FATHER DIVINE Smelling a Rose,
Rockland Palace, N.Y.C., 1935.
The Blessed Master still fulfills His Promises to the children of men. Nineteen hundred years ago, in the Sonship Degree of expression, it was His desire to liberate man from the bondage of sin, from the evils of the world; but in unselfish desire for the nations of the earth, it was necessary that the Sonship Degree of expression, not only bear our infirmities, but He laid down His Life as a Supreme Sacrifice in His unselfish Love for man. The Sonship Degree of expression, with its aspirations for the redemption of man, has merged into the FATHERSHIP Degree with the power to overcome all of the evils and conflicts of the world, assuring Victory over every difficulty; for
'all power is given to HIM.'
All down the ages CHRIST has been fulfilling His promises to man and now HE has come to dwell among them, as He also promised He would, continuing to take upon Himself their infirmities and still bearing their diseases, that HE might free them from every mortal barrier and give them their mental and Spiritual and physical liberty in Him, their LORD and their King. FATHER shows up in this beautiful Message, the way to become wholly and solely the Sons of GOD.
Adorable King, we thank THEE!
(The foregoing statements are those of the transcriber, after which FATHER speaks as follows:)
PEACE EVERYONE! ("Peace, FATHER Dear!" resounded the joyful greeting.) Here we all are again! I AM still transmitting Myself as an individual to the children of men, that they might become one with ME, that I might be one with them, for the unity of Spirit, of Mind, of Aim and of Purpose is the Prayer Jesus prayed for you:
'I pray that they might be one, even as We are One,'
said He.
The Prayer has been heard and answered, and you are blessed by receiving the answer to the Prayer of Jesus:
'I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from evil.'
Before I came Personally in your consideration, from this angle of expression,
you may have prayed and sought GOD diligently for your real emancipation from
sickness and diseases, disappointments, lacks, wants and failures; but such evils
you were not emancipated from. You may have refused to commit many crimes, such
as you had been doing, but to be emancipated from all of the evils of the world,
it is a wonderful blessing to be.
I thought of how millions of people today, it has been declared, are without food and shelter. They are tossed about and driven by lacks and wants and limitations, by all sorts of adverse and undesirable conditions, but the Spirit of My Presence from those things has given you your real emancipation. If for and from an economic point of view, the Truth of this Teaching and the Teaching of this Truth, would be well worth considering. If it would only lift you from the depressions, lacks, wants and limitations the millions have been and are still undergoing, it would be worth your weight in gold.
I often think of it! While yet, merely to be freed from those conditions, unless you have a clear conscience and have a pure mind, you will live in negation, in disappointment and failure until those things shall have come forth into expression. Through My Condescension I came to harmonize with the children of men, and to be a partaker of their infirmities, that they might partake with ME that of which I AM representing. Aren't you glad? Upon this Foundation if mankind will stand, from all lacks and wants and limitations and the misery they are undergoing, I will lift them.
I continue to say, as with an individual, so with a nation; for
'In Adam all die, so shall in Jesus Christ all be made alive.'
Now aren't you glad? By one man sin entered into the land, and death passed or
passes upon all men; but by the obedience of one Man, many are made righteous
and emancipated from the curse of misery and death. Aren't you glad? For this
cause we are rejoicing to present to the world at large, just a slight sketch
and a reflection of a percent of a percent of a percent of a fraction of a grain
of a percent of the reality of what GOD is actually doing, lifting mankind from
the undesirable conditions, just the same as Jesus said He would do.
'If you abide in My Word, and let My Word abide in you, you may ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.'
How glorious it is to really know, in this recognition you can be lifted from
all misery and from all woe. Wheresoever you go and wheresoever you be, if you
will allow ME, I will, as I AM here, be with thee.
In the conclusion of My Letters, I declare My Reality. I bring My Qualities into consideration and bring them into your conscious conviction by what you have realized and are realizing concerning the mystery. Men know I AM Healthy! They know especially, I AM Successful and Prosperous! They know I AM Lively! They know I AM Loving, for the reaction of the Love transmitted is imposed upon ME through and by My Followers. It must be the Love that has begotten love. Can you not see the mystery?
