FATHER DIVINE
Those present and participating in the program which was presented by The Sons of Israel Gospel Singers were The Sunset Jubilee Gospel Singers, The North Philadelphia Jr. Singers, Mr. Willie Eastland with Electric Hawaiian Guitar and the Rosebud Choir. However, the High Spot of the evening was the masterful and dynamic Sermon by Reverend M. J. Divine.
The program was well under way when FATHER and Mrs. DIVINE and part of the Staff arrived. They were graciously met and immediately escorted onto the rostrum. As the hour grew late, Mr. Anthony Butler of The Sons of Israel arose and spoke as follows:
Friends: We hope that each and every one of you have enjoyed that number, 'Why Should I Worry?' It is a true number. Sometimes we are on the streets alone, sometimes we don't know what to do and we get burdened and discouraged, but we just think of that number, 'Why Should I Worry?' But I know that there is One that is standing so nigh -- that there is a Friend, a Friend indeed -- a Friend just like a Brother and a Friend that will be with you when you are in trouble. That is my GOD above, and we look up to HIM, The Sons of Israel, that we might not give up and might not turn back!
Friends, we are going to listen to the Rosebud Choir and after then we will have the Guest Speaker of the evening none other than FATHER DIVINE!
(The Rosebuds sung a group of three inspirational numbers, entitled, 'Free! Free! Free!', 'I Love America!' and 'Rejoice and Be Glad, for Your Salvation Has Come!'. FATHER arose and came to the pulpit to deliver this profound sermon.)
PEACE, EVERYONE! And PEACE to our honored chairman, to the Sons of Israel and all of our honored and respective guests, and PEACE to the world at large! This is the purpose for which I Came, to bring about that of which JESUS mentioned:
'My Peace I give unto you, My Peace I leave with you.
Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
'Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.'
I would like to say to our fellow citizens, hearers and friends, and even the
Sons of Israel, the Gospel Singers, it may be at times that you would be troubled,
passing through the trials and tribulations of life, but as I afore said,
'My peace I give unto you! Not as the world giveth, give I unto you, but my peace I give unto you!'
It is a privilege to live in and at a time when the sons of men have come to
that place in consciousness where they realize Peace on Earth and Good Will to
men will bring Peace to every nation! I think the time has quite well expired
and I believe MY visit here tonight, being invited by the Sons of Israel, the
Gospel Singers -- I hope MY being here will not be in vain even though I may
not have very much to say at the instance but to convey the thought to the world,
I came to bring peace to the children of men, unity and tranquility and brotherhood
and democracy!
For this cause I do say, let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid, for the day has truly come that GOD is drawing the inhabitants of the earth together! A good many of MY fellow citizens and representatives of City, of State and Federal Government and those other societies have been somewhat troubled to see the different uprising in this country, lynch-mob violence and other such, after going through the second inhuman warfare, to make the world safe for Democracy. It has caused a good many of you to feel as though your work and bloodshed are in vain, but I AM here to say, by experience and by what you all are presently experiencing all over this wide - extended plane, your work, your bloodshed and your fight for Democracy is not in vain!
Do not feel as though all of your prayers, all of your tears, all of your anguish of heart, seeking Brotherhood and Democracy and Peace on Earth and Good Will towards men would be in vain! Do not feel as though it is in vain! As a Sample and as an Example, insignificantly I stand as a PERSON, but I present to you a slight sketch and a reflection of a percent of a fraction of a grain of what we shall have all over this wide-extended plane! This is not a supposition!
JESUS did not say:
'My Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,'
in vain! I Came to emphasize the fact that we, the people, shall seek it just
as you have sought it and your boys and your young men fought to bring about
Democracy on earth among men!
I Came to show you a little sketch of a reflection of a percent of a fraction of a grain of it! Now aren't you glad! Look over this vast audience, as I say; not only those of MY following alone, but you, MY fellow citizens, hearers and friends, are coming in closer relationship between man and man! And as I have long since Declared; Just as it is at MY right hand and at MY left on MY immediate staff, so shall I have it all over this wide-extended plane!
