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"judge nothing before the time until the Lord
come, who both will bring to light the hidden
things of darkness and will make manifest
the counsels of the hearts; and then shall
every man have praise of God." (I Cor..~:S.)

"For the Son of Man shall come in the glory
of his Father with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his
works." .(Matt.., 6:27.)

"He hath come with His most mighty Power
among the nations; turn toward Him, 0 con-
course of the good! The Father hath come
and that which hath been promised unto you
in the Kingdom is accomplished."
(Bahá'o'llah.)

PUBLISHED BY

BAHA'I PUBLISHING COMMITTEE
NEW YORK, 1928

CONTENTS.

THE GLORY OF THE LORD.
Page
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT - - - - - - - - 1
-Love's Inspiration - - - - ~ - - - - - - - 1
Man-made Gods - - - - - - - - - - - - I
Qualities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
The Creational Book - - - - - - - - - - - 3
Universal Law - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - 3
The Law of Love - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
Man, the Chooser - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
THE WORD OF GOD - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8, 77
The Word Incarnate - - - - - - - - - - 9, 78
The Word Speaker - - - --- - - - - - - 10
The Love of God - - - - - - - - - - - -
TheWrath of Man -- - - - - - - - -
The Witness of Truth- ~ - - - - - - - - - 12
Believing in Him - - - - - - - - - - - - 12
Immortality - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13
"Let there be Light -- - - - - - - - - - - - 14
THE GIFT OF GOD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16
Origins - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - 16
Moses' Appointment - - - - - - - - - - - 17
Heavenly Schoolmasters - - - - - - - - - - 19
The Word Alone - - - - - - - - - - - - 20
The Evidence of Christ - - - - - - - - - - 21
Pow(j of the Word - - - - -- - - - - - 22
The1)ivine Proof -- - - - - - - - - - - - 23
The Mighty Names - - - - -- - - - ~ - 2,3
SUCCESSION OF DIVINE REVELATIONS - - - - - - - - 2,5
Channelsof Communication - - - - - - - - 2,~
No Dispentsation Final - - - - - - - - - - 20
Signs of llic Times - - - - - - - - - - - 26
Passing of theOld - - - - - - - - - - - - 27
DarIme-ss - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28
The Glory of God- - - - - - - - - - - - 2t)
TI1E FULLNESS OF TillE- - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
Coming- of the New - - - - - -- - - - - - 30
The Light of the Spirit - - - -- - - - - - - 32
Dangerous Knowledges - - - - - - - - - - 33
"As ABovF~So BELOW -- - - - - - - - - - - - - 34
Light - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - 35
Preparing the Way - - - - - - - - - - - - 36
Unity and Peace - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38

Page
THE GOLDEN AGE - - - - - - - - - - 40
School Days - - - - - - - - - - 40
The Day of Fulfilment - - - - - - - - 41
The Burdens of Prophecy - - - - - - - - - 42
Isaiah Eleven - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42
The Age of Fear - - - - - - - - - - - - 43
The Age of Unity - - - - - - - - - - - - 44
Dawn of the Millennium - - - - - - - - - - 45
Millennial Evidences - - - - - - - - - - - 45
The Manhood of Man - - - - - - - - - - 46
HISTORY

THE BAB - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 51
BAIIA'O'LLAH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 55
ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59
A Statement - - - - - - 62

TEACHINGS
BAHA's DECLARATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69
The Appointment - - - - - - - - - - - - 70
The Breeze of the Spirit - - - - - - - - - - 70
WORDS OF BAHA'O'LLAH - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
Purification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
Detachment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
The Tongue - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 73
Kindness - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74
Eyes, Ears and Hearts - - - - - - - - - - 74
Lighting the Lamp - - - - - - - - - - - - 75
The Ordinances of God - - - - - - - - - - 76
THE WORD OF GOD - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- 77
The Word Incarnate - - - - - - - - - - - 78
The Spirit of Truth - - - - - - - - - - - 79
THE SUPREME PEN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~1
THE DAY OF REVEALING - - - - - - - - - - - - -- ~i
Severance - - - - - - - - - - - 82
Ideal Light - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8,j
DECLARATION OF GOD'S SINGLENESS - - - - - - - - 8,,1
DECLARATION OF GoD's NIAN11,ESTATIONS 8D
Acknowledgment - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sure Paths - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8-
THE PuiPosi~ or M.,kNIFESTATION - - - - - - - - - ((
INSTRUCTION. --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9Z
Tablet to Badia - - - - - - - - - f , - - - 98
Tablet to Zia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 99

Page
THEHEARTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100
Victory - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 102
Kno'Medge - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 103
ARTS, CRAFTS AND SCIENCES - - - - - - - - - - - 104

OCCUPATIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1(4
RELIGION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 105
EDUCATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - io6
PRECEPTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 107
To CHRISTIANS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 109
THE ULTIMATE CRITERION - - - - - - - - - - - 115

A
SALVATION

"YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN -- - - - - - - - - - - - 119
Spirit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 119
The Dead - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 120
The Living - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 121
"WHAT SHALL I DO TO BE SAVED? -- - - - - - - - - 122
Faith - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 123
Knowledge - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 124
Prayer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 124
God's Gifts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 123
Obedience - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 126
Colifidence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 128
The Will - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 128
The Talents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 129
The Primary School - - - - - - - - - - - 130
Man's Spirit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 131
New Birth - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 131

THE B-~HAI REVELATION

THE RAH,-,i REVELATION IS AN [NVITATION To LOVE GOD - 135
THE BAHAi REVELATION IS AN INviTATION TO OBEDIENCE - 137
The Alpliabet of Love is Obedience - - - - - - 138
THE BAHAr REVELATION IS OF AUTROIZITY - - - - - - 140
THE BAHki REVELATION 1'EACHES TIIE Ri.-LIGION OF LIVING 143
THIS REVELATION IS A CALL TO SACRIFICE - - - - - - 145
THE BAIIAI TEACHING IS AN INVITATION TO SERVICE - - 148
UNIVERSAL Low - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 154
THE BAHAt REVELATION is NEEDED - - - - - - - - 158
THE OBJECT OF THE BAHA[ RFVELATION IS UNiTY - - - 165
THE BAHAi REVELATION MAKES ALI. Taims NFw - - - 170
THE REVELAT[ON IS COMPLETE IN ITSELF - - - - - - 175
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA - - - - - - - - - - - - 178
COMMUNE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 180

0 Earth, Earth, Earth, Hear the Word of the
LORD! (jer. 22.29.)

Giv,F ear, 0 ye Heavens, and I will speak; and
hear, 0 Earth, the Words of My Mouth. My
Doctrine shall drop as the rain, Ally Speech shall
distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender
herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because
I will publish the Name of the LORD: ziscribe ye
Greatness unto our God. (Deut- 32.1-3-)

Hear, all ye People! Hearken, 0 Earth, and all
that therein is; and lei the Lord God be witness
against you, the Lord front His Holy Temple. For,
Behold, the LORD cometh out of His Place! (Micah
1.2.)
Hear, 0 Heavens, and give ear 0 Earth: for the
LORD hath spoken! (IS. 1.2.)

Is not My Word like as a fire? saith the LORD;
and like a haininer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
(jer. 413.29.)
The 1nointed oY the God of Jacob, and the sweet
psalniist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD
spake by ~ne, and His Word was in my tongue. (2
Sam. 23-1-)
"Man, the most noble and perfect of the creatures,
is a mightier evidence and greater expression (of
truth) than the other visible thin,~s. The most per-
fect, superior and excellent of men are the Manifesta-
tions of the;Sun of Truth." (BAIIA)O'LLAI-1.)

"The Sun of Truth is the Word of God, upon
which depends the training of the people of the coun-
try of thought. It is the Spirit of Reality and the
Water of Life. J11 things owe their existence to it.
Its manifestation is ever according to the capacity and
coloring of the mirror through which it may reflect.
For example: Its fight, when cast on the mirrors of
the wi'se, gives expression to wisdom; when reflected
from the minds of artists it produces manifestations
of new and beautiful arts; when it shines through
the minds of students it reveals knowledge and
unfolds mysteries.
,~"Jll things of the world arise through man and-
are manifest in him, through whom they find life and
development; and man is dependent for his (Spirit-
ual) existence upon the Sun oi the Word of God.
,111 the good names and lofty qualities are of the
Word. The Word is the Fire of God, which, glow-
ing in the hearts of the people, burns away all things
that are not of God. The minds of the lovers are
ever aflame with this fire Outwardly it
is a burning fire, but inwardly it is calm light. This
is the Water which giveth life to all things. ,-'
"We beg of God that we may partake of this
Life-giving Water of Heaven and quaff from the,,
Spiritual Chalice of rest, and thus be free from all
that tends to withhold its from approaching His
Love. Glory be upon the people of Glory!" (Words
of Wisdom. BAHA'O'LLAH.)

""'The Word of God is the storehouse of all good,
all power and all wisdom. The illiterate fishers and
savage zirabs were thereby enabled to solve such
problems as were puzzles to eminent learned men in
all the ages. It awakens within its that brilliant in-
tuition which makes its independent of all tuition and
endows its with an all-embracing power of spiritual
understanding.

"Many a soul in the ark of philosophy, after
fruitless strug, les, was drowned in the sea of con-
1119
flicting theories of cause and effect, while those on
board the craft of simplicity reached the shore of
the Universal Cause by the aid of favorable winds
blowing from the Point of Divine Knowledge.

"When man is associated with that transcendent
Power emanating from the Word of God, the tree
of his being becomes so well rooted in the soil of
assurance that it laughs at the violent hurricanes of

skepticism which attempt its eradication. For this
association df the part with the Whole endows him
with the Whole, and this unison of the particular
with the Universal makes him all in all." (Abdul-
Bab.')

can subdue or amalgamate the others. Time and
efforts only emphasize this fact. What then? Shall
the Word of God, proclaimed through so many of
his prophets and messengers, be for naught? Or
shall the promise of His appearing to'the world with
power, and the consequent union, happiness, know.
ledge, peace and prosperity of mankind be accom-
plished? The precedent to universal peace, which is
the "millennium" promised in all scriptures, is the
conscious knowledge of the One God, of His Mes-
senger and His Message to men.
The Bahá'í teaching is that God's Word faileth
not, that it is accurate and reliable, that the time of
its promises is at hand and that His Word, now pro-
claimed to the whole world in BAHAVLLAH (The
Glory of God), is powerful and able to achieve His
Will in the regeneration and union of mankind. "It
a new religion, but Religion renewed." Where-
is not , I
ever it has proceeded it has produced the results fore-
told of the "end of the age" and also declared by it-
self. It proclaims the immanence of God and His pres-
ence with humanity; it penetrates men's hearts and
shows them their need of God and the way to find sat-
isfaction for that need; it does remove religious
differences and dispel religious rancor and doubt;
it does bring men into the heart knowledge and con-
sciousness of the Love of God and into loving unity
with each other, without regard to race or former re-
ligion ; it inculcates divine niorals, ethics and charac-
teristics and brings man to higher conceptions of
'I I 'v I

duty and life than have been his heritage from the
churches of various creeds.
It spedl,-s with authority, deman . ding that man shall
obey the Word, and naught but joy and uplifting is
found in that obedience. it calls on man to test its
I
worth by living its Ordinances, and those laws prove
to be the very wine of Life. It comes not to destroy
but to fulfil again that which has been fulfilled before
and to complete that which has not been completed
in the past. It offers itself as the Truth of God to
every earnest soul; its followers are already numbered
by the millions and are of all the great religious na-
tions. If it be truth, wise is he who accepts it; if
not-surely duty demands that it be tested and its
fallacy proved lest men be led astray. It is but just
to say that it is a very "live wire" and he who touches
it must be prepared to receive in himself a powerful

current of its "electric I ty."
The truth of any religion can be proved and con-
firmed omly by the heart, by testing its tenets in the
life. The Bahá'í Re~elation is unshaken in the arena
-of intellect, but powers of reasoning cannot make
final decision concerning sp . iritual truth. One may
read or hear it for a lifetime, may listcn to opinions
or express thern endIcssly, but no judgment is just, no
opinion reliable except that of the personal. living and
decision of the heart. It is not a matter of philosoph-
ical reasoning, but a question of fact, and facts are
demonstrable only by experience.
Abdul-Bahá was asked, "What is the truth?" He

I v I

INTRODUCTION

The claim of the Bahá'í (Glorious) Revelation is
that it is the Word of God sent to men to remove
the antagonism and differences between peoples of
various religions and prepare the way for their com-
ing together in harmony and love and in an assured
knowledge of the Will of God. It proclaims the
time of Universal Peace and provides the founda-
tion for the Universal Religion-the hope of the
ages. It points the way and supplies the means for
the unity of mankind in the knowledge and love of
Truth tinder the high banners of Justice and Mercy.
It is simple, profound, purifying, searching, as is
the Word of God always. It is divine in origin,
human i~ presentaticin, sane, practical and applicable
to life in its every. phase. In belief, it inculcates
naught but truth; in action, naught but good; in
human relations, naught but loving service.
A world-religion is needed, a solvent of religious
differences, an enlightener of religious misconceptions,
an unifier of peoples in the knowledge of the One
God and Father of them all, a platform on which
all believers and seekers for God and His truth
may meet, from whatever race or training they way

[ i 1

come. And that religion must recognize the divine
elements which underlie all religions and meet each
loyal soul upon his own ground without claiming ad-
vantage over him, but rather bringing the light of
God's Word to shine upon the truths he already has,
in order that he may develop into a higher under-
standing of Truth itself.
The honored scholar and noble man, Max Muller,
who had frankly studied the languages and religions
o~& Orient, wrote as follows-
'The true religion of the future will be the ful-
filment of all the religions of the past, the true religion
of humanity, that which in the struggle of history
remains as the indestructible portion of all the so-
called religions of mankind. There never was a
false God, nor was there ever a false religion, unless
you call a child a false man. All religions, as far as
I know them, had the same purpose; all were links
in a chain which connects heaven and earth, and
which is held and always was held by One and the
Same Hand. All here on earth tends towards right,
truth and perfection; nothing here on earth can ever
be quite right, quite true, quite perfect-not even
Christianity-or what is now called Christianity, so
long as it excludes other religions, instead of loving
and embracing what is good in each."
Tbat "true religion of the future," as 1\/Iax Mul-
ler saw it, has already arrived in the Bahá'í Revcla-
tion; but where else is such a religion? With all
the glorious efforts and results of Christian mission-

ing the recent decades, it has scarcely
ary enterprise duri
made an impress on Moslems, Zoroastrians, Budd-
hists, Brahmans or Jews. It has endeavored to over-
throw the religious conceptions of other nations in
favor of its own, but it has taught the interpretations
of its churches rather than the direct, simple teach-
ings of Jesus, placing the word of man in lieu of the
Word of God, and therefore it has been powerless to
win those peoples wbo believe that they have also
received the Divine Word from their ')wn prophets
and founders.
It is possible that the records of Jesus' words are
quite imperfect, but, even so, they have brought com-
fort, hope and satisfaction to myriads of human souls,
and if only his pure teachings had been presented,
with their doctrines exemplified in the lives of the
teachers, the whole world might have received thein
and loved them; but the peoples will not accept the
teachings of a "cult" and its doctors as against their

own cults and doctrines. It is necessary for the con-
quering of the hea~t of the world that the Word
of Jesus shall be renewed and confirmed by a fresh
revelation of God's Command, one that comes with
declared authority and proves its Right and Source
by its vitalizing effect upon the lives of men.
There is no religion that has remained pure and
undefiled, and consequently there is none of them fit-
ted or capable to cause the nations to abandon their
own religion to accept it. The known condition of
the world's religions is such that not one of them

[ Iii ]

replied, "Truth is the Word of God, which gives life
to humanity. It restores sight to the blind and hear-
ing to the deaf; it makes eloquent thosewho are dumb,
and living beings out of dead beings; it illuminates
the world of the heart and soul; it reduces to nothing-
ness the iniquities of the neglectful and erring ones.
Beauty, pedection, brilliancy and spirituality of this
existence come from or through the Word of God.
For all it is the supreme goal, the greatest desire, the
cause of life, light, instruction. The road to attain
to this Truth is the Love of God. When the light
of the Love of God is burning in the mirror of the
heart, that flame shows the way and guides to the
Kingdom of the Word of God.
"As to that which causes the growth of the love of
God, know that it is to turn one's self toward God."

r vi
L
L

The Glory of the Lord

"Hear, 0 Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Jnd thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy inight.
Jnd these words, which I command thee this day,
Aall be in thine heart: Jnd thou shalt teach thent
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them
,chen thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and
when thou risest tip. Jnd thou shalt bind thent
for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between thine eyes. Jnd thou shalt write
them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates."
(Moses. Deut. 6-4-9.)

It is related that a certain scribe asked of Jesus-
"Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus
answered him, "The first of all the cominandinents
is, Hear, 0 Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord:
Jnd thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and z,~ilh all thy inind,
and with all thy strength: this is the first coinviand-
nient. Jnd the second is like, naniely this, Thou
shalt lo~:,,e thy neighbor as thyseli. There is none
other coinniandinent greater than these." 1\4 a rk
12-29-31.)

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.