'For as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sons of GOD, even to those who believed in His Name.'
Then I say, those who observe the CHRIST in the flesh, they behold His Glory
as the Glory of the only Begotten of the FATHER, full of Grace and of Truth;
and by such an observation, all of such as they observe in Him, have all we received
Grace for Grace.
Then I say, this Love which you see exemplified here, it must have been transmitted through concentration, through devotion and through obedience. They inculcated it, this Love, and accumulated it. In other words, they accumulated it apparently, brought it forth into expression through devotion. It causes them to be super- emotional. They cannot help themselves. Aren't you glad? It causes your heart to be merry. It takes away all of your fears. It dries up all of your tears. It takes away your cares, and the LORD, in reality, is your Shepherd. There is no other. You are not in limitations, you are not wanting.
How marvelous it is to live in such a recognition! Then I say, CHRIST is All and in All; GOD through His Condescension, filling all space and absent from none, will function in every world of expression, and will bring about perfection from a "perfectionable" point of view, in every world of expression, for GOD is the Fulfiller.
Now men cannot understand how can these things be! I have often had some to say, "GOD would not be in politics," or even "righteous people would not be in politics." The Scriptures said: "Go into all of the world"; and that is a part of the world in which they should go and convert the crooked politicians and see that they deal justly between man and man, that Righteousness might have access in them, that they might judge the people with equity through legality. Then from every angle of expression I mean to produce perfection. As I often tell the pupils of the different schools, "Each of you should see to it that you produce perfection in your respective lessons or subjects. On whatsoever subject you are taking or working, you should produce perfection and bring it to fruition," for it has long since been declared:
'I will do a quick work and cut it short in Righteousness.'
Socially it is equivalently the same. Morally, I produce perfection for all humanity.
I lift it up as a standard, as a sample and as an example, that they might get
a little foretaste of Glory. Aren't you glad? By this recognition, by it being
lifted up as a standard for the people, they will be obliged to see and know
definitely, there is a reality in GOD'S Actual Presence producing perfection
from every angle expressible.
In politics, as one of our speakers said this evening, to bring the Declaration of Independence and the spirit and the meaning of it to fruition in yourselves individually, to be American citizens and express your citizenry in reality as American citizens, you should produce the spirit and the meaning of the Constitution and its Amendments, and to bring it to fruition within you; that part of it that is according to the Gospel, having the Spirit of GOD'S Presence to endorse you. When this is done, then and only then can you be real American citizens. That is why I continue to say, "I have birthed out the true spirit of Americanism." When it shall have been brought to fruition and established, it shall be true Evangelism going forth conquering and to conquer and Evangelizing all humanity from this angle of expression, even under and in accord with the Constitution. Then I say, no man can hinder ME, for I know I have done for you what the Constitution and the government itself could not do.
I think I had better stop! I think I had better leave off taking notes along this line, for there is power in it; but it is just wonderful; for as I say, we will just touch along these lines that are not so powerful! There are certain keynotes, if you touch them, they are as dynamite, don't you know? You should not bother with them too much. As I say, let us live and express the spirit and the meaning of the Constitution and bring such a Document as the Declaration of Independence to fruition in us as individuals, that we might be real American citizens characteristically and naturally, even though others be a failure. It is Wonderful!
Whatsoever you endeavor, whatsoever you go into, go in it whole-heartedly. If it is good, get the best out of it. Get the best out of everything you go into; get the best that such a thing can produce. Aren't you glad? This is not a supposition. I AM not imagining anything. We know definitely, we are the representatives of true Americanism and the true citizenry of Americanism when we put it forth into expression as we live it. If those who criticize us, arise in opposition to us, we know they are fighting against that which is commonly known as "commonwealth." They are fighting against their own life's substance from a constitutional point of view.
If you take it religiously, we have them there. If you take it modestly, we have them there. Take it scientifically, we have them there. Take it industriously, we have them there. From every angle of expression we mean to produce perfection, and we mean to bring it into materialization by personification, and cause all humanity to recognize the personification of that which you realize.