Then I say, do not think your prayers are in vain! Do not think your boys that have sacrificed their lives were sacrificed in vain, though it may apparently be at times when you find in some parts of this Country bloodshed, race riots and lynch-mob violence having its way; but I AM here to say, we shall let righteousness, truth and justice take its place! This is not a supposition! What I AM daily experiencing I AM demonstrating for the benefit of all humanity!
Look about yourselves and realize, when CHRIST was born in a manger, He did not come to bring about warfare and bloodshed! He came not to bring about division and strife, but He came to bring about Unity, tranquility and peace on earth and good will towards men! Aren't you glad!
I would like to say to those of MY hearers, if you only bear with ME a little while, I may bless you! If you desire to go home, you have a right to go when you get ready, but I am not accustomed to preaching to people who ignore my work, because I don't have to do it! I have millions that love ME and want to hear ME! That is what I AM talking about! I AM here to Bless the Sons of Israel, the Gospel Singers, and others! I AM here to help you! Aren't you glad! I did not have to come here to preach! I have churches all over the country! And I have millions and millions of followers and millions and millions of homes I can preach in!
Again I wish to say, I did not come here for money! Myself, neither My rosebud choir! Not any of us are receiving a penny!
'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life!'
I AM sure the people of Philadelphia, as well as all over this wide-extended
plane, realize those of MINE do not perish and they are not hungry! Then I say,
MY PEACE I give unto you, MY PEACE I leave with you; not as the world gives,
give I unto you! Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid!
I shall bring about that universal brotherhood of man, the purpose for which
I came, MY fellow citizens and friends! Aren't you glad!
Now a good many of you marvel at that composition, that last number that was sung:
'GOD has chosen for HIS Bride a Spotless Virgin Rosebud!'
Aren't you glad! Not to propagate lust and passion, self-indulgence and human
affection, but to propagate virtue, brotherhood and honesty, such as has been
propagated since you all heard of ME and before!
Then I say, it is a privilege to be here to observe what you see and hear! My peace I give unto you! My peace I leave with you! Not as the world gives! I am not giving you a whole lot of something as the world giveth! Aren't you glad! But I am giving you peace on earth and good will towards men, causing those of your fellow citizens in your respective vicinity and in every community to respect you and love you even as they love themselves!
We shall have a Righteous Government and the children of this people shall live in peaceful and quiet resting places and no man shall make them ashamed! Now aren't you glad! Just think of how marvelous it will be when we, the people shall be lifted Universally from the bread lines! No more soliciting and begging! No more borrowing and stealing! That is what I AM talking about! I Haven't asked anyone for a penny! Not as yet! And I AM fixing millions of others in that same state of being, that same state of consciousness that they might be able to realize, MY peace I give unto you, MY peace I leave with you! Not as the world giveth, give I unto you! Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid! You do not have to be afraid of panics, famines nor inflations!
Live in this recognition. My fellow citizens, hearers and friends, if you call your attention back to about four or five years ago, when I Came to the City of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, to make it MY Residence, did you not see the wage scale rise here equivalently to that of New York? They are trying to cut the wage scale down here, but I said hold it up! The poor people must live by the sweat of their brow! Then let them earn a living wage to supply themselves with what they need!
I cannot stress these thoughts too vividly; and if you will co-operate with ME, I Will give you the Victory over every difficulty and I Will bring an abolition to localization! I AM talking about, some of you cannot live in a decent neighborhood! I AM Tired of such! I shall break that line of demarcation and bring an abolition to localization! All shall have a right to life, liberty and the privilege to pursue happiness (that is what I am talking about!) just like MYSELF! I know some of them don't want to see it, but we have access in any locality and in any community! That is what I AM talking about!
Live right and do right and be decent and respectable in your respective communities and lift up a standard of decency, of morality and modesty, to a standard that everybody will be obliged to look up to it! That is what I AM talking about! And if you do, then whensoever you earn your hard-earned money and you desire to buy property, personal property or any kind of property, just like MY followers buy the best of everything, you will be able to do the same, for GOD is no respecter of persons! Aren't you glad!