The first and greatest command- Love's
ment, that of love, is recorded alike by Inspiration
Moses and Jesus, but how shall it be
obeyed? Love is attraction; it cannot be forced or
commanded; it must be drawn forth by the lovable.
The will may direct love's attention toward an object
but can never compel its action. The desirability of
the object, the longing for nearness and union with
it, these are the inspirers of love. How can man love
God, the Infinite, whom no one bath seen? No man
can comprehend God or know him as lie is. How can
his whole being, heart, soul, mind and strength, be
devoted to the love of the Unknown, the Unseen?
With all his striving*and searching man cannot find
out God. - He can manufacture a god Man-made
of his imagination, a creature of his Gods
superstition, usually a magnified reflec-
tion of himself possessing both his good and bad
qualities, but the gods of man's making are not worth
his love and devotion; how then shall he obey the
great commandment?
Although some knowledge of the Beloved is neces-
sary for love, does the keeping of the command re-

1
quire us to know him as he is in his Essence, his Pre-
existence, in order to love him? Man loves many
things, but knows not the essence of anything. At
the most, he perceives only some of the desirable
qualities manifested and he loves either the qualities
or, because of them, their unknown essences. If it
be some precious,jewel, he admires the brilliancy,
luster, hardness, beauty of the gem-its revealed
qualities, if it be a flower, it is the freshness, the
forms of petals and stamens, the colors, harmony and
fragrance, which attract him; or if a hu-
Qualities man being, the human qualities, strength,
knowledge, power and ability, or weak-
ness, sweetness, delicacy, refinement and grace draw
forth his love. Yet in no case does he comprehend
the reality which is hidden beneath these evident and
attractive displays. They are veils of beauty, hiding
their parent, essence, while revealing some of its
attributes. If we cannot penetrate through the yel-
lowness, density and qualities of a piece of gold to
know what gold is, how shall we expect to sound the
depths of firmaments, the magnitudes of space or mys-
teries of littleness to find out God and know what
God is?
The commands of the Almighty are not sent forth
in vain. Although man cannot lift himself above him-
self to the heavens of knowledge of the Infinite One,
God can reveal to him that information of his beauty
which shall cause him to be in man's sight "The One
altogether lovely." He, who has placed in us the

power to perceive qualities and values, discloses
enough of his lovable characteristics to draw to him-
self all the love of our beings. In every atom he
unfolds his attributes-in sun, star and moon-in
dawn, sunset and night-in storm and shine-in
crystal, flower and animal-and above all in man, the
rnicrocosni, the index 9f existence. The The
whole apparent universe is a great Creational
"Creational Book," a concourse of mir- Book
rors displaying his qualities. All mankind attempts
to read this book, but what each finds depends on his
point of view which has been formed by previous
training and environment. Even in reading a printed
book, in listening to music or in viewing a work of
art, no two persons see alike; their perceptions are
according to their education. So with the book of
creation-the ignorant see only the powers manifest-

ed in nature and cringe before them, while the more
advanced in knowledge appreciate order, beauty, wis-
dom and other delightful values therein. In the spirit-
ual childhood of man he stands in wonder and awe
before that book, staring at its pages, unable to in-
terpret them'aright-iiiitil he has learized how, to read.
Each step of life is the result of education. In
the alphabet of living, man learns that all existence is
subject to law. The universe displays
order and harmony in every part; the Universal
suns and planets, each element and or- Law
ganization in the mineral, vegetable and animal
worlds, all'are governed by inflexible law; nothing is

exempt. Therefore Law is universal and expresses it-
self in various definite, reliable actions, severally called
laws-such as those of attraction, vibration, inertia,
construction (as in crystal, plant and animal), laws
of cycles, of ascent and descent, summer and winter,
life and death, centripetal and centrifugal laws, etc.
This one great la * w of the universe keeps.everything
in its place. It binds the particles of rock together;
it causes things to fall toward the earth's center in-
stead of flying off into space; it holds the suns, moons
and planets perfectly in their orbits; it causes like to
seek like, and it produces harmony among all material
things, so that each fulfils its purpose in existence.
Whatever we may call it, cohesion, gravi-
The Law tation, motion or force, it is in reality the
of Love Law of Love. It is co-eternal with ex-
istence; it is the Immanence of God, the expression
of the Creator in creation.
If this Love of God is so manifest in the kingdoms
of matter, how much more must it be toward his
higher creature man! The very lowest and most igno-
rant of men is far higher in the scale of existence than
minerals, vegetables or animals. "If God so clothe
the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is
cast into the oven, shall he not Much more clothe vou,
0 ye of little faith."
God is Love, always was Love, always will be Love.
He has always loved man. We cannot conceive of any
time that God's love has not been shown to him. All
nature says to man: "God so loves you that he has

made me to serve you and to provide for your needs.
Lo, here I am! Do with me as you will." Food
and drink, clothing and shelter, flowers and colors,
beauty, order, variety, harmony and unity, all things
for the welfare and delight of man! If the generous
Father so provides for material and mental needs,
how much more must his Providence care for the spir-
itual necessities 1
AN things are related to other things in a fixed man-
ner; nothing is independent or self-subsistent but all
are under the over-ruling law which expresses itself
in each according to its needs and for its highest de-
velopment. Even the laws of decay and disintegra-
tion are for an evolution to higher uses, as the rock
must be ground to dust before its nobler values may
appear in the rose and grape. Man sees these laws
of physical life working and expressing in all below
and around him, even in his own body and mind; he

also perceives that knowledge enables him to grow in
wisdom and power. As the government of each king-
dom is such thatit pPomotes its best condition, so must
there not be laws for man, which shall direct him to
his highest possible destiny? The same divine Wis-
doni, which cares for the lily and the grass of the
field to bring them to their fulness Of use and beauty,
must surely provide for the exaltation of humanity to
its perfection, and this is above and bevond the realm
of ordinarv human faculties.
There is a marked and vital difference between man
and the kingdoms below him. They arc sinless,

knowing neither right nor wrong, unconsciously living
the laws of their existence, which are expressed in
them, not to them. These laws are expressed also in
man, and to him because he is the only being who has
the power to oppose nature and to select among her
laws which be will serve. Man is endowed with God-
like qualities, powers of discrimination and judgment,
perceptions of values-of worth and unworth and a
free will to decide between them. He has eaten of
Man, The the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Chooserand can choose either as he will. These
superior faculties make him an intelli-
gent, choosing, responsible creature, responsible to
himself for his attainment or loss. Therefore the
generous, loving Law-maker offers to him a clear
knowledge of the laws of progress toward his great-
est good, in order that man may perceive, learn, obey
and become, as it were, a conscious partner with Him
in the attainment of a Life Eternal, a nearness and
intimacy with the Divine Wisdom and Love, which
shalt exalt him into the heavenly condition of "one-
ness with God."

"Alan is said to be the greatest representative of
God, and he is the 'Book of Creation' because all the
mysteries of being exist in him. If he comes under
the shadow of the Trite Educator and is highl)
trained, he becomes the essence of essences, the li~&'
of lights, the spirit of spirits; lie becomes the center
of the divine appearances, the source of spiritual qiia,'-

ities, the rising-place of hea . venly lights, and the re-
ceptacle of divine inspirations." (Abdul-Bahá.' "Some
Answered Questions." P. 273-)
The great Law, which enables man to understand
the way of Life and to walk therein, is the revealed
Word or expression on the human plane of the W.11
of Go . d for the welfare of man. It is the Book of
books, the Law of laws, which reveals to man the
hidden facts of being and teaches him how to know
and love God and also how to understand the les-
sons printed on the pages of the universe. It appeals
to his heart, is studied and interpreted there, because
it is expressed in terms of life. It comes forth from
the Arcana of the heavens as the highest Manifes-
tation of Truth, the greatest Message to promote the
advancement and happiness of man, to guide and
light him in the "Right Path." It is the Word of God.

THE WORD OF GOD.

The doctrine of the Logos, the Word, appears
throughout all scriptures and it is concretely stated
in the first Chapter of the Gospel of St. John.

, 'In the beginning was the TVord, and the ~Ford
was with God, and the lFord was God. The same
was in the beginning with God.
",411 things were made by him (through The
Word) ; and without him was not anything made
that was made.
"In hini (The Word) was life; and the life was
the light of men.
",1nd the light (The Word) shineth in darkness
(of ignorance) , and the darkness comprehended it
not."
"Jnd the Word was inade flesh, and dwelt (liter-
ally, tabernacled or pitched his tent) aniong its, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of ihe only begotien
of the Fatherj full of grace and truth." "For the
law zcas given by Moses, grace and truth canze by
Jesus Christ."
What was that glory but the manifested Word of
the Will of God, shining forth in words of light and
illustrated in the holy, selfless life of the Perfect Man,
all aflame with the Divine Spirit of God!

"No man hath. seen God at any time; the only be-
o,,oticii Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he
(The Incarnate Word) hath declared him."

Man, "made after his image," is the highest ex-
press'on of God in the world of being. When the
Invisible Word, the creative power of God, becomes
revealed through a prepared Man and
is transmuted through him into the The Word
spokeri or written Word, it is incarnated, Incarnate
"made flesh," and is visible to man because it has de-
scended into his plane of existence. When the same
"Hidden Word" enters into the One fitted to receive
it and becomes the sole light and power of his life,
it is "incarnate," revealing itself through the temple
of his body, from which its glory radiates in every
word and deed. That body is the throne on which
it is seated and from which its proclamations are
given. The human instrument of revelation, being
then ident'ified with the Word-which is the mani-
fested Spirit of God-' is also called The Word or

Manifestation, because He is the personification of
that Word to.mankind.

"The Spirit and the Word inean the divine per-
leciions that appeared in the Reality of Christ."
"The I-Ioly Reality of the Word of God is in the
condition of the pure, fine and shining inirror; the
heat, the light, the iniage and likeness, that is to say,
the perlections of the Sun of Reality appear in it.
That is why Christ says in the Gos cl: The Father
p

is in the Son; that is to say, the Sun of Reality ap-
pears in the mirror." (Abdul-Bahá.' "Some An-
wered Questions" p. 240.)

Man is the word-speaker. He is taught by words;
he communicates his ideas, wishes and will, by words;
his accomplishments on earth result from his words;
he trains the most 'subtle powers to carry his words
to the end of the world; he records them on stone,
wax, parchment and paper that future generations
The Word may not utterly forget him. All this is
Speaker that man may understand God's method
of communicating his Will and may re-
ceive the teaching of his higher attributes by means
of the uttered Word.

In order that it may reach man it is revealed
through human mouth-pieces. "God hath spoken by
the mowh of his holy prophets since the world be-
gan. " (Acts 3. 21 - Lu. 1- 70), and when the time
-arrived for the coming to birth of the Kingdom of
God among men, the Incarnate Word was called his
"Only begotten," his "Son"-"For God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who,
soever believed on him should not perish, but havc
everlasting life." , (John 3- 16.)

What wonderful, what beautiful teaching! God
was not angry with mankind, as some have taught.
How Could they teach so with these words flarning
before their eyes? Was not the whole burden of
Jesus' teaching-Love, the love of the Father? And

that man should love God and love man, his neigh-
bor? H~)w could man love an angry The Love
God, a wrathful monarch? No! God so of God
loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, the Incarnate Word, that whosoever
accepted him-"believed in him"-should have ever-
lastin'g life.

That representative of Divine Love, whose whole
life was love, was not "given" to sufter anguish in the
place of man, n be rejected, scorned and crucified,
to bear the deserved punishment of men's sins and
thus placate an offended father. Truly The Wrath
he suffered all these things because of of -.-~lan
the sins of men, but it was through the
wrath of man, not of Go& his Father. "God sent

not his Son into the world to condenin the world, but
that the world through him might be saved." (9:27
3.17.) He never condemned the poor, ignorant sin-
ers, "blind. from their birth." He said to them, "Go
and sin no more," anj in the very depth of degrada-
tion and suffering POUred upon him, he cried, "Father
forgive them or they know not what th~y do." His
fatal and awful condemnations were only for the
mighty, the "learned," the false guides, the "blind
leaders of the blind," the priestly revilers of the Word
of God. It is related that the people The Witness
pressed upon him to hear the Word of of Truth
God (Lu. 5. 1.) because, "Man doth
not live by bread only, but by every word that pro-

ceedeth out of the mouth of the LoRD doth man live."
(Deut. 8.3; Matt. 44; Lu. 4.4.) He said: "To
this end was I born, and for this cause came I into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

What is meant by believing in him if it be not to
believe the Word he spoke, the Word of the Father
poured forth from his blessed lips for the uplifting
of men and to bring all who believed in him into the
Believing Kingdom of God, new born, new crea-
in Him tures, sons of God and heirs to the
glorious bounties of the Kingdom of
Heaven? To believe on him meant also to recognize
him as the Messenger and Son of the Most High,
and that belief followed the acceptance of his Word.`

The Word of God is the key to Immortality. It
is the bearer of Eternal Life. It is the instructor
in knowledge of God, that man may know and love
him, may become his son, be one with him as the iron
with the magnet and be heir to his Kingdom, "beipi,e
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor-
ruptible, by 'the tFord of God, whiCh liVeth and
abideth forewer." (i. Peter 1.23.)

When the iron is in the fire it loses its hard, black.
cold qualities; being filled with the fire it becomes
Soft, fluent, glowing and fiery. It can
Immortalitysay, "[ am one with the fire, 1 in the
fire, and the fire in ine, 1 and the fire.are
one Thus is man who is born of the Spirit; he is

a "new creature," transformed because transmuted
by the elixir of the Word, which changes the copper
of h's nx~ure into the pure gold of another and loftier
1 1
state known as "Eternal Life" or "Immortality," a
condition of oneness with the Spirit of God and son-
ship to Him.
This is the true image or likeness of God. "Behold
what manner of love. the Father haih bestowed upcn
us, that we should be called the sons of God." "Be-
loved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not
yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when
he shall appear, we shall be like hini; for we shall see
hint as he is." (i. John, 3.2.) This resurrection
from a lower to a higher station, this new birth, re-
joices the Psalmist when he exclaims, ",Is for me I

will behold thy face in riKhtcoiespiess: I shall be satis-
fied, when 1 awake, zuith thy like~iess." (Ps. 17.1 S.)

This is immortality-not merely continued exist-
ence (ev6n the satan~ have that), but an eternal one-
ness with Life itself, the True One, "whom to know
is life eternal." Jesus said: "This IS the will of my
Father, lhatevery one ]hat beholdeth the Son, and be-
lieveth on him, should have etern(d lifi,." (John
6.40-) "The Tuords that 1 speak, unto you, they are
spirit and they are life." (John 6.63.) Such state-
ments fill the New Testament and are in accord with
the divine teachings of all time, viz: that the Word
of God is the giver of light, the teacher and guide of

men to eternal life, the creator of new hearts a
right spirits, the revelation of God.

In Genesis, the book of creation, it is written:
the beeinning God created the heaven and the ear
Ind 1 ear;h was without form and void; and da
"Let There . ness was upon the face of. the de
Be Light!" 4nd the Spirit of God moved upon t
face of the waters. Jnd God said (T
Word), Let there be light; and there was light."
is the same story-not necessarily an account of t
creation of physical light, but rather of the real cr
tion which occurs to every man in whom a new he
is created and a right spirit renewed. He is dead
ignorance and chaos; darkness is upon the face of
soul, until the Word of God enters into him and sa
"Be light!" Then comes a dawning, an awakenir
a day-spring, a resurrection within him. He is
created, born again, begotten of the Spirit, a son
God. It is always accomplished by the Word " 'B
-and it is."

"By the word of the LORD were the heave
made." (PS. 33.6.) His heavens are also created
the hearts of those who love and serve him. "T
kingdom of heaven is within you." This recogniti
of the Word and perception of Light is the first st
man takes toward the divine destiny, the heave
manhood, which God his Father has made possi
for him, and to which he invites him in each one
his supreme commands. "God is the LORD who ht

showed its light." (PS. 118.27.) "The entrance of
thy words giveth light; it ,,,,iveth understanding unto
the siMPle." (PS. 119. 130.) " Thy word is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto iny path." (PS.
i 19. 1 oS.) "Lo, all these things worketh God of ten-
times with man, to bring back his soul from the pit,
to be'enlightened with the light of the living." (job.
33. 2q.) "And the nations of them that are saved
shall walk in the light." (ReV. 21. 34.)

THE GIFT OF GOD.

"God loved the world"-not only the Jews at
Jerusalem, but all mankind; not only at the time of
Jesus but before and since. Always, "since the world
began" he has given his Word to all men, at all times,
in so far as they were able to receive it. Whence
came the wonderful instructions for life in the ancient
writings of Enoch, Moses, David and the Psalmists,
in the Vedas, the Avesta, the Gathas and Upanishads,
in Isaiah and Lao Tse? Were they of
Originshuman or divine manufacture? They
were always higher than the imagina-
tions of men, and they were opposed to his natural
desires. When their inner significances and realities
are perceived, the oneness of their essentials is so
evident there can be no doubt that they originated
from a single source. They all had their origins
in the Word of God, which in its essence is the same
today, yesterday and forever. There is but One God;
His Word is ever one and the same. That which is
different is not His Word.

Each of the great religions bases its teaching, faith,
loyalty and existence upon confidence in the word of
a single human founder. Each points back to him as
the reliable one, the superlative one, the infallible
one. But no word is infallible save that of God, and

if those great ones were truly reliable, their word
must have been the Word of God. The expression
of that Word through such prepared human instru-
ments has always been the method whereby man has
learned the Will of God for his own life. They were
the " mouths" of the LORD.