How glorious it is to live in such a recognition! Then I say, with or without any other person representing Religion I have it in My Followers, and I have brought it to fruition. True Christianity is the true philosophy of life; therefore, men cannot criticize it when it is brought to fruition in reality, for you have the essence of their life, of their life's substance from whatsoever angle of expression they may function, you have the essence of it; then it is a privilege to live in such a recognition.
If I take it intellectually, I have requested My Followers to all return to school. Those who have not developed to that place in consciousness where they can and will produce all that is in others by concentration and by the recognition of GOD'S Actual Presence, I have requested them to go to school. Intellectually, they will and they are studying from a personal point of view. They are proving themselves workmen from an intellectual point of view; therefore, we shall not fail in whatsoever we have endeavored. Politically, equivalently the same. They are studying and putting into practice, law. They are firstly law-abiding citizens, self-respecting and independent citizens. They are producing and bringing to fruition in themselves the quality and the meaning of true Americanism. They are bringing into their daily experience whatever law, rule or regulation they may be establishing; so long as it is Evangelical and constitutional they will endorse it and confirm it. Those things that are unconstitutional, we mean to repeal them.
Oh, it is a privilege to realize the mystery of GOD in the midst of you all! Just think of the thousands and thousands under the sound of My Voice here in this dining room and in the auditorium below, and in the dining room below the auditorium, and in the Extension around, who hear My Voice now. I venture to say ninety-nine percent of all of these who hear ME, are free from lacks, wants and limitations and are not on the welfare! Why are they not on the welfare? It is because GOD has given them their real emancipation; therefore, men must stop and consider! We are not asking men to help us, to co-operate with us unless they wish to; for I AM going to do that for which I came! I shall bring about the Universal Brotherhood of man and the conscious realization of the FATHERHOOD of GOD! They all shall see and know as you do, and there will not be any more wars, race riots and such like, for GOD Himself shall have free access, and GOD Alone shall reign.
What said David in the Psalmic prediction of the mystery?
'The Lord reigneth!'
Aren't you glad? This is not a supposition. It may have spoken in the Psalms,
but yet it was a prediction and GOD in this dispensation is the Fulfiller. Aren't
you glad? What said the Scripture concerning the mystery otherwise?
'Righteousness and judgment are the habitations of His Throne, the earth saw and trembled.'
Can you not see the earth trembling at the recognition of GOD'S Presence? Can
you not see them trembling at what is going on because Righteousness has been
established in the hearts and lives and minds of the children of men, a place
as a throne on which CHRIST shall reign, where GOD is reigning on the throne
of the minds of the children of men?
Wheresoever Righteousness is rightfully established and GOD has free and full access, there is His Throne, and there is where HE will reign, and none shall hinder HIM. When Righteousness was preached to the Religious world and others of old, they were taught Righteousness that they might make preparation for the Throne of GOD to be established in them. The Kingdom of GOD and the Throne of GOD are not places geographically, but places in consciousness where you can come. When your mind shall have been made GOD'S Throne, there and then GOD will come and rule on His Throne, and all things that are under His Jurisdiction where HE rules supremely and unadulteratedly, there is where His Kingdom is, in whatsoever it is that HE has full access. How glorious it is to observe the mystery!
Now this is the same as any other private family's home should be. This is not out of the ordinary, for what said the Scripture concerning the mystery?
'Ye shall worship GOD under your own vine and fig tree.'
Oh, it is a privilege to realize the mystery! I AM just giving you a foretaste
of it, that every individual would not be narrow-minded, but Godly or God-minded;
be like GOD, in His Mind, in His Spirit, in His Characteristics, in His Disposition,
in His Nature, in His Love and in His Affection. Just be Godly, which means God-like;
then and there the mind would not be narrow. It would not be limited to His respective
lineage, but it would be extended universally and eventually therefore, all would
catch it and would come in harmony with it. Therefore, your mind would be limitless
and your nature infinite; your characteristics the Nature of GOD in expression,
you would bring the powers that be into subjection and CHRIST would rule on the
throne of your mind, and that which would be termed "your little home" would
no longer be yours. That is the reason you see more than those who might appear
to be My physical sons and daughters here.