I Came to lift up a Standard for this people as said the Scripture, so that you, MY fellow citizens, hearers and friends, might realize that every Valley shall be Exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be brought Low! There shall be no division among this people! I Came to bring it about! And all shall be able to enjoy Life, Liberty and the Reality of Happiness just as I have it! Aren't you glad!
If there is a question as to what I AM saying, an investigation is solicited and all are welcome to come to any of the places where I reside; and wheresoever I preside over a banquet table, see if I do not have a-full and a-plenty and to spare! I want you all to have it! I want everybody to enjoy it! Aren't you glad! Bring an end to selfishness! Bring an end to graft and bring an end to greed!
Not a True Follower of MINE would take one penny as a tip in a restaurant where they are selling meals for fifteen cents that would cost you seventy-five cents elsewhere! I AM talking about a Standard that I have lifted! Then I AM not ashamed of the Gospel of CHRIST, for it is the POWER of GOD unto Salvation!
Then I say to the Sons of Israel Gospel Singers and all other representatives of the Gospel and of the civic and social service workers:
'Let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid!'
Do not think you are ostracized, do not think you shall be set aside an outcast!
A good many people years ago thought you could not even come to this place to
hold a meeting. You come here now though! Aren't you glad!
A good many thought you could not go to a church that the people were of a light complexion, commonly known as the Caucasians, but the churches are uniting now, aren't they? I say it is not only with those who are called MY followers but this contagion is going forth in the land. All decent and respectable people shall LIVE TOGETHER as one man at Jerusalem! Now, is not that wonderful?
When you realize once upon a time even as the man said once: he had gone to the church and he wanted to go to church and he was not permitted to come in the church, or something of that sort and the pastor told him to go back and ask JESUS about it, or words to that effect. So after then he saw the man, he said, 'What did JESUS tell you about going to some other church?' He said He told him He had been trying to get in that church so many years!
I AM talking about your JESUS the invisible CHRIST from on high! One that ascended I AM talking about now, which is the same One, but I mean, from your own angle of expression. That is what I AM talking about! I AM talking about the SAME ONE! Aren't you glad! But since that One from the invisible realm did not bring to this people what I desire them to enjoy, I came MYSELF!
All of the years you have been praying and weeping and mourning, you did not get free from segregation and discrimination but I came to free you from it!
Now look at the beautiful Rosebud Choir and all of MY following, wheresoever they are! When they are partakers of this Spirit, the SPIRIT of the CHRIST, they learn to LOVE ONE ANOTHER even as their sisters and brothers, and no longer be divided in races, creeds and colors! Now aren't you glad!
You all know you would like to be that way if you would not like to be so fanatic, or such a fanatic as I AM! Plenty to eat, to drink and to wear! Plenty of automobiles -- the best of airplanes that the world can produce! Aren't you glad! If I must speak in the language of economics, so those that do not see spiritual things might see things from an economic point of view, they might see things from a social point of view, they might see things from an intellectual point of view, I will speak on thus wise to some of you! Aren't you glad!
Then I say, let us live in this Recognition and build upon this Foundation, and, with the Sons of Israel, if they will permit ME, I will carry them over every opposition and I will cause them to surmount all obstructions, all adverse and undesirable conditions, for the Mouth of GOD declared it!
One writer said,
'Evil communications corrupt good morals; ill qualities are catching as well as diseases and a man is known by his company keepers!'
Now let us reverse the evil qualities and evil communications! Let us change
our gears of thinking and come into this Recognition and Realization; that GOOD
QUALITIES are CATCHING as well as diseases!
I want to see the Sons of Israel Gospel Singers as young men rise above limitations, adverse and undesirable conditions and rise above racism and every ism that spells division and unite universally with all other people, and get the victory over every difficulty! That is what I am talking about. And my visit here tonight is to help them, encourage them and to encourage others to let them know that if god is for you, none can be against you!