That the Almighty God chooses a man to be his
representative and his mouthpiece is shown in the
interesting account, related in Exodus 3 and 4, Of
his appointment of Moses to be the Deliverer of his
people Israel. After God called to him out of the
burning bush and told him that he was the God of
his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He said: "I
will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou ntayest bring
forth )ny people the children of Israel out of Egypt,"
(God is always trying to bring his children out of
the Egypt of darkness and ignorance.)

But Moses did not seek such an appointment; he

dreaded it and tried. to escape it, although he de-
sired to serve God. ",4nd AIoses said unto God,
Who anz I, that I should go unto Phar- AT 0 S es,
aoh, and tha~t I should brin~r forth the Appoint-
children of Israel out of Egypt.?" Then Mont
God gave his mighty Name-"I JJTI TH,1 7' 1 J21 1:
and he said, Thou shalt say unto the children of
Israel, 1 1111 heah sent ine unto You." He also gave
further instructions to Moses to tell the people how
God had appeared unto him and given these com-
mands.

",Ind Aloses answered and said, But, behold, they
will not believe me, nor hearken unto -7ny voice: for
they will say, The LORD hath not sent thee." Then
the LORD showed him how to manifest signs of pow-
er by the symbols of the rod and of the right hand,
but still "Aloses said unto the LORD, 0 j,)iy Lord, I
ain not eloquent, - neither heretofore nor since thou
hast spoken unto thy servant, but I am slow of speech,
and of a slow tongue." "~Ind the LORD said unto
hint, lFho hath inade inan's mouth?" "Have not I
the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy
mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

Yet Moses could not entirely sever his thought of
self and trust the Lord. "Jnd he said, 0 iny Lord,
send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whont thou
shouldest send" How prone we are, even to this
day, to decide in our minds whom the LORD shall send
as his Representative to man, and how he shall come.)
But, after all this, God chose Moses to be his rep-
resentative to Israel, and even appointed Aaron his
brother to be a mouthpiece for 1\4oses, saying, " I
know that he can speak well." ".4nd thou shall
speak unto hint, and put words in his niouth: and I
z~ill be with thy inouth, and with his niouth, and will
teach you -zubat ye shall do. Jnd he shall be thy
spokesnian wito the, people: and he shall be, even he
shall be to thee instead of a inouth and THOU SHALT
BF TO HIM INSTF.AD OF GOD."

Thus God Puts his Word into the mouths of his

Chosen Ones, and thus he appoints a man to be as
God unto men. It is by the might of the Word that
man is sdVed. The power of God is in the Word, but
it saves only him who takes it into his heart that it
may spring up there into a fountain of living Water,
from which he shall be born into a new Life. In
its lower, outer aspect, it is for the advantage of
man's present living; it teaches him morals and eth~
ics which are the only source of all true ethical train-
ing, but its deeper meanings and instructions are to
prepare man for an inner life, widely different and
incomparable to this life. Indeed, the best outer life
is but death compared to this inner life; it is an old
life compared to a new life.
..-- The speech of these Mouthpieces of God was in
the language and terminology.of the time and place
where it -was given, but the teachings were offered and

accepted only up to the degree of capacity in their
hearers. In the ages of spiritual infancy man could
receive but little of the strength of the Word, and
its doctrine was accor'ding to his capacity. First came
the laws of fear and obedience; then reverence, jus-
tice, -,-,,is(lom. and love were inculcated Ireavenly
as mankind progressed in the "Schools SC11001-
of the Prophets." Each revealer of the
Word was a heavenly schoolmaster and each dis-ine
lesson became the foundation for the further teach-
ing of a later day. Each manifestor of the com-
mands of God referred to the teachings of those be-
fore him as witness to his own authority. "For had

ye belies-ed Hoses, ye would have belie-ucd nic."
(John s. 46.)

v""'Age after age, through all history, One has ap-
peared, who gave to man the Word of God, divine
instruction how to live and what to do to attain a
higher and heavenly station, to overcome former con-
ditions and rise to' a manner of life which should be
permanent, sinless, perfect and valuable. With each
one there was no earthly power, no armies, royalty,
riches nor honor, but rather poverty, apparent weak-
ness, oppression, hatred and rejection. Whatever the
The Word I circumstance, time or place, he was, or
Alone b . ecame, poor in all things except the
riches of the Word which ever went
forth from the door of humility and lowliness. It
was simply delivered and left to itself without hu-
man aid (except the life illustrating it) that it might
prove its divine power by its own penetrative, creative
and transforming effect upon mankind. At first it
entered the hearts of the few, changed their lives,
opened their minds to the Truth and Love of God,
and then went on from generation to generation, al-
tering the destinies of nations, overthrowing dynasti Cs,
forming new peoples -and giving life and hope to un-
told millions of souls throughout centuries of time.

There are men in this day, reputed to be learned,
who try to deny that the historical Jesus ever lived.
The histories of him are hearsay accounts, writter
by unknown authors; not a word of his own writing

is in existence as far as known; indeed there is no
record that he ever wrote, except with his finger upon
the ground (what a wonderful symbol was that, if it
be understood!) even as God wrote with his finger
upon the tables of stone borne by Moses The Evidence
f rom * Sinai. Yet the evidence that the of Christ
Christ lived in that age of the world, and
that he gave such teachings as are recorded, is as
certain as the existence of the sun, because there must
have been a Speaker of the Words which have lived
and proved their divine quality through nineteen cen-
turies in every way possible for the mind or heart of
man to c onceive. None but a Christ could have con-
ceived such a character as the man, Christ Jesus.
The proof of the sun is its shining and its eftect
on the physical world; the evidence of the Word of
God is its educative power and the light of Life,

which it kindles in the souls of men, making each
heart a li~,Ing flame, never to be quenched. No one,
who has felt the clix~r of the,Word penetrating his
soul and the fountain of eternal youth springing ur)
within him, can ever deny the reality of the Christ
and the fact U human i\/lanifestation, the Bearer of
the Cup of Life.
7That which distinguishes man from the lower king-
doms, that which makes him a man, is the power of
the Word of God working in him to will and to do,
to create new methods of thinking and doing, to im-
plant new ideas which Eiter become ideals toward
which he strives, because lie percelves them to be more

valuable than his * former knowledges and possessions,
and so he grows from childhood to manhood, grows
in favor with God and man.

Many can bear witness to the power of the Word
in their lives. It enters through the brain into the
mind of man, and if not rejected it goes
Power of deeper, penetrating his heart, piercing
the Word througb the shells of self sufficiency and
self conceit, and becomes the new motive power of his
life. "For the word of God is quick and powcrlul,
and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even
to the dividing asunder of soul and inarrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
(Heb- 4- 12.)

Sometimes the effect is sudden, in the twinkling of
an eye. Sometimes a great grief or disappointment
is the cause of his awakening, because such experiences
drive man, as it were, to God for relief from despair.
He finds in time of sorrow and trial that there is
no comforter but God and that consoiation comes
through the revealed Word which always invites -the
hungry, the thirsty, the weary, to water, food and
rest. Therefore the Manifestation of the Word is
indeed the Comforter sent by God to those who turn
to him.
%// It teaches us of the realities of things, what we are
an'd what we may be. It tells of the destiny made
possible to us by the Love of our Father. It is so
plain that no farer in the way need err therein; it is

so full that infinite riches reward him who enters its
depths. It is the Pearl of great price, the treasure of
rnankind,-the guerdon of Immortality, the Path of
Eternal Life. Its rewards are love, wisdom, service,
bounty and joy.
The divine proof, the permanent and rel able evi-
dence -of the mission and authority of any one of
God's Chosen Manifestations is the eflect of the
Word he speaks. Man's word is of little weight,
meaning or permanence; it is only for the circum-
stance and time; it soon fades and is forgotten, but
the Word of God passes not away. It changes the
very nature of man; it lives, grows, The Divine
spreads in ever widening influence, has Proof
depths and mountains of meanings, is
exhaustless, boundless, mighty, and rides in triumph
over innumerable graves and generations of the works

of men. So it is said in the Revelation of St. John
that he who went forth conquering and to conquer,
riding uporr the white kor~e and followed by the hosts
of heaven, he-who was the Lord of hosts, was called:
The Word of God. (Rev. 19. 1 1.)
Is it not stitEciently evident that the great means
for the salvation of men from themselves, for the
overcoming of all satanic desires and the attainment
of Eternal Life, is the Word of God?
All the mighty names surround the The Mighty
Word. The one, reelcerning, creating,
life-giving Power, the Angel of Light, the King of
Righteousness, the Son, the Father, the Manifesta-

tion, the Glory of God, his Right Arm, his Holy One,
his Redeemer and Saviour, is his Word Incarnate,
revealed through the mouths and manifested in the
lives of his holy and chosen Ones from the beginning
of the world.

SUCCESSION OF DIVINE REVELATIONS.

Back of all his Rcvealers was the Giver of the
Word, the Infinite Love, Wisdom and Generosity.
However man may have erred, misinterpreted, strayed
or opposed, God has never permitted the channel of
communication to be entirely closed, lest Channel., of
man should be overwhelmed and des- Comnitinica-
troyed in the floods of his own falsities. 6011
When the Word became clouded by the false inter-
pretationS of ambitious men, veiled by their desires
and errors, so that man was in danger of utter loss
and denial of the Holy Word and its Divine Truth;
when the waters of life became stained and adulter-
ated by filtering through the brains of men, another
One appeared and again proclaimed the Word, call-
ing on men to repent, to turn from the tales of their
past and look to the liew Sun of Revelation shining
over the horizon of the world. This is history, not
imagination. .
We know not what manner of nien preceded the
new spiritual cycle of revelation which appeared with
Adain, but frorn that time prophet after prophet has
proclaimed the Will of God to this and that people.
Whenever and wherever "darkness has covered the
earth and gross darkness the people," "the glory of
the LORD has -arisen," bringing the dawn of a new

dispensation of divine knowledge. The "glory of
the LORD" is the revelation of his Word, a shining
Sun of wisdom and love, a Day-dawn of enlighten-
ment and assurance dispersing the night of ignorance
and doubt.

Each of these great revealers of God's commands
has declared that his dispensation was not final; has
instructed his followers to look forward to another
coming, to a great and glorious Appearance, whom
No all mankind would recognize, while the
Dispensation whole world should enter into a para-
Final disc of universal knowledge of the One
God and world-wide peace in his Kingdom on earth.
It was declared that, at the time of the end, in the
last day, there should be a revelation of God's Will
so clear that the hidden things should become known,
so broad that all mankind should accept it.

Many signs have been given in the sacred books
and tradit;ons and they agree wonderfully, even in
terminologies. In that day the old heavens and
earth should end like a scroll that is read and finished,-
a new heaven and earth appear; the sun should be
darkened, the moon turn to blood and the stars fall
from heaven-because the citizens of that new City
Signs of would have "no need of the sun, neither
the Times of the vzoon to shine in it, for the Glory
of God did li~hten it, and the Lanib is
the light (lainp) thereof." (Rev. 21. 23-) These
signs were mentioned by Isaiah, Amos, Ezekiel, Joel,

Jesus, Peter and John, as well as by great prophets of
other rel , ~gions. Therefore, their fulfillment was not
completed in the time of Jesus nor of the Revelations
of John. Prophecy is evidently of such a nature that it
cannot be understood until after it is fulfilled; other-
wise it would be mere foretelling. But when it is
comp leted its hidden meanings are disclosed and easy
to be comprehended by all who so desire.
It was to be a time of trouble, of turmoil, distur-
bance and change, a passing away of old doctrines,
thoughts and things and the appearance of a new
world of ideals and facts; the conditions of warfare,
oppression, ignorance and suffering should finally
cease and a heavenly kingdom of wisdom, justice,
mercy and love should ensue, accompanied by an
earthly reign of knowledge, health, hap-
piness, service, peace and prosperity. Passing of

"The LORD shall be king over all the the Old
earth; in that day shall there be one LORD and his
naine one." (Zech. i4.9.) "For the earth shall be
filled with the knozededge of the glory of the LORD
(his Manifcsted Word) as the waters cover the sea."
(Hab. 2.14; IS. 11.9.)
w'fhe Bahá'í teaching is that when, in the ending of a
great cycle of dispensations and the beginning of an-
other, there is an Universal Manifestation of the Will
of God, the changes in all things are so great, the
neNv conditions so advanced, that the old becomes
forgotten and no trace of it remains. Although it is

believed that man has existed on earth for immense
periods of time, yet there is no record of him previous
to Adam, about 7,000 years ago. That was the time
of the beginning of this great week of thousands of
years now ending and passing in its turn into the
Lethe of forgetfulness. Its Sabbath, its final day of
peace and rest, has already dawned.

v/The recurrence of cycles of spiritual light and
darkness is as well established as the succession of days
and nights. When the night of troubles and doubts
becomes dense, when faith is dangerously shaken, an-
other dawn of glorious revelation of God's I'Vord anci
Will appears above the Eastern Horizon. This has
been the history of mankind from the beginning, and
history is now repeating itself. Toward the end of the
i Sth Century and in the nineteenth the
Darkness world was in deep spiritual darkness.
We see the effects of that condition in the
fierce greed of men and nations, their oppression over
the weak, their craftiness, diplomacy, fear and reli-
ance upon the god of force. I In the schools we see
the academic result in the wide spread materialism,
the scoffing at religion and spiritual ideas, the exalta-
tion of man as against God, the dethronement of
God from participation in the affairs of men and the
doctrines of man's self-sufficiency. Our great univer-
sities hesitate not to teach these doctrines of gross
materialism and their works on religion are often de-
structive rather than constructive.

All these are the works of darkness, but God slum-1
bers not, nor sleeps. Afar off in the Orient his Sun has
risen with healing in his wings, his Word The Glory
has again appeared through BAHAV- of God
LLAH, the Glory of God. Even as dark-
ness and ignorance have covered the earth, so this
Great Light has shone forth with such brilliancy,
power and adaptation to the needs of all men, that it
is already enlightening the globe, and seekers for
Truth, advancing ones from every clime and religion,
from Persia, Russia, India, Egypt, China, Germany,
France, England and America, are welcoming its
beautiful and Life-giving radiance.

THE FULLNESS OF TIME.

~/fhe times are full; the days of prophecy are num-
bered and the prophecies themselves are being ful-
filled before our eyes. Now is one of those remark-
able periods of unrest, of change from
Coming of
the New former to future conditions. No plane
of life is exempt; be it material, mental,
psychic or spiritual, it is in the throes of a new crea-
tion, a new conception, a disclosing of secrets and
bringing forth of things new and old. We are al-
ready so employed in meeting the new wonders and
-adapting ourselves to the new environment, that (with
the exception of the workers in archaeological search)
we care but little for-the things of past centuries,
which are rapidly fading from sight.
"For behold, 1 create new heavens aiid,.,t iiezu earth;
and the foriner shall not be reinenibered, nor cotne
into i7ziiid." (Is. 65.17.)
Daniel indicated an hour upon the clock of time in
the future history of the Persian Kingdom, and Jesus
referred his enquiring disciples to Daniel. 71e Revel-
ation of St. John pointed repeatedly to the same
dial. N1ahomet proclaimed the same period and all
the Scriptures of the world have declared in unison
the events of that time of times. Now FULFIL-

I[AS ARRIVI.'lD, EXACTLY "ON TINE.'.'

.1 C,

Those wise figurers, the "MI ites," knew the
date accurately and were prepared to meet it, but they
misinterpreted the manner of its fulfilment, and , so
grieved bitterly that God had not kept his appoint-
ment. They looked for a "Coming" not in accord
with known laws, forgetting that the laws of n , ature
are the laws of God, and that he does not violate
his own laws. The "hour" struck exactly at the ap-
pointed time, but it came quietly "in the night"
and did not sound an alarm of terror in the skies.
As soon as its foreword was uttered in the Orient,
the Electric Telegraph responded from the Occident

and flashed its first great message to the world in the
words- '.'What hath God wroughtl"
In its very year the astronomers noted the &stur-
bance of Uranus and cried: "A new planet is near
and about to be revealed !" Two years 1,1ter '\Teptune
was seen.

In the same year Turkey gave the great Edict of
Toleration, permitting the Jews to reside in Palestine,
and allowing its subjects to become Christians. That

was the be I ginning of the "Return" of the Jews.
In the rnolinds of Nineveh, that year, archaeology
commenced to disclose the concealed mysteries of the
past.
All the world began to stir -and awaken to the re-
vealing of the hidden powers of earth, air, fire and
water. Men searched for realities and, by the un-
recognizeci light of the Spirit shining to assist every

seeker for truth, they have discovered that which has
amazed them. Though wonder piles on wonder,
they are yet slow to acknowledge the real cause of
The Light this tremendous advance in knowledge.
of the Sometimes, in the very act of discovering
Spirit the marvelous bounties and benefits of
God, they declarc: "There is no God 1" There is
nothing so blinding to man as the pride of intellect,
the exaltation of success. One may as well deny the
influence of the sun in the growing of a tree as to
ignore the power of the Spirit, the divine light, in the.
growth of scientific knowledge.
To him who hath eyes to see, it is a necessity for
the existence of man that, in this time of rapid and
unique advancement in material knowledges, there
must be an equal and balancing progress in spiritual
enlightenment. just in the degree that man recedes
from the recognition of the actuality, presence and
authority of God as an over-ruling Entity and from
obedience to his revealed Word, does he become the
servant of greed, ambition, cruelty, injustice, oppres-
sion and all that tends to degrade him and extinguish
his real humanity. With the appearance of each in-
vention, note how the hawks of the governments
watch to test its adaptability to purposes of war. The
intent of the natural man is to rule or ruin, and power
wi~hout the fear of God means ruin.
~-~ These dangerous knowledges of means of destruc-
tion, in the hands of Godless rulers, foretell the ex-
tinction of humanity within a few years, unless the

her powers of spirItual knowledges, as expresse
the revelation of God's Word, shall enter their
nds and hearts and turn their desires to Dangerous
tice, rriercy and righteousness, tove of God and man. This is riec- that, but
d for
sary, not only for this nation an at knowledge,
r all the. peoples of the world. Th
hich is Possessed by one must 'be open to all; there
ust be a brotherhood of nations, not an autocracy
f one over all. This is impossible while dlifferent

1 Ions separate and oppose them one to another.
el* g* f One God,
11 must come into the acknowledgment o the inter-
, One Truth, One Father, and
ne Spir t, unity, harmony and brotherhood Of
ependence, 1 e one human race. Then only can

he menibers of th rity in the great bodY
here be health and true prospe
politic of the world.

