My First Sermon to the World
When I was called to the works of God, my first sermon was preached on the ball room floor at one of my cake walks, the last big one that I rendered to the public.
When I marched out with the cake walkers, instead of introducing them to the people, which were about four hundred in number, my heart was so full of joy that I forgot all about them and began to speak. These are my remarks: Ladies and gentlemen, we as God’s people have assembled here tonight to give God praise, for ourselves and the happy times he has given us. The great pleasures come from God, let us go to the churches and thank him.
In our sorrows and troubles he gives us happiness. Let us men do no smoking in the hall where the ladies are, let us show the light of godly respect for all people. I hope to meet all of you at the church on Sunday next.
Then someone touched me on my shoulder and asked about the cake walk. I started the cake walk and all had an enjoyable evening. My troubles began that night, because I fooled the devil, and have been ever since, and this book is putting another one over on him.
This is a true saying. You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
Ecclesiastes 12; 13:14. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil. Prophet Jude 24; 25. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.
To the only wise God, our saviour, be glory and majesty dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
I remain your humble servant, Bishop Allan Wilson Cook is Rabbi Haling Hank Lenht.
May 8, 1925
Bishop A. W. Cook
135 Valley Road
Montclair, New Jersey
My Dear Mr Winston I thank you for your picture that you sent me for my book. Here is your Book. I trust that you will like it. I speak in it with an honest heart, goodwill to all man kind. The Business men were glad to read your words that is in my Book. They are with you thanking you for Passovers.
I remain your umble servant
A. W. Cook
Transcriber’s Note
The last section of this book is a handwritten note of thanks, from the book’s author, A. W. Cook, to the contributor Robert Watson Wilson. It has been transcribed without alteration.
The “Subjects” section in the original book contained two errors. It listed as the seventh section “The Power of Love”, which is not present in the book, and had “My First Sermon to the World” listed before “Unveiling the Prince”, which was the wrong order. These errors have been corrected, and the list renumbered accordingly.
The following other changes were made to the text as printed:
Page 4: “well known orator” changed to “well-known orator”
7: “prepetual, from and after” changed to “perpetual, from and after”
“in noway permit them” changed to “in no way permit them”
9: “the works of Abraham. St. John 8:39” changed to “the works of Abraham.” St. John 8:39”
“general judgment Job 13” changed to “general judgment. Job 13”
13: “I biblicly and historically” changed to “I biblically and historically”
“friends of Ceasar” changed to “friends of Caesar”
16: “authority on Southern problems” changed to “authority on Southern problems.”
“equality without race blending” changed to “equality without race-blending”
“data showing universal race blending” changed to “data showing universal race-blending”
17: “keeps them apart. One writer” changed to “keeps them apart.” One writer”
18: “a ract of bootblacks” changed to “a race of bootblacks”
“on th border line” changed to “on the border line”
19: “the process of race blending” changed to “the process of race-blending”
22: “in Ezechials shoes” changed to “in Ezechial’s shoes”
“whereever I send it” changed to “wherever I send it”
23: “Though his commandments” changed to “Through his commandments”
“another witness, Pslam 111” changed to “another witness, Psalm 111”
27: “take affect on the race” changed to “take effect on the race”