As broad as your minds can be, even so will the gathering be. Aren't you glad? With an absolute unselfish and righteous mind, GOD will come and rule thereon, for GOD will make such a mind His Throne. Aren't you glad? And the broader your mind is, even more will it hover over it; for what said the Gospel concerning the mystery?
'O Jerusalem! O Jerusalem! How oft would I have hovered thee as a hen hovers her brood, but ye would not.'
The Mind of GOD was broad. It was not narrow and selfish. Can you not see the
mystery? GOD'S Nature and GOD'S Characteristics inculcated and GOD'S Love in
expression and made manifest, there and then GOD rules wheresoever HE has full
access and
'Wheresoever a king reigns, there is where his kingdom is.'
That is why this is the "Kingdom", because GOD has all dominion; that
is all! Now why is it your blessings are limitless? It is because GOD alone reigns
on the throne of the mind, and has all dominion over all these things. By so
doing, those things are under the Jurisdiction of the Infinite One; hence the
infinite One with the Infinite Mind can hover and cover all things, and can take
care of them all. Aren't you glad?
From the time that I appeared on the scene in Person, all who have recognized My Actual Presence and who have been truly converted to My Teaching, not a one of them is on the welfare. All of them have been lifted above such conditions; therefore, they have saved the city millions by co-operating with ME. Can you not see the mystery?
Then they are emancipated from those conditions that millions have been undergoing. By so doing, they have brought themselves into subjection to the Fundamental, and they have been converted to Righteousness, Justice and Truth; therefore, they have a Righteous Judgment.
From the Righteous Judgment I have drafted a Righteous Government Platform under the Constitution. I AM taking the Constitution along with ME. Aren't you glad? Knowing that this country was a place that was set apart for the establishment of a Righteous government, that is why I endorsed the Righteous government under the Constitution of our great country. Can you not see the mystery? For there is none other country which can introduce a Righteous government which does not endorse the spirit and the meaning of true Christianity, or the spirit and the meaning of "E Pluribus Unum"; the spirit and the meaning of "In GOD we trust." Can you not see the mystery? And aside from such, we are co-operating also with the privilege which this country guarantees to her subjects, religious liberty. You can and will, if you wish to, bring the CHRIST to fruition within you, and you will not have an occasion to look for another. Now aren't you glad?
As I often say, if you are governed by your highest intuition by concentration, yea, concentrating on the Fundamental -- CHRIST, and move volitionally, you will bring forth the CHRIST to fruition within you, and then and there you will have your Kingdom. Aren't you glad?
CHRIST, as a seed idea implanted in the soil of the souls of the children of men, as an Inspirator inculcated, will inspire you if you are governed intuitively by your highest intuition, and will move volitionally by your own individual volunteer volition. Regardless to what others might think or say about you, move volitionally; you will bring forth the CHRIST to fruition and CHRIST will give you the Victory over every difficulty. Aren't you glad? That is what it is all about! That is what they are worrying about, because under the Constitution you are privileged to bring forth the CHRIST to fruition, even as Jesus brought the CHRIST to fruition and produced perfection in the name of Religion. Aren't you glad? When this is accomplished within you, you will be the producer, yea, the reproducer and the reincarnator, yea, the re-personifier of that Perfect Picture, and that Perfect Picture will be the CHRIST, Whose Personal Name was Jesus by the Christian Religion.
Oh, it is a privilege to realize it, and to live and do as I bid you do. That is why I quote the Constitution so vividly and stress it as a document and as a political and legal or national discipline that all American citizens should go by as much as is according to the Gospel.
Oh, it is a privilege to realize the Truth! When this shall have been fulfilled in you under the Constitution, by you being privileged to serve GOD to the dictates of your own conscience, and being consciously in your consciousness convinced and convicted that GOD is a Living Reality by concentrating on the Fundamental with the spirit of sincerity, you will be governed by your highest intuition; in other words, you will be moved intuitively -- in other words, governed and led intuitively and be moved by your own volunteer volition. By so doing, you will bring the CHRIST to fruition even as Jesus did on the Mount of Transfiguration. When this is brought to fruition in you individually, as well as it was in Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, then and only then can the powers that be, the Infinite One from the great Universal Mind Substance, make this declaration known:
'This is My beloved Son in Whom I AM well pleased: hear ye Him.'