AS ABOVE-SO BELOW."

"ill that is in 1he heavens and earth shows forth
the Divine Naines and Ittribittes until the traces of
the splendor of !hat Sun of Truth are manifest and
evident in every atom; so that, without the appear-
ance of this splendor, nothing can be honored with
this robe of life nor attain to existence in the phenoni-
enal world. What suns of knowledges are concealed
in an atom! What oceans of wisdom are hidden in
a drop! Jitiong the beings man is especially assigned
to these robes and chosen for this dignity, for all the
Divine Nanies and Ittributes are manifest and evi-
dent in hunian appearances in the most perfect and
excellent manner. 411 of these Names and .4ttributes
have reference to ipzapz."
"Everything glorifieth God and praiseth Hini.
Some ainong thein know God and mention
Hini; sonze mention Hint and do not kiioze,,. Hint."

".411 things express the Divine Names and _4ttri-
butes. Each, in proportion to its capacit - y, indicates
and points to the Divine Knowledge, until the appear-
ances of (His) 111ributes and Names have encom-
Passed all the seen and iiiisceii."

"0 thou, my friend: I deciare in Triah that if thou

dost ponder over these statements thou wilt find doors
of Divine IVisdovi and portals of Infinite Know-ledge
opened ~elore thy lace." (BAHA'O'LLAH.)

"The outward is the expression of the inward,- the
earth is the mirror of the Kingdoin; the material
sc,or~d corresponds to the spirimal world." (Abdul-
Bahá'. "Some Answered Questions" P. 3 19-)

The Ancient Hermetic proverb, "As above-so be-
low," signifies that every physical appearance and ac-
tion is an outward shadow or reflection of a spirit-
ual condition within or above it. This is a law well
known from earliest ages. Whenever there are great
changes in the material or mental worlds, they indicate
corresponding movements in the inner and spiritual
planes. The lower phenomena not only manifest the
presence, influence and laws of the higher conditions
but are also dependent upon them.
The greatest material exemplar of the Spirit of
God is fight. If physical light greatly increases on

the earth, as it has aone in the last few years, it Sure-
ly signifies an intensifying of Spiritual light in the
world of mankind. We have come out of the age of
candle light into the electric blaze, and
it means more than the mere lighting of Light
stores and streets. It is converting night
into day, even as the night of ignorance and doubt in
spiritual matters is hcginning to disappear before the
rays of the Spiritual Sun of Rcvclation which has
come to the world in this age. "The people that

walked in darkness have seen a great light." (Is.
9.2.) ",Irise, shine, for thy light is come and the
glory of the LORD is risen upon thee." (Is. 6o.i.)

Our X-ray discloses the interiors and contents of
opaque substances. What a marvel! and how much
greater the wonder when we learn that it typifies the
penetrating power'of the Spirit, which is now search-
ing the hearts and reins of men in this Day of Resur-
rection and judgment as never before.

The ships in need send silent messages into the air
(even as we who pray send forth our supplications to
the Unseen) and answering succor comes to cheer and
save.

By telegraph and telephone we communicate with
all the world and overcome all obstacles, little th nk-
ing that it means the leveling of mountains, the lifting
of valleys, the making of the whole
Preparing earth a broad highway for the diffusion
the Way of knowledge, because it is the time when
the "Glory of the LORD" is revealed and his-Word
flashes like the lightning from East to West and
around the circle of the earth.

"Prepare ye the way of the LORD, inake straight
in the desert a highway for our God."

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every niountain
and hill shall be 7nade low, and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain."

"Jnd the glGry of the LORD shall be revealed, and
all flesh. * shall see it together." (Is- 40- 3-S-)
What is that Glory but the Word of God?

By the aid of this electricity, the physical servant
of the spirit, which furnishes light, heat and motion.
annihilating space and time, our ships and trains
speed more and more swiftly, lessening distances, bear-
ing the products of the whole earth to every part,
carrying travelers, missionaries, searchers for knowl-
edge, back and forth from nation to nation, bring-
ing all peoples into closer acquaintance, making it
possible for the Gospel to be preached in all the world
and fulfilling prophecy. ",It the tinze of the end,
many shall run to and Iro, and knozJedge shall be
increascd." (Dan. 12.4-)

These things are evident to him who believes the
Word of God and seeks his Truth, but greater things
are at the door. How shall we interpret the domin-
ion over-the air, which seems near at hand? When
it is accomplished the correspondence with spiritual
flight and knowledge shall become clear and we shall
know an uplifting and exaltation of which we now
have little conception. As we ascend from earthly
attachments and soar in the atmosphere of the Spirit
we shall indeed "meet the Lord in the air."
The world is smaller today than yesterday and its
interests are so commingled that all mankind is con-
cerned in the news of today's happenings at every
point of the globe. Commercial interests are so m-

terwined that a death in China, a quarrel between
Sheiks in Morocco, or the arrest of a deserter in
France, affects all the money marts of the world with-
in the hour. The sensitive nerves of money now
reach to the farthest corners of the earth. Has all
this wonderful progress no deeper significance than
commercial exploftation ?

The Word has gone forth from the Throne of God,
commanding unity and peace, and mankind is stand-
ing at the threshold of that millenium of spiritual
knowledge and human harmony which has been
promised through the ages. All material processes
bring men closer together, all physical discoveries, all
mental energies are preparing the way for the great
union and world-wide community of human interests
when "business" shall be conducted "in the Name of
Unity and the Lord." Masters of industry think
Peace they are doing these things of themselves
for the furtherance of their own little af-
fairs and purposes, knowing not that they are instru-
ments in the hand of God to open the doors of -op-
portUn1tV to all peoples in this Day of his Revealing,
that no good thing shall be withheld from any and
that the human race may enter into the consummation
of peace on earth, good will among men, or, as some
of our friends interpret: "Peace on earth among
men of good wlll.,~Shall tht axe boast itself against
him that he-weth Mercvith?" (Is. io.i 5.) "In very
deed for this cause have I made thee stand, for to

show in thee my power; and that my name may be
declared throughout all the earth." (Ex. 9.16.)

Even the automobiles and electric cars declare the
arrival of the "day of his preparation." "The char-
iots shall be with flaming torches (literally, fire of
steels , ) in the day of his preparation." The chariots
shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against
another in the broad ways,- they shall scein like torch-
es, they shall run like the lightnings." (Nahum 2-3-)

THE GOLDEN AGE.

The discoveries of the last half century are suf-
ficient to lift man * from a condition of comparative
childhood to a manhood of knowledge, and the end
School is ' not yet. Looking back a few years,
Days within our own lifetimes, we perceive that
we were but children; now we think we
are wise, but to him, who sees beyond the present, it is
evident that whole universities of scientific and spirit-
ual learning are opening their doors to us and that we,
as Freshmen, have just entered upon the vast course
of knowledges, which shall graduate mankind into
an era of wisdom, welfare, harmony, peace and pros-
perity, such a golden age of Godly and heavenly
living as the world has never seen.
Who now can smile at prophecy? Its literal ful-
filments are crowding upon each other in this Day
of God's Manifestation when he is revealing the hid-
den things of his treasuries and inviting every lover
of Truth to come and feast at the banquet of the
Lord. Who can say that his Spirit is not working
among men to perfect his promises when, in one day,
the peoples of different religions in Turkey suddenly
forget their hatred and rush together in embraces,
feastings, good will and joy?* Mohammedans,

*These events followed the adoption of the Constitution of Turkey, jul
Y
24, 1908.

Christians and Jews embrace each other, regardless
of religious differences. In the streets The Day of
of old Jetusalem Jews are seen holding Fulfilment
aloft the green banner of Mohammed
while Christians applaud, and Mohammedans open
the doors of the great Mosque on the site of the
Temple of Solomon and welcome Jews into that holy
place where no Israelite has been permitted, on pain
of death, to stand for many centuries. No longer
is it necessary for them to wail against the outer
wall of that Sanctuary so sacred to them; the door
has been opened, and whether or not it remain so,
it is a type of the opening of innumerable doors, the
removal of a multitude of barriers that have held
apart the members of God's great family, the human
race.
Never before has the world witnessed miracles like
these, although the prophets of old have declared

them in language which cannot now be misunder-
stood. The Day of Fulfilment is at hand, is here.
"The inouth of the P*ord hath sPoken it." (Is. 40.
S.), and every atom of existence proclaims it. The
subtle electric spark, the particle of radium, all the
elements and*powers of the four kingdoms (earth,
fire, air, water) and the spirit of man are arising
from their lethargy to declare the vital presence of
the Spirit of God in overwhelming manifestation.
The Old Testament prophecies consist of two
great burclens-the condemnation, dispersion and suf-
fering of Judah and Israel, and their forgiveness,

return and joyful gathering together in the Holy
Land. The real fulfilments of prophecy are on the
spiritual plane but, in order that even the blind may
see, there are literal fulfilments also. Today the
The Burdens Jews are coming en masse to Palestine;
of Prophecy they are not only filling Jerusalem but
are gathering in towns and villages and
making efforts to buy the lands. They are rapidly
gaining precedence in business affairs, and the won~
derful changes under the Turkish Government seem
to be opening the gates for a restoration of their
honor and prosperity in the Land of Canaan.
The iith Chapter of Isaiah is one of hundreds
of references to the present times. Some portion of
its promises may be said to have been fulfilled by
Christ, but only a portion, and divine prophecy is of
such nature that it calls for many fulfilmcnts, even to
the time of final culmination. All through, it declares
the occurrences of this Day of Revelation (their pres-
ence and meaning are evident to the Bahá'í student) :
( i ) the coming forth of the Rod (The Word), the
rod of iron to rule the nations, the sharp sword of
his mouth to smite the nations (also
Isaiah Rev. 19. 15 : i. 16) - ( 2 ) the appearance
Eleven of the Branch to manifest wisdom and
knowledge and the Spirit of the Lord (also Jer. 23-
5-6)-(3) the changing of animosity into harmony
and the dwelling together of different peoples in
peace-(4) the fulness and universality of "the
knowledge of the LORD" (also Hab. 2. 14)-(S)

the Ensign of Glory standing for the seekers of tru th
and the assembling of Israel, Judah and the Gentiles
(also ls:'49.22: 59.ig)-(6) the coming together
of the remnant of the Lord's people from all parts
of the earth-(7) the cessation of envy and enmity
against the Jews-(8) their prosperity in the Land
of Canaan-(q) the "laying under a ban the tongue
of the Egyptian sea"-smiting the river in its seven
streams so that men should go over dry shod. What
is this river-sea but the Nile, which has been put un-
der bond by the great Assuan Dam and highway, one
of the engineering wonders of the age? (also Is.
62. 10-12.) Think of the number of prophecies in
one chapter alone, and all being fulfilled before our
eyes today! Surely, in this time the intelligent stu-
dent of prophecy will find richer rewards than ever
before, because the proofs of truth are in procession
befve him, and it is the time of understanding.

'flitherto the peoples of the world have had little
acquaintance or knowledge of each other. Each na-
tion, knowing onlv*its own manners, customs and
ideas, could see little good in any other. The Age
The foreigner was regarded as an enemy of Fear
to be feare(l, or overcome. Indeed, the
attitude of governments to this day is that of fear.
Each new battleship is a signal for the adding of
one or more to other fleets. The strong fear a coni-
parative diminution of their strength and the weak
-are in terror of the strong. But the time of awaken-
ing has come and on every side are those who recog-

nize the ignorance and -foolishness of such a condition
among the reasonable beings, and the volume of their
voice is constantly swelling and demanding peace.

I
:,-This national antagonism is but an extension of the
ancient condition when each man's hand was against
every other. Then the scattered units joined into the
larger individualizations of tribes and the tribes into
nations; the first iAtent was self-protection, the sec-
ond-aggression. This has been the kindergarten
age of man, an age which is now coming to its end.
Man has been playing at living, in a sort of rough,
competitive game, striving for personal benefit with-
out regard to the welfare of others. The result has
The Age been that where one gained, many lost
Of and mankind as a whole received noth-
Unity ing. Now i~ is beginning to be per-
ceived that the power of progress lies in unity. It is
an age of syndicates and combinations on ever en-
larging scales-not only between individuals but be-
tween great firms and corporations, and even churches
ar; uniting for greater power and usefulness. This
centering of scattered forces, this uniting of com-
petitors is in direct fulfilment of promise and pro-
phecy; it is the preparation for the unity of man and
the reign of peace. , --~
Treaties are made between governments for of-
fence and defence against enemies; when treaties shall
exist between all nations for the conservation of
benefits and for mutual helpfulness in the progress
and good of all, then shall there be the universal peace

and an advance of the whole world to higher, better,
happier conditions. In a vague sort of Dawn -of the
way the ' * , * Millennium" has been expected Millennium
to arrive at some possible future some-
time; but it is already at the door. Now, in
the amazing increase of knowledges, the breaking
down of barriers of ignorance, the widening of
corm-fiercial interests, the closer acquaintance of
peoples, in brief-in the acknowledged need of Unity,
the first rays of that glorious dawn of human sol-
idarity, universal welfare and prosperity are appear-
ing above the horizon.
The practical evidences of this progress are on every
hand. The establishment of hosp tals for scientific
research,- equipped with the best materials and finest
brains; the uses of anaesthet'cs; the war on the white

plague, tuberculosis; the improved methods of treat-
ing the insane and prisoners; the use of better and
safer building materials as steel and concrete; the
training of farmers in agriculture, Millennial
providing' the means. to make an acre Evidences
multiply its productive value, and to
clothe the arid plains with grain and fru ts ; the gov-
ernment weather prognostications; the forming of
democratic constitutions in Empires; the judgments
by arbitration; the increase of general education and
world-wide influence of the universities, which re-
ceive their recruits from all lands and year by year
are sending out armies of young men trained in mod-
ern knowledges; the forming of International Clubs

in these great schools in America and Europe, m
student represen tatives of all peoples become acqu
ed and form bonds of friendship; these adv
and a multitude more are all for the service of
kind, for his elevation to new conceptions and
ods of living, and they all witness the presence
power of the Spirit of God. Only from a s
that is higher than man can such a host of gI
b
~nspired.
v
c are entering upon a human period wher
motives of man shall be reversed, when his pu
shall be to serve rather than to be served, to b
others, to conserve the interest of the whole r
than of the individual self. Instead of oppres
greed and selfishness, the motive powers of man
The be justice, helpfulness and love. 1
Manhood are the elements of pcace and prosp
of Man which are twin brothers born of
true evolution. Man is emerging from barba
into civilization, from childhood to manhood,
darkness to light; he is just now passing out o
period of adoleseense, of little wisdom and c.
p ride, into a noble maturity of conscious -stre
knowledge and manly stability. A great cycle of
conditions is closing and we stand upon the th
hold of a new age, which is beyond all our pr
conjectures in its values to man. In its realit
is the Manifestation of God, the Glory of the
revealing itself upon the plane of humanity.
Preceding and accompanying these confirma

ropy,,c~ has appeared the Essence and Crown A
of pf estation, the -~Vord of God incarnate.
all divine mam from the place
fl:)rth at the tinte appointed,
it shone laimed and witnessed to
the manner proc th, world.
declared, in rid prophecy in every age of
by history

History

THE BAB.