By MY Own Experience and by what you have seen and heard of ME, the oppositions and accusations and persecutions and prosecutions, I have Surmounted every opposition and proven to the world conclusively, 'if god is for you, none can be against you!'
Now let us live in this Recognition! Let us build upon this Foundation and learn to love one another, for I have given birth, and I AM still giving birth to that Universal Brotherhood of man that you all might imbibe the Spirit and the Meaning of both it and them!
So take these thoughts to consideration and remember, as I said in short: 'MY Peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you! 'Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid!'
I Came to LIFT this people that have been down-trodden and under-privileged and non-privileged to give you the VICTORY over all adverse and undesirable conditions, for the Mouth of GOD has declared it: 'If GOD be for you who can be against you?'
I need not say more. I had thought not to say anything, as the time was quite well expired, but as I moved and thought, as I spoke of what I desired to see all over this wide-extended plane, I desired to Clean your city of all vice and of all crime, of all sin and debauchery of every kind, and I desired to purge the sons of Levi as I have already purged some! Aren't you glad!
I AM purging the vocabularies of the children of men! Aren't you glad! I AM cleansing them of obscenity, profanity and blasphemy and vulgarity. Aren't you glad! When you are purged of all of those things even your subconscious mind will not retain vulgarity, obscenity and profanity! Even though you may be converted, unless your vocabularies and your sub consciousness are purged of vice and crime and sin and debauchery and purged of obscenity, profanity and vulgarity, if you happen to stump your feet, un thoughtful, though you may be a Christian, you may say something you have no business to say! Can you not see the Mystery? You all know it is true! A good many have said it before your sub consciousness and your vocabularies were purged!
GOD declared through the mouth of Malachi:
'I shall purge the Sons of Levi as silver and as gold are purged!'
Aren't you glad! Then you will be able to offer unto the LORD an offering in
righteousness, because your bodies are the temples of the living GOD and GOD
has said,
'I will walk in them and dwell in them!'
You will have pure bodies in which to live in! Can you not see the mystery?
Your bodies will be free from guile! And one writer declared that CHRIST said,
'Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile!'
Can you not see they mystery? You will be purged of all profanity, of all vulgarity
and of all obscenity those prenataled tendencies and hereditive tendencies handed
down traditionally. You will be purged of all of those things; and then truly
you can say in reality , 'GOD'S Word was true! I should not let my heart be troubled,
neither be afraid, because HE has purged me of all of those things!' You will
not think as you once thought!
When you are purged of all obscenity, profanity, vulgarity and all of the uncleanness of the flesh and spirit, why, you can stump your feet as much as you please and you will not swear un thoughtfully! Aren't you glad! These are facts and figures too stout to be denied and mankind must eventually realize, if they live exactly according to the Life and the Teachings of CHRIST they will not let their hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid, for they will see and know,
'MY Peace I give unto you, MY Peace I leave with you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you!'
'Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid!'
I thank you. (As FATHER resumed HIS Seat, amid thunderous applause, the various
representatives came to shake hands with FATHER and Mrs. DIVINE. The Sunset Jubilee
Gospel Singers favored us with another selection, and FATHER sat there patting
HIS Feet to the rhythm. Suddenly the Holy Spirit overshadowed the audience, and
visitors as well as strangers felt the Power of the Spirit and were moved beyond
their personal control. Finally as FATHER prepared to leave, HE stepped to the
microphone and spoke as follows:)
PEACE, EVERYONE: I would just like to say, The Sons of Israel, as usual, they have a standing invitation, and to show MY appreciation for the invitation here tonight, they have especially been invited to come down and break bread with us if they desire to tonight. We serve the Holy Communion Service every night at twelve o'clock. I thank You.
If they choose to bring anyone along with them they are welcome to do so, and we will try to accommodate as many as possible, and we will serve Table after Table until all are served generously! I thank you.
New Day: November 30, 1946 A.D.F.D., Pgs 3,4,5
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