Sayville, Home of the Soul - 1930's photo.
Though oppositions raged and Father Divine was in the hands of cruel lynch mobs thirty-two times, yet He could not be destroyed. Followers at that time ( the later eighteen- hundreds) would band together shouting, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, in declaration of GOD's Supremacy which was their only weapon and the lynch-mobs would actually drop Father Divine out of their hands.
Undaunted the, the mobs would try to enter places where Father was staying, but the Holy Spirit stood as a wall between them. One known as an Angel would stand before the door with outstretched arms and the mob could not enter.
Father Divine's sacrifice to bring people of all complections and creeds together was not in vain. His sufferings are bearing fruit today. The brotherhood of man which is a reality today is the direct result of His experiences with those mobs. Again it can be said that Father presented His Body as a target so another step could be taken toward heaven on earth, the mission for which He came.
Father Divine spoke of these sacrifices in a Message He gave in 1939. He said:
"The time cometh and is near at hand, the nations of the earth are stirred because of this great unfoldment that they could not understand a few years ago; but I Am causing them to understand a little more and more daily and yearly as we go.
"They are stirred because of the stand I have taken. As you have heard and a good many of you have heard ME say, when the Jimcrow law came out in the South, or just about or before that time, I said, I will go South and present My Body as a living sacrifice to bring about social justice and social equality if it costs My Physical Life. This I did, being in the hands of lynch mobs thirty-two times, coming out more than victoriously a conqueror! None could hinder Me!
"Through many dangers, I declared, and many toils and snares I came! As a Living Sacrifice to you I come— even a Living Sacrifice to humanity there and then I came. To you at this cycle of time as a Living Sacrifice I come, I come! As a living sacrifice I come for the redemption of mankind! Do you think My Sacrifice was in vain? I came treading the winepress all alone, and of the people there were none to help. But as a Living Sacrifice I still remain the same as when to you I came. Came treading the winepress all alone, being willing to die, if I could die, for righteousness sake! But as it was at that time, I often thought of John Brown. I quoted and I stressed the life of John Brown and especially the old Civil War song: 'Old John's Body lies a-moldering in the clay, but his spirit goes marching on.'
"I also spoke of and thought of Carrie Nation–how she endeavored by the volitionated expression of her conviction to bring about a national prohibitation, and could not do it, but she tried it by the volitionated inspiration of her conviction to bring it about by her hatchet, as being termed by My Version, by violence. It could not be accomplished that way. But as a Living Sacrifice I went forth volitionated by My Own Spirit according to My Own Conviction, that we should have justice on earth among this people, and especially under this Democracy.
"The under-privileged and the non-privileged, they were deeply considered of every nation, every language, every tongue and every people — whosoever they may have been or may be who were those who were classed and considered the under and the non-privileged, the life was sacrificed to that end. And I said, I shall bring all of the nations together and there shall be no division among this people.
"I Am not discouraged! I have not deviated from My Assertion and neither from MY Determination! I Am bringing all of the alleged nations, languages, tongues and people together until we shall actually have One People!" (Printed in The New Day, December 10, 1939.)
A song Father Divine composed portrays the great Work He has accomplished through the years in bringing the people together in love:
"God gets His children in one band,
God gets His children in one mind,
God gets His children in one love,
Just like those above.
Just like the Holy Ghost, the Father and the Son,
Just like the Great Jehovah God,
God gets His children in one mind,
Just like those above.
Matters not what the people think,
You need not to doubt, you need not to fear,
You need not to be
mm (Father hums)
God gets His children in one mind,
Just like those above."
In 1914, on one of His trips South, Father Divine visited a holiness Church reputed to be the largest in America at the time. Some of the members were disputing the service of wine; some said wine should be used and others were against its use as part of the service. The church split over the question, each faction forming a church of its own. Of this incident Father said:
"As I have explained here in past time, how people split in churches — bring about so many different denominations, all because one has a version, and another has a different version. He says, 'God did not mean for you to drink wine.' One will say, 'It did mean for you to drink wine. That represents the blood of Jesus.' Another will say, ' It was not wine in reality.' One will say, 'I will open up me a church so all of those who believe as I do can agree with me!' The different little simple points of view may be brought to consideration, to bring about a separation. But with Me the people cannot understand why and how all of My followers are united together and will not be severed. I mean My real followers!"
One day Father went into a small church established by two of these dissenting members. He preached the living Gospel of Jesus Christ so dynamically that He was received immediately; the whole congregation becoming converted. So great was the out pouring of the Spirit that two members who could be termed 'stump knockers', left everything and went out preaching in the power of the Spirit that had fallen on them.
But all were not so receptive. Open opposition to Father Divine's advocacy of the Perfect Life of Christ caused His imprisonment for a few days. When Father came before the Judge He remained quiet, not uttering a word in His own defense. Meek as a lamb, dumb before His shearers, He was the perfect exemplification of Isaiah's prophecy concerning Jesus.
Witnesses, impelled by the good they knew of Father Divine (who was to many of them, only known as "lightning" at the time) testified to the truth of His Works before their eyes: They told of His Healing Power and cited instances where healings had taken place instantaneously; and told of His refusal to accept a penny for His preaching; they told of the glorified pronouncements of His unselfish and noble Work.