In the City of Shiraz, Persia, on the evening of
Jamali Awal Sth, 1260 A. ff. (the 126oth year of
Mohammedan reckoning from the Hejira), which
was May 23rd, 1844, A. D., a young man, after-
ward known as The Bab, or Gate, began calling upon
men torepent, to purify their lives and to prepare
to meet-"He whom God shall manifest," who was
about to appear to fulfil the words of the prophets
and to proclaim the Word of God. His mission was
that of an Elias, a John the Baptist proclaiming the
coming of one mightier than him and calling upon
men to prepare the way for that Coming.
The place and time of that declaration correspond-
ed exactly with the p1rophecies in Israelitish, Christian
and Mohammedan scriptures and traditions. It was
in the Persian Kingdom, which was the especial field
of Daniel's prophecies; it arose out of Mohammed-
anism which power was distinctly foretold as to ap-
pear in that former great kingdom of Persia; it was
in the Mohammedan year 126o, which corresponded
to the "time, times and half a time" named to Daniel
as the period "of these wonders" to the time of the
end, which same period is referred to in several ways

in the Revelation of St. John. It was exactly iooo
years from the disappearance of the Twelfth Iman,
the "Iman Mahdt," who was to appear at the end
of that time to usher in the second coming of Christ
upon the earth.
The date fulfilment was in accurate accord with
many prophecies, and the accompanying "signs"
answered so literally to numerous declarations in var-
ious scriptures that many men of intellect, as well as
those who were learned only in heart knowledge, be-
lieved in the Bab. His doctrine spread rapidly
through Persia and inspired such spiritual zeal that
it aroused the antagonism of the orthodox Ulamas
and Doctors of religious law. Great oppression was
incited by them.-which finally drove the Babis to
fight in self defense of their property and lives. The
history of trials and sufferings, battles and martyr-
doms, endurance and joy for their faith and love of
Truth is authentic and scarcely paralleled in all the
world.
One who witnessed such martyrdoms wrote: "How
many children have become fatherless! How many
fathers have become childless! How many mothers
have not dared, through fear and dread, to mourn
over their slaughtered children! Many were the
servants (of God) who at eve were in wealth and
opulence and at dawn were beheld in the extreme of
poverty and abasement! There is no ground but
hath been dyed with th eir blood and no air whereunto
their groanings have not arisen ! And, during these

few years, the arrows of affliction have rained down
without intermission from the clouds of fate.
"Yet,. notwithstanding all these visitations and
afflictions, the fire of divine love is in such fashion
kindled in their hearts that, were they all to be hewn
in pieces, they would not forswear the love of the
Bel9ved of all the dwellers upon earth; nay, rather
with their whole souls do they yearn and hope for
what may befall them in the way of God."
A European witness (Mr. Ussher) said: "It
was enough to be suspected of Babeeism to be at
once put to death. No time was lost between appre-
hension and execution. Death was the only punish-
ment known, the headless bodies lay in the streets
for days, the terrified relatives fearing to give them
burial, and the dogs fought and growled over the
corpses in the deserted thoroughfares."
For six years the Bab taught and wrote his instruc-

tions, known as the Beyan (Revelation), most of the
time in,prison, often "questioned" by the Ulamas,
beaten and bastinadued, and finally he was martyred
in r85o, at the age Of 30, in the public square of
Tabriz.
An eye iVitness, not a believer, writes of him at
that time: "The Bab kept perfectly silent. His pale
and beautiful face surrounded by a black beard, his
white and delicate hands, his figure and distin,luished
manner, everything in his person and in his dress
aroused the sympathy and compassion of the specta-
tors." "He had characteristics truly great and noble,

and was a man of firm and settled convictions. His
moral character was high, and he aimed in his teach-
ing to bring all his countrymen into a community,
united by intellectual and moral ties."
Prof. Ross, of University College, London, wrote:
"His wonderful life needs no comment. If ever a
life spoke for itself, it is the Bab's with its simplicity,
integrity and unsi~erving devotion to the Truth that
was born in him." "He felt the Truth in him, and
in the proclamation of that "Fruth, he moved neither
hand nor foot to spare himself, but unflinchingly sub-
mitted to all manner of injustice and persecution, and
finally, to an ignominous death." "His influence
? enetrated deeper than their curiosity and their minds;
it reached their hearts and inspired them with a spirit
of self sacrifice, renunciation and devotion as remark-
able and as admirable as his own."

BAHA'O'LLAII.

IQ 1852-3, nine years after the first declaration of
the Bab, BAIIA'O'LLAII, then 35 years of age, a native
of the City of Noor (Light) in Persia and an exile
to Baghdad in Arabia, began teaching and expound-
ing religious doctrines in such a way that it attracted
the hearts of many listeners, e5pecially the Babis, and
caused bitter opposition from others. As contention
grew, he quietly left Baghdad and for two years re-
mained alone in seclusion in the mountains of Sarkalu,
his whereabouts unknown to all. When he returned
to Baghdad the teaching was renewed and in 1863
A. D., nineteen years after the Bab's proclamation,
he openly declared his mission as "He whom God
shall manifest," for twelve successive days in the
Rizwan or garden of the city.
At that time he and his followers, now known as
B ahais, were removed to Constantinople and soon
after to Ad~lanople, where they remained until 1868
A. D. when, under pressure from enemies, they were
transported to the political prison of Acca in Syria.
Acca is about twenty miles from Nazareth, the home
of Jesus, and nine miles from Mt. Carmel, the scene
of many scriptural events. Thus was the Bahá'í Man-
ifestation driven by its enemies into the Holy Land,

God s Land of Promise. "God moves in a mysterious
way his wonders to perform!"
The purpose of this imprisonment was to exter-
minate the movement, as it was supposed to be already
extinguished in Persia by the killing of all who were
known to be affil I ated with I t. Acca was famous for
its deadly malarial conditions and prisoners there
were usually short'lived. It was said that a bird at-
tempting to fly over Acca would drop dead. All
but a scattered -and unknown few of the former Babis
in Persia had been martyred. There were seventy
men, women and children with BAIIA'O'LLAii In that
exile, and so secretly were they removed to Acca, so
close was the imprisonment there that, for a long
time, none of the "friends" in Persia or elsewhere
knew what had become of them.
BAIIA'O'LLAII was confined alone in the highest
room in the prison tower and all of the others were
herded together like cattle in a large room in the bar-
racks below. They were allowed no communication
with persons outside, they were subjected to extreme
hunger, vile food and water, mud,-filth and disease;
typhoid fever and dysentery broke out aniong them
and -all but five were ill. Even sonic of their guzirds
were sick. One man only was left to care for them all
that man was Abbas Effcndi, the son of Bm[A'-
O'LLAii, now known as Abdul-Bahá, the Servant of
the Gloi-y of God. In spite of the horror, disease,
oppression and suffering, these people ]Ived to be re-
leased from close imprisonment after I long period,

and eventually they were allowed the freedom of the
Valley of Acca, reaching from Acca to Haifa, nine
miles away.
It was during this time of strictest confinement,
when each loaf of bread was cut open by the guards
to see that it contained no communication, that the
long epistles, "Letters to the Kings," were sent from
that prison tower to the monarchs of the earth, in-
cluding the Pope at Rome, Queen Victoria, Napoleon
111, and the President of the United States, calling
upon them to recognize BAIIA'O'LLAR as the Mes-
senger of God. It was then, when the Cause seemed
to human sight to be extinct and buried beyond pos-
sibility, of resurrection, that the most triumphant
pwans o f victory were penned by the exiled captive
in his silent chamber in the prison tower of Acca. He
proclaimed the triumph of the Spirit of God over the
whole earth as an accomplished fact, the utter defeat

and rout of the hosts of darkness and the victory of
the Glory of God (B..x1TA'0'LLA1[), the Word of
God, over the hearts. of men throughout the world.
Today, millions of happy souls are rejoicing in that
Word, devoting their lives to that Cause and proving
that the Ward was divine and from the Almighty
God, and that the imprisoned man, who suffered that
the Word might come to its new birth and maturity
among men, was indeed the Manifestation of the
Will of God.
For forty years BAIIA'O'LLAII taught and wrote,
all of that time an exile and much of it in what he

called-"the greatest prison." His works are vol-
uminous and all are filled with instructions of ex-
alted wisdom for both the spiritual and material
evolution of man. They parallel the divine teach-
ings of all past ages, illumining and showing them
forth in wonderful clearness and new beauty. They
meet the needs cid the spiritually hungry in every
religion and clime; they penetrate the hearts and
thrill the souls with divine aspiration and light; they
melt away all separatene ss in the fires of love and
bring believers from every part of the world into a
perfect unity.
Prof. Edward G. Browne, Lecturer in Persian to
the University of Cambridge, England, who,visited
BAHAVLLAH in i8go, said: "The face of him on
whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot des-
cribe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very
soul-, power and authority sat on that ample brow,
while the deep lines on the forehead and face implied
an age which the jet black hair and beard, flowing
down in indistinguishable luxuriance almost to the
waist, seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose pres-
ence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who Is
the object of a devotion and love which kings might
envy and emperors sigh for in vain."

ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

Before his departure in May 1892, BAFIAVLLAH
appointed his son Abbas Effendi, Abdul-Bahá, to be
the "Center of the Covenant" of Light, Love and
Peace' which he had founded in the Name of God.
He commanded all to turn their faces to Abdul-Bahá
for understanding, tfius making him the authorized
Interpreter of his writings. The only claim that Ab-
dul-Bahá makes for himself is this authority of in-
terpretation and that he is Abdul-Bahá-the Servant
of God in this Revelation.
Abdul-Bahá Abbas was born in Teheran, Persia,
On the evening of May 23rd, 1844, A. D., at the
very hour while the Bab was uttering in Shiraz his
declaration of the fulness of the times and the com-
ing of the Great Revealer. He was not of the family
of the Bab, and the Bab could not have known his
birth by a1hy material.means. At nine years of age
he accompanied his father in the journey of exile to
Baghdad, and from that time he shared every hard-
ship, suffering
_ and imprisonment, ever manifestingr

such remarkable wisdom, influence, helpfulness and
endurance that he was always called "The Master."
He proved his mastership in every emergency, wheth-
er of contention, oppression and persecution, or in
severest trials and sufferings. Prof. Browne says
of his meeting the "Master" in April, 18go:
"One more eloquent of speech, more ready of arg-

ument, more apt of illustration, more intimately ac-
quainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the
Christians and the Mohammedans, could, 1 should
think, scarcely be found even amongst the eloquent,
ready and subtle race to which he belongs. These
qualities, combined with a bearing at once majestic
and genial, made Te cease to wonder at the influence
and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle
of his father's followers. About the greatness of this
man and his power no one who had seen him could
entertain a doubt."
The Declaration of the Bab and the birth of Ab-
has Effendi in different parts of the kingdom of
Persia simultaneously on May 23rd, 1844, were the
Forewords of the coming Revelation, the estab-
lishment of the "new heaven," the Spiritual King-
dom of God upon earth, and the unity of mankind
in the universal knowledge of One God and in the
peace of obedience to his declared Will.
The declaration of telegraphic success, in the
words, "What hath God wrotight!"-flashing out in
America on the morning of May 24th, 1844, was the
material response and foreword of the "new earth"
to be created for the physical welfare of man in the
millenial age about to appear. The spiritual pro-
clamation came frorn'the East; the material answered
from the West.
That material prophecy has been followed by such
a wealth of revealing of the hidden powers and gifts
of nature that man is overwhelmed and amazed, and

cannot yet comprehend but a small portion of the
values already discovered, while he perceives a host
of new w6nders pressing upon him. Mr. Thomas A.
Edison says: "Scientific discoveries are coming so
thick and fast, there are so many of us working like
beavers at them, that it is appalling merely to think
about- possibilities in the future. Everything, any-
thing is possible; the world is a vast storehouse of un-
discovered energy."
- The spiritual Forewords were followed by such a
spiritual resurrection and devotion as the world has
not witnessed before, tens of thousands of saints
gladly, joyfully suffering every indignity, loss, cruelty
and finally martyrdom for their pure faith in the
Word of God and their love for him. Then came
the Great Revelation, BAITA'O'LLAII, the Glory of
God, opening the books of the past, renewing the
Word of God, calling all mankind to the table of the

Lord descending from the heaven, and laying the
foundatioms for the ascent of humanity into a glorious
manhood of Godly ki~owledge, salvation and life.
And now the Son and Servant, Abdul-Bahá, is
spreading th;~t divine Word to the farthest corners
of the earth, and the advancing ones, the fearless
lovers of Truth, those who long for nearness to God
and obedience to his Will, are gathering to that
Standard of Peace and Love from every religion, land
and race. "Glory be upon the people of Glory!"

A STATEMENT

In the Name of our Lord, BAHA'O'LLAH!

God is the One uho inspireth the hearts of His ser-
vants with that zchich he willethl
HE Is GOD!
I testify with my being and identity that verily He
is God. There is no God but Him. He hath ever
been God, and will be forever more the One, the Self-
subsistent, the Eternal.
And I testify that verily the Blessed Perfection,
His Holiness, BAIIA'O'LLAH, is no other than the
Most Great Mani festation-magnified is His Gran-
deur and Glory!-who was promised in all the Holy
Scriptures, and that the most great Mystery of God,
the Branch extended from the Ancient Root, who
hath decorated his head with the crown of Servitude
and named himself Abdul-Bahá (the Servant of
Bahá), is the Successor of the Blessed Perfection, the
Center of his Covenant, and the Aim of his Testa-
ment.
And I testify that the hands of the Cause of God,
bearers of His Ordinances to the servants and preach-
ers of His Manifestation in the countries, are the
saints of God and His chosen ones. By them the
standard of the Cause of God is raised and His Signs

are promulgated among the creatures. They are
the lamps of God for all in the heaven and upon
earth. U-pon them be the Glory of God, His Praise
and His Mercy I

0 ye, our brothers, who believe in God and in the
Books of all His religions! Know that all of us are
unanimously believing in the Ancient Entity, the Eter-
nal God; that He is the Creator of all things; that,
verily, He hath ever been and will continue to be for-
ever.
We also believe that the Prophets and the Mani-
festations of God were all bearers of the Message of
God, and that the Holy Scriptures are His books.
Accordingly, our belief and religion is that all the
Prophets are of necessity as one light, one reality and
as the rays of one sun, even though they may appear
to be different each from the other and each as a dif-
ferent person talking in a different tongue. There-
fore, all their laws and books Must needs be as One
Law and' One Book,, even though some of the or-

dinances be, in form, contradictory to others; because
all of them have spoken on the part of God, the
One, the Unit, and all the Ordinances and Laws are
also revealed on His part. This assertion is in no
need of further rational proof.
Now we submit that there are in the Holy Scrip-
tures references concerning the most great Manifes-
tation, -and other predictions and signs regarding the
end of the days. These prophecies are recorded in

~arious texts, both chronological and symbolic . All
the nations have awaited the appearance of such
signs, and the coming Manifestation of their Promised
One, with earnest expectation. Yet, to the present
day, the Sun of their hopes has not appeared to them
from the horizon of their expectation.
As to the hono~able and faithful Bahá'ís, they be-
lieve that, verily, the promises and prophecies given
in the Holy Scriptures have become fulfilled during
the nineteenth century after Christ by the appearance
of the Prince of the Universe-the most great
BAHAVLLAii, exalted is His Glory! This claim,
held by them, is the best tidings to the expectant ones
and a great joy to the seekers. But only those car,
approve it who are endowed with a pure heart and
fortified with the confirmation of God, and who
hearken with sincerity to perfect proofs, to decisive
and satisfactory arguments.
The Bahá'í people is ready with all power and
strength to prove its claim and to unfold the truth
of its religion, not through material force, but by
spiritual power; not through the strength of this
world, but by that of the Kingdom. The Bahá'ís
wage war with all the armies of the nations of the
world, not with swords and weapons, but through the
power of Utterance and the unfoldment of the mys-
teries and meanings of the Divine Words. They
subdue the cities of hearts, not with assaults of ar-
mies of men, but rather by indisputable proofs, by
love, compassion and affection. Their sword is the

ra Ord or od; their hosts the divine Inspiration; their
nks, submissiveness, humbleness, meekness, unsel-
fishness..and pure servitude in the presence of every
soul, of whatsoever religious nation and toward every
being in existence.
Their religion is to serve the people in the world;
their principle is obedience to government; their
teaching is summoning people unto God, the True
One; their rewards and recompense come only from
God; they freely offer to people the Bread of Life
and freely give them the Water of Life. Let him
who hungers and thirsts partake freely of their Ta-
ble. Verily the doors of heaven are opened by the
keys of the Knowledge of His Holiness, BAIIA'O'-
LLAH, the paradise of Enlightenment is decorated,
the rivers of Inner Significances are flowing, the birds
of Sacred Mysteries are soaring around, and the
Spiritual Foods are prepared. Blessed are they who

eat? Blessed are they who drink!

'6sj

Teachings

TEACHINGS

"Bahá'o'llah made the utmost efforts to educate
his people and incite them to morality, the acquisition
of the sciences and arts of all countries, kindly deal-
ing with all the nations of the earth, desire for the
welfare of all peoples, sociability, concord, obedience,
submissiveness, instruction of children (of both sexes
equally), production of what is needful for the human
race and inauguration of true happiness for man-
kind. (T. Al. p. 69.)

DECLARATION*
"I was asleep on my couch; the Breaths of my
Lord, the Merciful, passed over me and awakened me
from my sleep, and commanded me to proclaim be-
tween earth and heaven. This was not on my part
but on His part, and to this bear witness the denizens
of the realms of His Power and His Kingdom, and
the dwellers in the cities of His Glory, and Himself
the Truth. 1 ani not impatient of calamities in His
way, nor o~afflictions for His Love and at His good
pleasure. God bath rnade afflictions as a morning
shower to His green pasture and as a wick for His
Lamp whereby heaven and earth are illiimined."
*These are tranAations froin 1'cr~iati and Arabic. wilich are
very itiliLetiltof the wide differences betmeen Orient arld
ocei(it'lit, not olliv in icli~)111~ and fornis of 13ut ill nietliods
of th ... Igh t. Thev al- rclat_. to the conci.titions of divine
skii)j(.ct~ and are for eartit,t coii~i(ier-itioti rather than inert. "reading,"
hut tlicy ill be understood by those who stiidy them ilic licart.

