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Right Methods, Principles, and Motives
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how to treat the human mind, and the body as well—not to cramp
any of the organs of the body, but give them ample room to do their
work? The mind must be called out, its energies taxed. We want
men and women who can be energized by the Spirit of God to do a
complete work under the Spirit’s guidance. But these minds must be
cultivated, employed, not lazy and dwarfed by inaction. Just so men
and women and children are wanted who will work the land, and
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use their tact and skill, not with a feeling that they are menials, but
that they are doing just such noble work as God gave to Adam and
Eve in Eden, who loved to see the miracles wrought by the divine
Husbandman. The human agent plants the seed, and God waters it
and causes His sun to shine upon it, and up springs the tiny blade.
Here is the lesson God gives to us concerning the resurrection of
the body, and the renewing of the heart. We are to learn of spiritual
things from the development of the earthly.
Education in the Tilling of the Soil
We are not to be put about and discouraged about temporal things
because of apparent failures, nor should we be disheartened by delay.
We should work the soil cheerfully, hopefully, gratefully, believing
that the earth holds in her bosom rich stores for the faithful worker
to garner, richer than gold or silver. The niggardliness laid to her
charge is false witness. With proper, intelligent cultivation the earth
will yield its treasures for the benefit of man.
The spiritual lessons to be learned are of no mean order. The
seeds of truth sown in the soil of the heart will not all be lost, but
will spring up, first the blade, then the ear, and then the corn in the
ear. God said in the beginning, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit.” God created the
seed as He did the earth, by the divine word. We are to exercise our
reasoning powers in the cultivation of the earth, and to have faith in
the word of God that has created the fruit of the earth for the service
of man.
The cultivation of our lands requires the exercise of all the brain-
power and tact we possess. The lands around us testify to the in-
dolence of men. We hope to arouse to action the dormant senses.
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We hope to see intelligent farmers, who will be rewarded for their