.