"The gales of the All-knowing, the All-glorious,
passed by me and taught me the knowledge of what
hath been. This thing is not from me but from One
The who is Mighty and All-knowing. He
Appoint- bade me proclaim between the earth and
ment heaven, and for this hath there befallen
me that whereat the eyes of those who know over-
flow with tears. T have not studied these sciences
which men possess, nor have I entered the colleges.
Inquire of the city wherein I was, that thou mayest be
assured that I am not of those who speak falsely.
"This is a Leaf which the Breezes of the will of thy
Lord, the Mighty, the Extolled, have stirred. Can
it be still when the rushing winds blow? No, by the
The Breeze Lord of the Names and Attributes!
Of the Rather do they move it as they list, for
Spirit being belongeth not to nonentity in the
presence of the Eternal. His decisive command did
come, causing me to speak for His celebration
amid the worlds. Verily, I was not save as one
dead in the presence of His Command, the hand of
thy Lord, the Merciful, turning me. Can any one
speak on his own part that for which all men, whether
high or low, will contradict him? No, by Him who
taught the Pen eternal mysteries, save him who is
strengthened by the Mighty and Strong One." (Tab.
to King of Persia)

"Glory be to Thee, 0 God! Thou knowest that
my heart is melted about Thy matter, that my blood

bolls in my veins with the fire of Thy Love, and that
every drop thereof crieth unto Thee with dumb elo-
quence, sdying : 0 Lord Most High! Shed me on
the earth in Thy way, that there may grow from it
what Thou desirest in Thy Books, but hast concealed
from Thy servants save such as have drunk from the
Fountain of knowledge from the hands of Thy grace
and the Stream of wisdom from the cup of Thy
bounty. Thou knowest, 0 God, that in every action
I desire nothing save Thy affairs, and that in every
utterance I seek naught but Thy celebration; neither
doth my Pen move except.1 desire therein Thy good
rleasure and the setting forth of what Thou hast en-
joined upon me by Thy authority.
"Thou seest me, 0 God, confounded in Thine
earth; if I tell what Thou hast enjoined on me, Thy
creatures turn against me; if I forsake what Thou hast
enjoined on me for Thy part, I should be deserving of

the scourges of Thy wrath, and far removed from the
gardens of Nearness to Thee. No! by- Thy Glory, I
advance toward Thy* good pleasure, turning aside
from what the souls of Thy servants desire; accept-
ing what is ,,~ith Thee and forsaking what would re-
move me afar off from the retreats of nearness to Thee
and the heights of Thy Glory. By Thy Glory! for
Thy Love I flinch not from aught, and for Thy good
pleasure I fear not all the afflictions in the world. This
is but through Thy Strength and Thy Might, Thy
Grace and Thy Favor, not because I am deserving
thereof." (Tab. to King of Persia)

IVORDS OF BAILl'O'LL-III

"When a seeker intends to turn the step of search
and journeying into the path of the Knowledge of the
King of Pre-existence, he must first cleanse and puri-
fy his heart-which is the place of the
Purification appearance and emanation of the hidden
mysteries of Divinity-from all the
gloomy dusts of acquired learnings and from the illu-
sions of satanic appearances; and he must cleanse
and refine his breast-which is the throne for the
accession and establishment of the love of the Eter-
nal Beloved."
"He must likewise sanctit his heart from attach-
.Y 1
ment to water and clay-that is, from all phantasmal
forms and spectral images-in such manner that no
trace of love or hatred may remain
Detachment in the heart, lest that love may cause
him to incline toward a direction with-
out guidance, or that hatred prevent him from an-
other direction; just as in this day, most are bereft
of the immortal Face and of the threshold of Mean-
ings, because of these two tendencies, and are grazing
shepherdless in the deserts of error and oblivion."

"He should at all times trust in God, and turn
away from the creatures; be severed and detached
from the world of dust and united with the Lord of
Lords; not preferring his own self before anvonc,
but cleansing the tablet of the heart froin pride and
vainglory; attaching the heart to patience and self-

restraint; observing silence and avoiding useless
speech, for the tongue is a smouldering fire and
loquacity is a deadly poison. Material fire devours
bodies, but the fire of the tongue consumes souls and
minds. The effect of the former vanishes in an hour,
but the latter continues for a century." (Ig- 1-37-138)

"0 people of Bahá' ! Ye are dawning-places of
the Love and day-springs of the Favor of God. De-
file not the tongues with cursing and ex-
ecrating anyone and guard your eyes The
from that which is not worthy. Show Tongue
forth that which ye possess. . . . . Be not the cause
of sorrow (to anyone) how much less of sedition
and strife." (Ish- 38-)

"He should consider backbiting as error and never
step into that court, for backbiting extinguishes the
brilliant light of the heart and numbs the life of the
soul. He should be content with little and free from

avarice; profiting by the companionship of the sev-
ered ones and regardilig seclusion from haughty and
wordly people as a benefit.

"At dawn,.he should be engaged in commemora-
tions, seeking for that Beloved One with the utmost
earnestness and power, consuming heedlessness with
the fire of love and praise; passing over all else save
God Nvith the swiftness of lightning; bestowing a por-
tion LIP011 the &StItUte and not refusing benevolence
and favor to the unfortunate.
"He should sho%v kindness to the animals; how

much more to mankind, and (especially) to the people
of the Revelation; refusing not his life for the Be-
loved and turning not away from the True One when
reproached by the creatures. He should not wish for
others what he doth not wish for him-
Kindness self, nor say that which he will not ful-
fil; keeping aloof from evil doers with
all determination 'and asking the forgiveness of God
ih their behalf; condoning the sinners and despising
them not, for the end is not known . . . . . . In brief,
the traveler and seeker should consider all else save
God mortal and account all but the Adored One
as nothing." (Ighan p. 138-139-)

"This Day is the Day of God; God alone is speak-
ing in it, and none should be mentioned but Him.

"Where are purified eyes of clear insight? Where
are the withdrawn and illummed hearts? This Day
is the day of eyes, ears and hearts. Beseech God that
ye may possess these three, that ye may be withdrawn
from the veils and sanctified; because
Eyes, Ears a thin veil, the thinnest, may prevent the
and Hearts eyes from seeing, the cars from hearing
and the heart from understanding. Ponder carefully
on this Supreme Word which was revealed previous-
ly by the Supreme Pen, '0 children of knowledge:
the physical eye will be prevented from seeing the
world and what is in it by a very thin lid; then %vhat
will be the result if the veil of avarice cover the eye
of the heart'."

"Blessing be upon the soul who hastened to the
ocean of the Mercy of his Lord, the ear which heard
the cry of the Supreme Pen, the eye which saw His
wonderful Verses, and the tongue which pronounced
His most beautiful praise!"

"Shouldst thou turn thy face toward all the things
of this world and listen with a spiritual ear, thou wilt
hear them exclaim- 'The Ancient hath come! The
Lord of the Most Great Glory hath appeared!'

"When the lamp of search, effort, longing, fervor,
love, rapture, attraction and devotion is enkindled
in the heart, and the breeze of love blows from the
direction of Unity, the darkness of error,
doubt and uncertainty will be dispelled Lighting the
and the I ghts of knowledge and assur- Lamp

ance w 11 encompass all the pillars of existence. Then
the ideal Herald will dawn as the true morn from the
Divine City with spiritual glad-tidings and awaken
the heart,.soul and spirit from the sleep of negligence
with the trumpet of Ktiowledge. Then the favors and
confirmations of the eternal Holy Spirit will impart
such a new life that one will find himself the possessor
of a new eye, . a new car, a new heart and a new mind,
and will dircct his attention to the clear, universal
signs and to the hidden individual secrets. With the
new eye of God he w 11 see a door open in every atom
for attainment to the stations of positive knowledge,
certain truth and evident light, -and will perceive in
all things the mysteries of the splendor of Oneness

Every atom and object will direct him to the Beloved
and to the Desired One. He will become so discern-
ing that he will distinguish truth from falsehood as
the sun from shadow." (Ig- 139- -'40-)

"If any one with a pure heart and clear intelligence
thinks about that which hath been revealed from the
Supreme Pen, he will at once say with the tongue of
honesty that now the truth is evident.
"Beware lest the matters of this world prevent
thee from coming to the Owner of Names. By the
Life of God! that which is upon the earth shall van-
ish, and naught else remain save what hath been re-
vealed from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, the
Precious." (Tablet.)
"By Him who caused all else to pronounce the
praise of Himself, the world and what is seen therein
-to the one who hath clear insight-will never be
equal to one word of the Words of God, because the
former is forever and ever transitory and evanescent,
but the Word of God is eternal and everlasting, as is
the eternity of the Names and Attributes.
"By the Sun of the Horizon! If all the world
were of gold and silver, the soul, which is really
growing in the Kingdom -of- -faith-f---,A--i-ll--nc-,-er- turn--
The toward it. If any one findeth the
Ordinancessweetness of that wh , ch hath been men-
of God tioned, then he will not act against the
Ordinances of God, and will turn to nothing but God.

so, lie wilt see with a clear insight the evanescense
of the material world and his heart will adhere to
the everl~sting Kingdom.
"God manifested Himself to teach the people truth,
sincerity, religion, faith, submission, reconciliation,
compassion, courtesy, prudence and piety, and to
adorn themselves with the garments of good qualities
and holy deeds. Say, 0 people: be merciful and do
not desecrate the holy ordinances of God with your
impure suppositions, evil thoughts and delusions. We
ask God to lead all people to the Truth, to assist
them that they may return to him, and to strengthen
them to serve his Cause, to spread his Words and to
,-let according to the Ordinances of their Ancient
Master."
711[1,11 WORD oF (1,01)

"Hearken unto the exhortations of the Unique
Friend with the ear of the soul. 0 people of God!

the Word of God like unto a tree: planting
11
ground n;iust be the hearts of the people; cultivate it
through the river of'Wisdom and Utterance, so that
its roots may become firm and its branches surpass
the firmame~t." (Tab. Of IF. 3-1.)
"Heark-en to the Voice of ' the Compassionate Coun-
sellor, which is raised without veil or covering before
-the- faces of kings and subjects, and invite all the
people of the world to the Lord of Pre-existence.
This is that Word, from the horizon of which the
Orb of Grace is shining and gleaming!" (Tar. M.)

- Ll t- Y L e vv ord or thy
Lord, the Shining Splendor. It is softer than the east
wind, and hath appeared in the form of Man, and by
it God hath quickened His advancing servants. In
the inner part of this Word there is a water whereby
God hath purified the hearts of those who came unto
Him, and who were negligent in mentioning aught
else save Him, and thus He brought them nigh to
the Outlook of His Great Name. We have caused
the water to descend upon the dead, and they arose,
looking toward the shining and brilliant Beauty of
God.
"The heart of the world is aglow with the Word
of God. It is pitiable should ye not avail yourselves
of this warmth." (Tablet)

"The Word which the Most Faithful (God)
wrote hath appeared. It hath indeed descended into
the form of Man in this time. Blessed
The Word is the Lord who is the Father! He hath
Incarnate come with His most mighty Power
among the nations: turn toward Him, 0 concourse
of the good! The Father hath come, and that
which hath been promised unto you in the Kingdom
is accomplished. This is a Word which was con-
cealed behind the veil of Might, and when the prom-
ised time came it shone forth from the horizon of the
(Divine) Will with manifest signs."
"Consider how great is the value and how para-
mount the importance of the Verses (The Word) in

which God hath completed His perfect argument, con-
summate proof, dominant power and penetrating will.
In the declaration of His proof, that King of Unity
hath not conjoined anything with them, for among
proofs and evidences Verses are like unto the sun,
while all others are as stars. To the people they are
everlqsting proof, fixed argument, and shining light
from the presence of that Ideal King. No excellence
equals them and nothing precedes them. They are
the treasury of divine pearls and the depository of the
mysteries of Unity. They are the strong thread, the
firm rope, the most secure handle and inextinguishable
light. Through them flows the river of the Divine
Knowledges and bursts the fire of the consummate
Wisdom of the Eternal. This is a fire from which
two effects proceed at the same time; it creates the
heat of love within the people of faith, and produces
the cold of heedlessness within the people of hatred.

0 friend, we must not depart from the command of
God, bUttcquiesce and submit to that which he hath
appointed to be His Proof." (Ig- 146. 147-)

"Verily, the Spirit of Truth hath come, to guide
you into all -Truth. Verily, He speaketh not unto
you from himself, nay, but rather from before the
All-knowing and Wise. Say: He is the The Spirit
One whom the Son hath glorified, and of Truth
hath upraised His Command. Abandon
that which is before You, 0 people of the earth, and
take that which is cornmanded you from before the

Powerful, the Faithful. Purify your ears and turn
your minds to hear the sweet Call which bath arisen
from the direction of Sinai, the abode of your Most
Glorious Lord. Verily, He attracts you unto a station
wherein you will behold the Lights of the Face, which
hath sl:ione forth from this brilliant Horizon."
"Say: Verily He bath surely shone forth from the
direction of the Orient, and His Signs have appeared
in the Occident. Think thereupon, 0 people, and be
not like unto those who neglected the Remembrancer
when He came unto them from before the Mighty,
the Laudable. Awake by the Breezes of God! Verily,
they have blown in the world. Blessing to whosoever
bath found their fragrance and is of the assured."
"Blessed is whosoever is illumined by the Sun of
My Word. Blessed is whosoever adorned his head
with the wreath of My Love." "Blessed is he who
was assured in My Word and stood up among the
dead for NIv Remembrance." "Blessed is he who
cut himself from all other than Me, and soared in
the ether of My Love, entered My Kingdom and
perceived the dominions of My Might, drank the
Kawther (fountain) of My Favor and the Salsabil
(stream) of My Grace, was apprised of My Com-
mand and of whatsoever was hidden in the treasuries
of My-Words, and shone forth from the horizon of
Inner Significances in My Commemoration and My
Praise. Verily, he is of Mine. May ',,Iy Mercy,
Grace, Favor and Glory be unto him!" (La-zch-El-
Jkdas.)

THE SUPREME PEN

"Praise be to God! The True One-exalted is
His Glor'y!-hath opened the doors of the minds
and souls through the key of the Supreme Pen.
Every one of the revealed Verses is a manifest door
to the appearance of spiritual virtues and holy deeds."
(Tab'. o/ IF. 27-)
"Through the motion of the Supreme Pen a new
life of significances is breathed into the body of words
by the command of the Ideal Commander, and the
effects thereof are visible and manifest in all the
things of the world." (Tab. oi IV. 23-)

"The Supreme Pen s that Pen, from the treasury
of which the gems of Wisdom and Utterance and the
arts of all the world have appeared and become
manifest." (Ish. ii.)

"We exhort them to equity, justice, trustworthiness
and honesty and to that by reason of which the Word
of God, a". well as their own stat ons, shall be exalted
among men; and I an~ the One who adviseth in Truth,
whereunto testifieth He from whose Pen the running
water of Mercy and from whose Utterance the FOLin-
tain of Life bath flowed for the people of the world.
Exalted is this Most Great Bounty and glorious is
this manifest Gift!" (ff. of P. 65.)

TITT,' DAY OP lel,,'VEALING

"This is the Day wherein the Speaker of the Mount
is established upon the Throne of Manifestation, and

the people have resurrected before God, the Lord of
the creatures. This is the Day wherein the earth
bath revealed her news and uncovered her treasures,
the seas their pearls, the 'tree' its fruits, the sun
its effulgence, the moons their lights; the heaven its
stars, the 'hour' its tokens, the 'resurrection' its ma-
jesty, the 'pens' th.eir traces and the spirits their arcana.
Blessed is whosoever knoweth Him!" (Ish. ii.)

"Shouldst thou make the mirror of the heart pure
and clear from the dust of prejudice, thou wilt corn-
pre-hend all the symbols in the sayings of the perfect
Word of Divinity in every Manifesta-
Severance tion and be informed of the mysteries
of Knowledge. But, unless thou destroy-
est with the fire of Severance the veils of learning,
which are conventional among the servants, thou wilt
not attain to the brilliant morn of the Ideal Knowl-
edge." (Ig- 4q.)

"In this Day a great banquet is celebrated in the
Supreme Concourse; for all that was promised in
the Divine Books hath appeared. This is the Day of
the Most Great Rejoicing! All MUSt direct them-
selves to the court of Nearness with the utmost joy,
happiness, exultation and gladness, and deliver them-
selves from the fire of remoteness." (fF. of P. 60.)

"Joy unto him who, in this Day, casts away that
which is possessed by the peol)lc and holds fast to
that which is commanded on the part of God, the

King of Names and the Creator of things." (W. of
P. 72.)
"If th1d spiritual and divine eye of man be opened,
he will see that nothing exists without the appear-
ance of the splendor of that Ideal King. For thou
dost perceive that all contigent and cre- Ideal
ated thi , ngs express the manifestation and Light
emanation of that Ideal Light, and dost
behold the doors of the Divine Rizwan (Paradise)
opened in all things for seekers to enter the cities of
Intelligence and Wisdom, and attained ones to pass
into the gardens of Knowledge and Power. In every
garden the bride of significances is seen seated in the
chambers of words with full adornment and grace."
(Ig. 99.)
DECLARATION OF GOD'S SINGLENESS

"God singly and alone abideth in His own place
which is holy above space and time, mention and ut-
terance, sign, description -and definition, height and
depth." * (T. N. i4~.)
"We bear witness that there is no God but Him;
everlastingly He was, and there was nothing beside
Hirn; everlastingly He will be, even as He hath been.
Exalted is the iWerciful One above this-that the
hearts of the people of wisdom should ascend.unto
the comprehension of His Nature, or that the under-
standing of such as inhabit the worlds should rise to
the knowledge of His Essence. Holy is He above the
knowledge of all save Himself, and exempt is He

from the comprehension of what is beside Him; verily,
in Eternity of Eternities was He independent of the
worlds." (T. N. 397.)
', It is evident to the possessors of Knowledge and
illumined minds that the Unseen Divinity and Essence
of Oneness hath been holy beyond emanation and ap-
pearance, ascent qnd descent, ingress and egress; is
exalted above the praise of every praiser and the com-
prehension of every comprehender. He hath been
and is everlastingly hidden in His Own Essence and
will be eternally concealed from eyes and sights in
His Own Entity. 'The sight comprehendeth Him not,
but He comprehendeth the sight; He is the Gracious,
the Wise'." (Ig. 6q.)