The whole court including the Judge himself, old-timers recall with a gleam in their eyes, wept openly and unashamedly during the trial. The judge dismissed the case allowing Father to carry on His Work and Mission just as He had been doing.
Visiting the home of another of these church members, Father, in an impromptu manner, sang a hymn that goes like this:
"Come to Jesus, come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now — just now
He will save you, He will save you, just now
He is willing, He is willing
He is willing , just now — just now,
He is willing, He is willing, just now."
Immediately the heart of one of the household was ignited, and believing, she followed Father, leaving her home and family, even a little one, to walk with her Lord.
Along about this time Father sang many of His songs in the name of Jesus, for He did not want His identity revealed. Explaining this He said: "Years and years ago, when going to a place, I told Mother and the followers, before 1914 — before that time I told them, I said, Do not tell anything otr of school; and we would go to meetings and the Spirit would bring it out and I would not preach about Myself, I would just preach about Christ.
"One little sister jumped up." Father said with a smile, "and got in the Spirit and said 'This is GOD Almighty' — and the whole church turned to Me! I was trying to hide all along; but when I considered it was better revealed than told, so I would not let them tell anything 'out of school'"
Father Divine revealed in an office talk to some of His staff, the working of His Spirit along about 1917 when He explained that the salutation of the followers many years ago was, as before the time of Jesus' Resurrection, "All Hail," and that they used this greeting as they approached Him.
". . . by inspiration," He said citing His answer on a specific occasion, "I brought out those compositions and when I went out on the wings of My Love and Compassion to meet them, I carried to them that little composition, singing to them, 'This is GOD your Holy Eternal Father, looking for thee.'
"You see, before the Resurrection My Spirit said to Mary, 'All Hail!' After the Resurrection, that was the last Reign, was 'Peace!' 'That was the Salutation. But before the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the salutation of the Spirit and the Angels — I mean, the invisible angels and the visible angels equivalently – the Salutation was 'All Hail!' . . . You see the results of the positive thoughts and the Symphony of Souls in accord! — how that expression of the positive thoughts I conveyed in what I sang and what I said, how the thoughts responded when I said 'This is GOD your Holy Eternal Father, looking for thee', it looked as if though I was going out looking for a person that was out — in the which it was true! — but yet it was the Spirit too — and the positive thoughts in accord! 'This is GOD your Eternal Father, looking for you' — just as if I would have Personally been looking through the darkness of the night in the streets and alleys and lanes and tried to and had actually found that one and said, 'This is GOD your Holy Eternal Father, looking for you.'"
Father Divine, in the instance He was describing and in many other instances, did not have to go out as a Person to search for those seeking GOD, but He went in the Spirit of His Mind on the very ether, drawing His Own by the Power of the Holy Spirit, unadulteratedly.
Yet, Father often appeared suddenly at places where followers were gathered together praising His Name. "And I appeared in the house," Father said, relating one experience. 'Of course, I came in. I came in —they did not see Me. I did not say it was a kind of mysterious way but they were in the Spirit and they thought it was a kind of mysterious way." Father sang:
"This is GOD, your Holy Eternal Father,
Looking for thee, looking for thee,
This is GOD, your Holy Eternal Father, Looking for thee.
I Am He that went down South a-traveling,
Looking for thee, looking for thee,
I Am He that went down South a-traveling,
Looking for thee."
"And that one" Father said, sang in response, saying in the original former salutation of the Angels to GOD:
"All Hail, my loving Father,
All Hail, my loving Father,
All Hail, my loving Father,
All Hail, All Hail, All Hail.
I know You're GOD Almighty,
I know You're GOD Almighty,
I know You're GOD Almighty,
All Hail, All Hail, All Hail.
Often sitting around the banquet table when the household was not so large, Father would give a singing explanation to questions asked Him. The following song answered a query about what happens to the spirit when a person passes on:
I have the spirit of all,
I have the spirit of all
I know that I have the spirit of all,
The spirit of all
,
The spirit of all,
I know that I have the spirit of all.
The spirit of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob,
I know that I have the spirit of all,
The spirit of all,
The spirit of all,
I know that I have the spirit of all."
After Father Divine established His residence at Sayville, Long Island, in 1919, He added an extension to the home to accommodate the families he had taken in. During the building, as all things are a parable, Father sang a song about the construction:
"Building, I Am building, building up the temple of the Lord, your Savior.
Building, I Am building, building up the temple of the Lord.
The temple of the Lord is not as man supposes,
Building up the temple of the Lord,
But the temple of the Lords is the heart of yours,
"
The end of the world was to come on February 6, 1924. At least this was the prediction of Mr. Robert Reidt of Patchogue, a town five miles beyond Sayville. It was a foreboding omen to many who believed the report. Some actually took their lives and others jumped from windows. Whole families sold all of their possessions and waited for the "end" to come.