How glorious it is! Now the Voice is echoing through the universe. All mankind
must hear the Voice of GOD. The Voice is saying, as it said to Peter, James and
John on the Mount of Transfiguration:
'This is My beloved Son in Whom I AM well pleased: hear ye Him.'
But now the Voice points out to one step further than that of the Sonship Degree
of expression:
'My FATHER and I will come and make our Abode with you.'
How glorious it is to live in such a recognition and to see and to definitely
know the Works are not in vain; for you are moving volitionally, and yet intuitively;
not by the versions and theories and doctrines of men, but moving by the CHRIST
within, and still producing perfection in the light and in the sight of all of
them. Aren't you glad?
The time cometh, and it is near at hand, when the universe over will be as these are under the sound of My Voice. How glorious it will be then! Just think of it! Now this may look as a pretty good sized audience even here in this private dining room, but the dining room below in the basement, and the auditorium just above that dining room in the basement, each of these places are equivalently filled as a rule, and this is a daily occurrence; and if I would stay here all night, My Followers would stay all night. Is not this worth considering? It is three o'clock in the morning now, but they are well satisfied, and I cannot get them away from ME, unless I especially send them away. (The great audience confirmed this remark by laughter and cheers.)
Now when we leave this dining room, as many as can get in My Office, will be up there. That is the way it is every day when I AM here; every night when I AM here; every morning when I stay here until 4:00 and 5:00 o'clock in the morning, it is just the same. Now there must be something to cause this! For what cause would they follow the Insignificance of a Person in My Likeness? I mean such a Person that as a person would not appear to be a great man -- most insignificant; the least in size and personal appearance. Is not this enough for you to be convinced? It is evidently known it is more than mortal to command! It is not mortality, nor the mortal version influencing them. I AM not so Personally fascinating, yet over and above all of the ugliness, as it may appear to be, still I say you love ME.
Now just think about it -- how all of these who are called men and women, who are called girls and boys, those who are called infants, they all are willing to forsake everything for ME! (A great shout rang out affirming and confirming this fact, to which FATHER said:) Now don't say it unless you mean it! But if I did not know, you would make ME think it through and by your devoutness and your devotion to ME. It would convince ME to believe you really do love ME.
Now again I say, "You cannot pull the wool over My Eyes." I know it is true! I know it is true! You may not know why; a good many of you in the beginning, you knew not why, but when you came in contact with ME, there is something within you just felt like giving up every mortal concept, all of your human pleasures, all of your human fancies and mortal tendencies, sacrificing all of your vice and your crime and your sin and fancies of every kind for Righteousness' sake; that is why you are here today. Just think of it!
Just think of those who are called young men, those who are called young women, all forsaking all of their worldly pleasures for Righteousness' sake, according to their conscious conviction; therefore, there must be something that has caused them to believe ME and do as they are doing for My Name's Sake! By so doing I have inculcated the Law of the Spirit of Life that was in CHRIST Jesus and the Nature and the Characteristics of Jesus in you. By so doing, I have inculcated and reincarnated the spirit and the meaning of the Constitution and its Amendments; and have caused you to become real American citizens. I AM causing you collectively, to express your citizenry and causing you individually, as an individual, to express your citizenry distinctly, that mankind might observe the mystery and the reality of all things, for I AM teaching them wisdom concerning things that pertain to life and to things that pertain to them, with which they come in contact.
Now I would like to say to merely teach something theoretically and observe it mentally, unless you get it spiritually within you, you would not be in reality a part of it. To speak of the Law and the Gospel, to speak of Christianity, unless you get the spirit and the nature of it in you, it would profit very little. Now in the same manner about the Constitution of the United States of America -- to become to be American citizens you must remember, all of these righteous qualities of our Constitution must be inculcated and reincarnated in you, and you must bring these qualities to fruition as an individual even as you are requested to express your American citizenry as a nation.
Oh, it is a privilege to observe the mystery, and to live it and put it forth into expression internally, and become to be the expressers of the nature and the characteristics of such documents to be the Fundamental of life. I thank you.
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