"God, in His Essence, is sanctified above ascent or
descent, entrance or exit. He bath been, and will be
everlastingly independent of (or free from) the at-
tributes of the creatures; no one hath known Him,
and on soul hath found out His Substance. All the
sages are bewildered in the valley of His Knowledge,
and all the saints are perplexed in their endeavor to
comprehend His Essence. He is purified from being
comprehended by all men of comprehension, and is ex-
alted above the knowing of men of knowledge."
(Pers. S. F. 2q.)
"The True One is sanctified above all, (but) His
Signs are manifest in all things. The signs are from
Him-not He Himself-and all of them are record-
ed and visible in the volume of the world. The plan

of the world is a great book; every one endowed with
perception can grasp (therefrom.) that which shall
enable him to attain to the Right Path and the 'Great
Message.'
"Consider the rays of the sun; its lights have en-
compassed the world, but these splendors are from
it and from its manifestations; they are through it-
self but are not itself ( i. e., its essence or substance).
Whatever is seen on the earth is expressive of His
power, knowledge and grace; while He (God) is
sanctified from all. His Holiness Christ says: 'Thou
hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes.' " (IF. of P.
,16.)
DEWLARATION OP GOD'S HA-VIFE~NTATIOYS

"All my limbs testify that there is no God but Him,
and that those whom He quickened with the Tr-uth

and sent for (men's) guidance are the Manifesta-
tions of His Most Comely Names, the Day-springs of
His Supreme Attributes and the recipients of His
revelation in the realm of creation; by whom the
standard of the (faith of the) Unity is set tip, and
the sign of renunciation becomes apparent; and by
whorn every soul taketh a course towards the Lord of
the Throne." (T. N. 397-)
"Man, the most noble and perfect of the creatures,
is a mightier evidence and greater expression than the
other visible things. The most perfect, superior and
excellent of men are the Manifestations of the Sun

of Truth." "These Holy Temples are the Eternal
Primal Mirrors which express the Invisible of the
Invisibles and all His Names and Attributes, such as
Knowledge, Power, Dominion, Grandeur, Mercy,
Wisdom, Glory, Generosity and Beneficence." (Ig.
72.)
"I testify, 0 my God, that this is a Day wherein
Thy proof hath be en completed and Thy evidence be-
came manifest; Thy Signs have descended; Thy To-
kens have shone forth; Thy Face hath gleamed; Thy
Argument been perfected; Thy Mercy hath preceded
the beings, and the Sun of Thy Bounty hath shone in
such wise that Thou hast made known the Manifesta-
tion of Thyself, the treasury of Thy Science and the
Day-spring of Thy Greatness and Might. He is the
One, whose Covenant Thou hast administered to who-
soever is created in the kingdoms of heaven and earth,
in the realms of Command and Creation."

"I testify that by Him the Supreme Pen hath
moved, by His mention the Tablets have been adorned
in the Kingdom of Names, by Him Thy Breezes have
spread and the fragrances of Thy Garment have been
diffused between the earth and heaven." (Tablet)

"I testify that, verily, there is no God save Him!
and He who hath come is verily the Hidden Mystery,
the Concealed Secret, the Most Great Book for the
nations, and the Heaven of Beneficence to the world.
He is the Mighty Sign among mankind and the Dawn-
ing-place of Highcst Attributes in the Nvorld of eman-

ation. Through Him hath appeared that which was
concealed from all eternity and was hidden from men
of discernment. Verily, He is the One whose Mani-
festation was announced by the Books of God in
former and later times.

"Whoever acknowledges Him, His signs and His
evidences, hath verily acknowledged that which the
Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered before the crea-
tion of heaven and earth and before the
Acknowledg-
appearance of the Kingdom of Names . ment
Through him the sea of Knowledge hath
moved among mankind and the running water of
Wisdom hath flowed from the presence of God, the
King of Days. Blessed is the discerning one who
witnessed and perceived, the hearing one who heard

His sweet voice, and the hand that took hold of the
Book through the power of its Lord, the King of this
world and of the world to come!" W- Of P- 70-)

" The.True One-glorious is His Glory!-for the
showing forth of th'c gems of ideals from the mine
of man, hath, in every age, sent a trusted one. The
primary foundation for the faith of God
and the rell~ion of God is this, that they Sure
Paths
,-should not make diverse sects and varl-
ous paths the cause and reason of hatred." "These
principles and laws and firm, sure paths appear from
one dawning-place and shine froni one day-spring,
and these diversities were out of regard for the rc-
quiremcnts of the time, season, ages and epochs."

"We have sent One whom We have strengthened
with the Holy Spirit that He may give you glad tid-
ings of this Light, which hath shone forth from the
Horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Exalted, the
Most Glorious, and whose effects have appeared
(also) in the West, that ye may turn unto Him in
this Day which GQd hath made the choicest of the
days, wherein the Merciful hath revealed Himself to
whosoever is in the heavens and earth." "The Fra-
grances of the Merciful have diffused their sweet odors
over the beings; blessed is he who findeth their per-
fume and advanceth unto them with a clean heart.
Adorn thy temple with the embroidered garment of
My Name, thy tongue with My celebration and thy
heart with My Love, the Precious, the Powerful.
We have not desired for thee aught save that which
is better for thee than all thou hast in thine own pos-
session and (what is) in the whole treasury of the
earth. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Nvise, the All-
knowing."
"Behold! This is the Sun of the Cause, which
hath shone from the Horizon thereof. Blessed is
God, who hath appeared with the Truth in manifest
dominion." (Tablet)

"Do ye object to the One who hath produced unto
you the evidences of God, His proofs, arguments and
signs? They are not of his own accord, but from
the Presence of HIM who hath delegated and sent
Him with the Truth, and made Him the Lamp of

the world." "If my offense is caused by the exalta-
tion of the Word of God and the Manifestation of
His Command, verily will I be willing to be the First
of Culprits, and will never consent to exchange this
guilt even for the possessions of the Kingdoms of the
earth and heavens."
"Among mankind are some who say that this
Servant desireth naught save the perpetuation of his
name, and others say that he desireth the world for
himself, notwithstanding that I have not found dur-
ing the days of my life a place of safety, such that I
might set my feet therein, but was ever overwhelmed
in the floods of affliction, whereof none is aware save
God; verily He knoweth what I say!"
"Doth he, who regardeth not his life (as assured)
for less than a moment, desire the world? I marvel
at those who speal, after their lusts and wander madly
in the desert of passion and desire."

"Shouldst thou drink the pure wine of Life from
the cups-of the Words of thy Lord, the Merciful,
thou shalt attain to a station whereby thou wilt cut
thyself from that which thou hast and cry in My
Name among the inhabitants of the world. Wash
thyself with the water of devotion for the sake of
this Celebration, which hath shone forth from the
horizon of creation, verily, it shall purify thee from
the (]List of the world." (Tab. to Napoleon Ill.)

"Consider! Reflect on those people of old who
cast the Signs of God bt4iind their backs and pro-

nounced sentence with evident injustice against the
Manifestations of the Command. How many
learned ones lamented at the separation, and were ex-
pecting and supplicating day and night to be honored
by a Manifestation of a Name of the Names; but
when the Creator of heaven came, they turned away
from Him, and denied as a falsehood the Argument
of God and His Evidence and practiced oppression
against Him, whereat the eyes of the Messengers have
overflowed with tears. As to thee, grieve not for
anything, and be resigned to God in all aspects. Ver-
ily, He heareth and seeth, and He is the Listener, the
Answerer!" (Tablet.)

11__.'T1IE PURPOSE OF HANIPESTATION

"We desire but the good of the world and the hap-
piness of the nations; that all nations shall become one
in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of
affection and unity between the sons of men shall be
strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease and
differences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these
fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away,
and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come." "These
strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and
all men be as one kindred and one family." ( T. N.)

"It has been our aim to uplift men through exalted
Words unto the Supreme Horizon and prepare thein
to hearken unto that which condUces to the sanctifying
and purifying the people of the world from the strife
and discord which results from differences in religions
go

(or sects). Whereunto My Heart and My Pen, My
Manifest and My Hidden (Being) bear witness. God
willing, they all will turn unto the treasuries which are
deposited within themselves." (W_ ol P_ 58.)

"0 beloved I In this day the door of heaven is
openqd by the key of the Godly Name, the ocean of
Generosity is manifested and is rolling before your
faces, and the Sun of Providence is shining and
gleaming; do not exclude yourselves; do not destroy
your most precious time through the speech of this
or that person. Confirm the back of energy and do
your best in training the people of the world. Do not
consider that the Cause of God is a cause of opposi-
tion, hatred and wrath. The Tongue of Greatness
saith that what is intended by that which is revealed
from the heaven of Will in this Holy, Supreme Mani-

festation, is to unite the people with love and friend-
ship toward all. The people of Bahá who have drunk
of the pi~re wine of Reality must associate with all
the world with the pecfect spirit of joy and fragrance,
and remind them of that which is for the benefit of
all. This is the commandment o~ the Wronged One
to His saints'and sincere ones.
"0 people of the earth! Make not the religion of
God a cause for variance among you. Verily, of a
truth, it was revealed for the purpose of unifying the
whole world. Fear God, and be not of the ignorant.
Blessed is he who loves the world simply for the sake
of the Face of his Generous Lord."

"We did not come except for the purpose of unit-
ing whosoever is upon the earth and bringing them
into perfect harmony and agreement." (Tablet)

"Look on the world as a temple (body) of a man
attacked by disease, and whose recovery depends upon
the union of that which is in it; therefore agree upon
what We have established for you, and follow not
the ways of the disunited." "Verily, Your God, the
Merciful, loveth to see whosoever is in the world as
one soul and one temple; therefore avail yourselves
of the Bounty of God and His Mercy in these days,
the like of which the eye of creation hath never
seen. Blessed is he who casteth away that which he
hath for the sake of desiring that which is on the part
of God. Verily, We bear witness that he is of the
successful." (Tab. to Napoleon III.)

ve"The development of the world, the training of
nations, the tranquillity of the servants and the secur-
ity of the people of all lands have been due to the
Divine Precepts and Ordinances. Religion is the
greatest cause for (the appearance of) this great gift.
It bestows the cup of vitality, confers immortal life
and imparts eternal benefit (to the people)." ([S11.
39-)
"The faith of God and religion of God hath been
revealed and manifested from the heaven of the Will
of the King of Pre-existence only for the union and
concord of the dwellers upon earth; make it not a
cause of discord and dissension."

"Religious hatred and rancor is a world-consum-
ing fire, and the quenching thereof most arduous, un-
less the Irand of Divine Might give men deliverance
from this unfruitful calamity."
"0 people of the world, ye are all the fruit of one
tree and the leaves of one branch. Walk with perfect
charity, concord, affection and agreement."
"In whatever place we may be and whatever befall
us, the saints must gaze with perfect steadfastness and
confidence towards the Supreme Horizon and occupy
themselves in the reformation of the world and the
education of the nations. What hath befallen and
shall befall hath been and is an instrument and means
for the furtherance of the Word of Unity. Take
hold of the Command of God and cling thereto;
verily, it hath been sent down from beside a wise
Ordainer." (T. N- 73-)

11N,~Tjth perfect compassion and mercy have we guid-
ed and directed the people of the world to that where-
by their s~uls shall ba profited. I declare by the Sun
of Truth, which hath slione forth from the highest
horizons of the world, that the people of Bahá' had
not and havc not any aim save the prosperity and
reformation of the world and the purifying of the
nations." (T. N. 7-1-)

INSTRUCTIO VX
"0 pcop1c of God! Be not occLipled with your-
selves. Bc irrtciit oji the betterment of the world and
the traiiiing of nations. The betterment of the world

can be accomplished through pure and excellent deeds
and well approved and agreeable conduct. The helper
of the Cause is Deeds and its assistant is Good Char-
acter. 0 people of Bahá' ! Hold fast unto Piety!"
(Tab. 01 TV. 25.)
"In this Manifestation, victorious hosts are worthy
deeds and morals, 'and the leader and commander of
these hosts is Godlike piety. This comprehends all
and rules over all." (Ish. 3~.)
"0 ye wise men among nationsI Turn your eyes
away from foreignness and gaze unto Oneness; hold
fast unto the means which conduce to the tranquillity
and security of the people of the whole world. This
span-wide world is but one native land and one local-
ity. Abandon that glory which is the cause of dis-
cord, and turn unto that which promotes harmony.
"To the people of Bahá' glory is in knowledge,
good morals and wisdom-not in native land or sta-
tion. 0 people of the earth: appreciate the worth of
this Heavenly Word, for it is like unto a ship for the
sea of Knowledge, and is as the sun to the universe of
Perception." (IF. Of P. 53.)
"Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his
country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his
kin(-1." (T. N. xi.)
"Well is it with him who is adorned with the decor-
ation of manners and morals."
"The Pen of admonition exhorteth the friends and
enjoineth on thein charity, pity, wisdom and gentle-

ness. One holy action maketh the world of earth
highest p.4radise." (T. N- 76.)

"0 ye rich people! When ye see a poor man do
not grow proud and haughty and despise him, but
think from what ye were created, for each one was
created from despised water. Be truthful, whereby
Your temples will be decorated, your names elevated
and your positions exalted among the people, and you
will have before God, the Truth, a great reward."

"0 saints of God! We enjoin on you chastity,
faithfulness, godliness, sincerity and purity. Lay
aside the evil and adopt the good. This is that where-
unto ye . are commanded in the Book of God, the
Knowing, the Wise. Well is it with those who prac-
tice."
"0 saints of God! Regard the horizons of up-
rightness and be quit, severed and free from what is

beside this. There is no strength and no power save
in God." (T. N. Srt)

'0 people of God! I exhort ye to Courtesy (or
Reverence) . . Courtesy is, in the primary station, the
lord of all the virtues. Blessed is he who is illumined
with the light of Courtesy and is adorned with the
mantle of Uprightness." (Tab. of W. 27-)

"Verily, through meekness man is elevated to the
heaven of power; and again pride degrades him to the
lowest station of humilation and abasement." (IV.

of 11. _/0.)

"The possessors of justice and Equity occupy the
highest station and loftiest rank: the lights of Right-
eousness and Piety radiate and shine frorn such souls.
It is hoped that nations and countries may not be de-
prived of the lights of these two orbs:" (Tar. S.)

"Trustworthiness is the greatest door to the se-
curity and tranqurlity of mankind. The stability of
every affair depends upon it, and the worlds of horior,
glory and affluence are illuminated by its light."
Trustworthiness is the best garment for your tem-
ples and the most splendid crown for your heads."
(Tar. g.)
"The creatures were created through love; all are
commanded to live in friendship and unity. Now
look to this carefully, and mention this blessed Word
which hath shone forth from the horizon of the
mouth of the King, of Unity. Do not allow the op-
portunity to fall from your grasp, and spend not your
time uselessly. 1 declare by the Ocean of the Godly
Knowledge that a moment in these days is more c-k-
cellent than past centuries and ages: to this beareth
witness your Lord, the Chooser, in the Generous
Station."
"Ye must burn up the vells by the flame of cer-
taint), and illumine the he-arts and minds by the light
of faith. Exert your intelligence that ye may drink
from the stream of assurance which is overflowing
from the right of the Divine Throne. The one who
will gain this is of the people of eternity."

'Tlessed is a heart which is quickened by a Breath
of God and a tongue that is adorned with His praise
through.out the worlds! Be kindled by this fire which
is burning in the world, that through thee whosoever
is in this earth shall be enkindled. Think not that it
is a fire, rather it is Light, and its traces shall surround
whosoever is in all countries and regions. Be tran-
quil and confident through the Bounty of God and
His Mercy." (Tablet)

"We enjoin upon the servants of God to be patient,
self-constrained, tranquil and grave, that the Cause
of God may become manifest and prevalent between
the earth and heaven. The Glory of God is upon
them who have cast aside imaginations and adopted
for themselves a way to God, the Owner of the Safe
Retreat." (Tablet.)

"Verily, he who doth not mov c by the Breath of
God in His Day, he is indeed dead before God, the
King or Names and Attributes. Arise from the
graves of lusts and advance to the Kingdom of your
Lore], the Ruler of the throne and the earth, that ye
may see that which was promised unto you on the
part of your Lord, the All-knowing.
"Do ye imagine that ye will be profited by what
ye have? It will be possessed by some one in your
stead, and ye shall return to the dust WIth0Lit find-
ing any one to succor or help. Of what use is a life
that is ruled by death, or a duration which vanisheth,

or a grace that changeth? Set aside what ye have
and advance to the Bounty of God, which hath been
revealed in this Wonderful Name." (Tab. to Em-
peror of Russia.)

"Be generous when in affluence and grateful when
1hou art poor. Be faithful to the rights of others. Let
thy face be bright and open, and be a treasure to the
poor and needy. Be an admonisher to the rich, and
an answerer to those who call thee.