Father, with some of His followers, went to see Mr. Reidt and tried to bring to the desolate family His Word of Truth. On returning to Sayville the conversation centered around the events of the day. When it was time to say "Peace" for the evening, some of the youngsters who had gone with Father, playfully ran outside, looking up to see "the end of the world."Father stopped on His way upstairs, watched the children tenderly, then began singing a little song.
There were times like this, late in the evening, when Father was loath to leave, though. One evening He had gone to His Office and returned humming a little tune from the storehouse of His Infinite Wisdom and Perpetual Joy. Father sang:
"You have a mighty, loving heavenly Father,
Singing, singing to you.
He singeth in the morning
When you rise so soon,
He singeth in the evening
And He sometimes sings at noon.
Yes, a mighty, loving heavenly Father,
"
At other times Father would go all the way upstairs and, knowing that some would wait and listen for His return, He would come back and sing a little song to them. Like this one:
"Love one another, love one another,
Love one another forever.
Love one another, love one another,
Love one another forever.
Stand together, stand together,
Stand together, forever.
Stand together, stand together,
Stand together, forever.
Be like GOD, be like GOD,
Be like GOD forever.
Be like GOD, be like GOD,
Be like GOD forever.
"You need not take thought for yourself" Father Divine said in a Message printed in he Spoken Word of February 9 1935, page 3, "If you have given your body, your mind and your spirit to the Fundamental you can and will be lifted when you shall have relaxed, and the Spirit of My Presence . . . will carry you where you ordinarily would not have gone, for the Spirit will lead and take you in the place and places of its own , and not in the place of yours."
Father Divine Himself expresses this in His Personal activities and His advice to others is:
"Take no thought for yourself,
Take no thought for yourself,
Take no thought for yourself,
What you're going to eat,
What you're going to drink, or
What you're going to wear."
The Table that Father served daily over and over again absolutely gratis to the rich and the poor alike who came to Him in Sayville, as one people, to feast primarily on the Bread of Heaven which He alone could give for the healing of their souls and bodies, has far superceded the events scripturally recorded of Jesus when He fed first the five thousand and then the four thousand besides the women and children.
"As a sample and as an example I Am exemplifying, demonstrating as a practical psychologist, a course in practical psychology where the abundance of the fullness of the consciousness of good, no space is vacant of the fullness thereof. And by so doing, and so by it, I have a-full and a-plenty Personally and those who are with Me and harmonize sympathetically. But those who may claim to be admirers and believers, even some may claim to be, and may express the lack for something; I have long since declared, where GOD is there is Love and where love is there is abundance. GOD is the Creator of all creations," I mean, of all of His Creation and all of the things created from time to time and GOD's Presence in consciousness will automatically produce and bring into outer expression such blessings such as you are presently enjoying, and none will lack in GOD's abundance for there will be a-plenty and to spare for all.
"I know these sayings may not seem true" Father continued, "but I Am daily demonstrating them for you. I have proven to you conclusively, it is something like the two small fishes when the five thousand were fed." This Sermon by Father was printed in The New Day of September 8, 1945, page 9.
Father Divine can, and will feed the world, according to His own prediction, in its time of extreme emergency. In His Omnipotence lies the law of multiplication, even as He says, "No end to the blessings."
Father sang of the mystery of multiplication of the two small fishes and five barley loaves:
"Something like the two small fishes,
Something like the two small fishes,
Something like the two small fishes,
When the five thousand were fed.
Jesus had them to sit on the ground
They all obeyed the Lord's command
When the five thousand were fed.
(chorus)
He can feed ten thousand more,
He can feed ten thousand more,
He can feed ten thousand more,
As when the five thousand were fed."
(chorus)
In the early thirties when the great masses came out to Sayville in droves after hearing of Father Divine's Deity, the home became a Shrine for the people were healed both mentally and physically. They were lifted from economic want. The blind received their sight, the lame walked and the dead were actually raised, as Lazarus in the Scripture.
From that little fishing village, Father Divine has significantly come into the hearts and lives of the people the world over. Even before the sick and the poor heard of Father Divine, except for those in the village to whom Father sent baskets of food, bundles of clothing and tons of coal, it was the metaphysical teachers from abroad, from Europe and Australia and all parts of the United States and Canada, who first came to learn of Father Divine; to sit at His Feet and at communion around His Table.
These teachers and lecturers, the intelligentsia, both men and women, lived nearby so that they could be close to absorb Father Divine's Spirit and Mind. And so from Sayville, they went out to teach others of His Wisdom and to tell them, "GOD is on earth in the Flesh." As they sang the songs they learned, their pronouncements of Father brought music to the hearts of all who believed.
Music is harmony and harmony is heaven. Followers of Father Divine enjoy one eternal song of praise because He has made them conscious of the actual Presence of GOD. His songs of love sing in their hearts and ring in their ears like this one:
"Peace Be, 'till I see you again,
Peace Be, stay pure and clean.
Peace Be, keep Me in your minds,
Peace Be, Peace Be, Peace Be —Peace Be.
Peace Be, I'm not gone to stay,
Peace Be, My words obey.
Peace Be 'till I see you again,
Peace Be, Peace Be, Peace Be — Peace Be."
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