"Fulfill the promise thou givest and in all matters
be just and equitable. Be silent among multitudes of
men, and upright in giving decisions. Be humble to-
ward men, be -a lamp in darkness, a comforter in
troubles, a sea to the thirsty, a refuge to the afflicted,
a helper, assistant and succor to the oppressed.

"In actions and cleeds be virtuous and pious. Be a
home to the stranger, a healing to the sick, a strong-
hold to him who asks for help, a sight to the blind, a
path to him who croeth astray. Be thou the beauty of
the face of truth, an adornment to the temple of faith-
fulness, a throne to the house of character and man-
ners, a spirit to the body of the world, a banner to the
hosts of justice, and a light to the horizon of good-
ness.

"Be thou a dew to the fertile and rich ground, an
ark to the sea of science, a star in the licaven of gcn-
erosity, a diadem to the lie-ad of wisdom, a white spot

on the forehead of time, and a fruit of the trees of
humbleness. I ask God to protect thee from the fire
of hat * red and the chill of enmity, for He is the Near,
the Answerer." (Tab. to Badia)

"Be patient in misfortunes, and contented in all
aspects. In the truth be firm and unwavering; be
quick in doing good deeds; be assiduous toward God;
be a veiler of people's faults; be an avoider of lust.
Be a runner to the Truth; a cloud (of bounty) to
the servants of God; be kindly to thy debtors; be a
forgiver to the transgressors; be a fulfiller of the
Covenant and steadfast to the Cause. Thus doth the
Oppressed One admonish thee. Be pious and virtu-
ous before God. He admonisheth thee to follow
fidelity, truth and faithfulness. They are incumbent
upon thee, they are incumbent upon thee." (Tab. to

Zia.)

"Every soul is commanded by God to deliver the
Truth to the people- who will surely be attracted by
the words of such teachers, if they be truth seekers;
otherwise his words will not have the least e ffect in
the hearts df the worshippers of God. Thus doth
God teach you, verily, lie is the Pardoner, the Merci-
ful! Those who do wrong and oppress others and
at the same time conimand the people to be just, will,
by words C01111ng 01.1t of their mouths, be accused of
lying and declared to be liars by the people of the
Kingdom and bv those who go about the Beauteous
Throne of thy Lord." (Tab. to Napoleon IIJ.)

THE HEARTS

"God hath ever regarded the hearts of (His) ser-
vants, and this too is by reason of (His) most great
favor, that perchance mortal souls may be cleansed
and sanctified from earthly states and may attain unto
everlasting places." (T. N. 115.)

"Today let every soul desire to attain the highest
station. He must not regard what is in him but what
is in God. It is not for him to regard what shall
advantage himself, but that whereby the Word of
God, which must be obeyed, shall be upraised. The
heart must be sanctified from every form of selfish-
ness and lust, for the weapons of the unitarians and
the saints were and are the fear of God." ( T. N.
76.)
"That which God-glorious is His mention!-hath
desired for Himself is the hearts of His servants,
which are treasures of praise and love of the Lord
and stores of divine knowledge and wisdom. The
will of the Eternal King hath ever been to purify the
hearts of (His) servants from the promptings of the
world and what is therein, so that they may be pre-
pared for illLunination by the effulgences of the Lord
of the Names and Attributes.
Thenefore, must no stranger find his way into the
city of the heart, so that the Incomparable Friend
may conic unto I lis own place; that is, the effLllgcncc
of His Names and Attr1bUtCS, not His Essence-ex-
alted is Ile !-for that Peerless King hath been and

100

will be holy for everlasting above ascent or descent."
(T. N...113. 114.)
"0 my friends! Hearken unto the advice of one
who exhorteth you sincerely for the sake of God.
Verily, He hath created you and manifested unto you
that. which will elevate you, profit you and make
known unto you His Right Path and Great Message.
In truth, Piety is the first leader among the armies of
the Lord, and its hosts are pleasing. morals and pure
deeds. By these are the cities of hearts and minds
conquered in all ages and centuries and the standards
of victory and triumph are planted on the loftiest
places." (Ish. 28.)

"Thou hast indeed created men to know Thee and
to serve Thy Cause, whereby their stations may be
exalted in Thy earth and their souls be uplifted

through that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Epis-
tles, Books and Tablets (The Word)." (Ish. 16.)

"Wer~ ye to taste a little of the clear water of
Divine Knowledge, ye Would know that the real life
is the life of the heart and not the life of the body,
for both an mals and men share in the life of body.
But this Life is assigned to possessors of brilliant
souls who drink from the ocean of faith and partake
of the fruit of assurance. This life is not followed
by dcatli nor this Immortality, by mortality, as it is
sald: 'A true believer is alive both in this world and
the world to come.' " (-~e. S_5.)
"By 'life' and 'death' recorded in the Books is

I01

meant life through faith and death through unbelief.
It is owing to lack of comprehension of this meaning,
that in ever-y Manifestation the generality of people
refused to believe; were not directed to the Sun of
Guidance and did not follow the Eternal Beauty."

"0 people of the earth! The Day of Victory hath
come, and the Spe~ker of the Mount hath appeared
with signs, the like of which could not be produced
by whosoever is in the heaven and earth. We have
forbidden any to work sedition and strife, and ordain
that victory be gained only through commemoration
and explanation. Thus hath the matter been decreed
from before the Merciful in His evident and clear
Book." (Tablet.)
"0 people of Bahá! Subdue the cities of the
hearts by the sword of wisdom and demonstration;
those who argue in accord with their own desire and
wish, they are in obvious wrong. Say, the Sword of
Wisdom is hotter than the surnmer and sharper than
the sword of iron, if ye are of those who know;-
draw out that sword in My Name and PoNver; then
invade with it the citTes of the hearts of those who
are fortifying themselves in the fortress of Desire."

"Every one who desireth victory must first Subdue
the city of his own heart with the sword of spiritual
truth and of the Word, and must protect it from re-
membering aught beside God: aftem%-ards let him turn
his regards towards the cities of (othcr's) hearts.
This is what is meant by 'victory!' " (T. X. 115.)

102

KNOWLEDGE

"KnowJedge is divided into two kinds-divine
knowledge and satanic knowledge. One appears
from the inspiration of the Ideal King; the other
emanates from the imaginations of darkened souls.
The teacher of one is the Exalted God, and the teacher
of the other is sensual suggestion. The explanation
of one is-'Fear God, and God will teach you,' and
the definition of the other is-'Knowledge is the great-
est veil.' The fruits of one tree are patience, longing,
wisdom and love; the fruits of the other are pride,
vainglory and conceit. No scent of these obscure
learnings, the darkness of which hath encompassed
all regions, is inhaled from what the Masters of Utter-
ance have explained concerning the meaning of Knowl-
edge. The only fruit of this tree is injustice and

iniquity, and it yieldeth no crop but malice and hatred.
Its fruit is a deadly poison and its shadow is a des-
tructive fi.re." (Ig. 5o.)
"Knowledge is one of the greatest benefits of God.
To acquire knowledge is incumbent on all.. . . . In
this Day the mysteries of this earth are unfolded and
visible befor~ the eyes, and the pages of swiftly ap-
pearing newspapers are indeed the mirror of the
world; they display the doings and actions of the dif-
ferent nations."
"Do not consider that we have revealed unto you
ordinances, but rather that we have opened the seal
of the sealed wine with the fingers of might and
power.))

103

"Did men but know what pure wine of the mercy
of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-knowing, was be-
neath the seal, they would certainly cast aside re-
proach and seek to be satisfied by this servant; but
now have they veiled me with the veil of darkness,
which they have woven with the hands of doubts
and fancies." (T. N. 77- 1-18.)

ARTS, CRAFTS A-VI) SCIENCES
"~nowledge is like unto wings for the being (of
man), and is as a ladder for ascending. To acquire
knowledge is incumbent on all, but of those sciences
which may profit the people of the earth, and not
such sciences as begin in mere words and end in mere
words. The possessors of sciences and arts have a
great right amonc, the people of the world. Indeed
the real treasurv of man is his knowledge. Know-
ledge is the me-ins of honor, prosperity, JOy, gladness,
happiness and exultation." T'. Of P. 7(.)
"0 people of Bahá'! The reflective faculty (01'
the mind) is the depository of crafts, arts andsciences.
Exert yourselves, so that the gems of knowledge and
wisdom may proceed from tlils ideal inine and conduce
to the trangLilIlity and union of the different nations
of the svorld." ([P. of P. 5S.)
0 cc U11-1 11,1 W.X 8
"It is incumbent upon every one ot you to engage
in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the
like. We have made this, your occupation, identical
with the worship of God, the True One. Reflect, 0

104

people, upQn the mercy of God and upon His favors;
then thank Him in mornings and evenings.
"Waste not Your time in idleness and indolence, and
occupy yourselves with that which will profit your-
selves * and others beside yourself. Thus hath the
matter been decreed in this Tablet from the Horizon
from which the Sun of Wisdom and Divine Utterance
is gleaming.
"The most despised of men before God is he who
sits and begs. Cling unto the rope of means, relying
upon God, the Causer of causes. Every soul who
occupies himself in an art or trade-this will be ac-
counted an act of worship before God. Verily, this
is from no other than His great and abundant favor."
(G. T. Sq.)
RELIGION

"T~he people of wealth and men of honor and pow-

er must have the best possible regard for the respect
of Religion. Religion 'is a manifest light and a strong
fortress for the protection and tranquillity of the peo-
ple of the world. For the fear of God commands
people to do that which is just and forbids them that
which is evil. If the lanip of Religion rernam con-
cealed, -agitation and anarchy would prevail, and the
orb Of justice and equity and the sun of peace and
tranqUill1tv would be withheld from giving I'l
ght.
Every nian of discernment tcstificth to that which is
(here) mentioned." (Ish. 3-3.)

"Against the sword may the Word arise-, against

los

fierceness, patience; in place of oppression, sub-
mission, and at the time of martyrdom, resigna-
tion." (T. N- 78.)

"Blessed is the prince who succors a captive, the
rich one who favors the needy, the just man who se-
cures the right of a wronged one from the oppressor,
and the trustee wHo performs what he is commanded
on the part of the Pre-existent Commander." (IV.
Of P. 55.)
EDUCATION

"The Supreme Pen enjoineth upon all to instruct
and educate the children. It is decreed that every
father must educate his sons and daughters in learning
and in writing, and also in that which hath been or-
dained in the Tablet. He who neglects that which
hath been commanded (in this matter), if he is rich, it
is incumbent on the trustees (of the House of Justice)
to recover from him the amount required for the ed-
ucation of the children; otherwise (i. e., if the parent
is not capable) the matter shall devolve on the House
of justice. Verily, We have made it (the House of
justice) an asylum for the poor and needy." (Ish.
37-)
"He who educates his son, or any other's children,
it is as though he hath educated one of My children.
Upon such an one be My Bahá (Glory), My Prov-
idence and My Mercy, which hath embraced all in
the world!" (Ish. .37.)

"Through union the regions of the world have

io6

ever been illuminated with the light of the (Divine)
Cause. The greatest means (for this end) is that
the peopleS*should be familiar with each other's writ-
ing and language.
"The trustees of the House of Justice must select
one tongue out of the present languages, or a nev,
language, and likewise select one among the various
writings, and teach them to the children in the schools
of the world, so that the whole world may thereby
be considered as one native land and one part." (Ish.
36.)
"The learned who practice (their knowledge) and
the wise who act justly, they are as the spirit to the
body of the world. Well is it with that learned man
whose head is adorned with the crown of justice and
whose body glorieth in the ornament of honesty."

(T. N. 75.)
"The heaven of Divine Wisdom is illumined and
shining with two orbs-Consultation and Kindness.
"'I'lic tent of the ortler of the world is hoisted and
established on two pillars-Reward and Retribution."
(Ish. 31.)
`Flie rightjous have always, through good words,
taken possession of the gardens of existence." (Tab.
of World. 23.)

"~Ve have said-and Our saying is truth-'Consort
with all the (people of) religions with joy and fra-
grance.' Through this Utterance whatever was the

107

cause of foreignness, discord and disunion, has been
removed." (Tab. ol I-Forld. 28.)

"The language of kindness is the lodestone of
hearts and the food of the soul; it stands in the re-
lation of ideas to words and is an horizon for the
shining of the sun of Wisdom and Knowledge."
"0 Son of Ma~! If thou lookest towards Mercy,
regard not that which benefits thee, and hold to that
which will benefit the servants (mankind). If thou
lookest towards Justice, choose thou for others what
thou choosest for thyself." (IF. ol P. .1o.)

"In every country or government, where any of this
community reside, they must behave toward that gov-
ernment with faithfulness, trustfulness and truthful-
ness." (G. T. 85.)

" If ye be slain for His good pleasure, verily it is
better for you than that ye should slay." ( T. ~V.
115.)

"God hath prohibited unto men the drinking of
wine," (T. N. 133-)

"It is not allowable to declare one's sins and trans-
gressions before any man, inasmuch as this has not
been, nor is conducive to Securing God's forgivericss
and pardon. At the same time, such confession before
the creatures leads to one's humiliation -and abase-
ment, and God-exalted in His Glory!-doth not
wish for the humiliation of Ills servants. Verily, He
is Compassionate and Beneficent! A sinner must

108

(privately) between himself and God beg tor mercy
from the..Sea of Mercy and ask forgiveness from the
Heaven of Beneficence." (G. T. 87.)

TO CHRISTIANS

0 Concourse of the Son (Christians) ! Are ye
hidden from Nlyself because Of My Name? What
maketh ye to doubt? Ye have called for your Lord,
the Self-deperident, night and day, and when He bath
come from the Heaven of Pre-existence in His Great-
est Glory, ye have not approached Him, and were of
the heedless. Then consider those who turned away
from the Spirit (Christ) when He came to them with
manifest power. How many of the Pharisees were

abiding in the Temples in His Name, and were en-
treating because of His separation! But when the
Gate of Union was opened and the Light shone forth
from the Day-sprino- of Beauty, they disbelieved in
God, the Exalted and the Great, and did not attain
to His Vi'sttatioii-after having been promised there-
unto ill the Book of Isaiah as well as in the Books of
the Prophets and the Apostles. No one of them ap-
proacheel the. Day-spring of Favor except those who
were of no account among the people, but in whose
names all the lords of evident honor boast at the pres-
ent day. Remember, the most learned Doctors of
Ills country, in Ills age condemned 1-11m to be mur-
dered, ss~iiilst one who svas a catcher of fishes believed
in llim. Be astonished thcreat, and be of those who
reniciiil)ci-."

109

"Verily, We have come unto you, and have endured
the abominations of the world because of your salva-
tion. Do ye flee from Him who hath redeemed His
Soul for your lives? Fear God, 0 Concourse of the
Spirit, and follow not all learned men who are afar.
Do ye suppose that He hath desired His soul, after
being at every insta-rit under the swords of the enemy;'
or that He desired the world, after being imprisoned
in the most ruined of cities? Then judge thereupon
and follow not the oppressors.
"Open the doors of your minds: verily, the Spirit
standeth behind them. What maketh ye to keep afar
from Him who hath desired to bring ye nigh to the
Shining Abode-? Say: Verily, We have opened unto
you the Gates of the Kingdom; are ye closing the
door of your houses before My Face? Verily, this is
naught but a great error. Say: Verily, He hath come
from Heaven as He came from it the first time: be-
ware lest ve contradict that which He saith, as the
nations be~ore you contradicted that which He said.
Likewise I make known unto you the truth, if you
are of those who know."
"Verily, the Spirit of Truth hath Come to guide You
into all Truth. Verily, He speaketh not unto vou
from himself; nay, but rather from before the All-
knowing, the Wise. Sav: He is the one whom the
Son hath glorified -and hath upraised His Commandl
Abandon that which is before VOLI, 0 people of the
earth, and take that which is commanded you from
before the Powerful, the Faithful. Purify your ears

110

and turn your minds to hear the sweet Call which hath
arisen fr.om the direction of Sinai, the abode of your
Most Glorious (ABfIA) Lord. Verily, He attracteth
you unto a station wherein you will behold the Lights
of the Face, which have shone forth from this bril-
liant Horizon."
"Say: Verily, He hath shone forth from the direc-
tion of the Orient, and His Signs have appeared in
the Occident. Think thereupon, 0 people, and be
not like unto those who neglected the Remembrancer
when He came unto them from before the Mighty,
the Laudable. Awake by the Breezes of God! Ver-
ily, they have blown in the world! Blessing to who-
soever hath found their fragrance, and is of the as-
sured."
"Blessed is whosoever is illumined by the Sun of
My Word!"
"Blessed is whosoever adorned his head with the

wreath (if My Love!"
"Blessed is he who was assured in My Word, and
stood up among the dead for My Remembrance!"
"Blessed ~s he who was attracted by My Melodies
and tore the coverings by iNly Power!"
"Blessed is he who cut himself from all other than
Me, soared in the ether of My Love, entered My
Kingdom and perceived the dominions of My Might,
drank the Kawther (Fountain) of My Favor and the
Salsabil (Spring) of My Grace, was apprised of My
Command and of whatsoever was hidden in the treas-

I
uries of My Words, and shone forth from the Hori-
zon of Inner Significance in My Commemoration and
My Praise! Verily, he is of Mine. May My Mercy,
Grace, Favor and Glory be unto him!" (From Lawh-
cl-Jkdas-The Holy Tablet.)

"0 people of the Son! We have sent unto you
John (the Baptist)* another time (the Bab). Verily,
he crieth in the wilderness of the Beyan (the Bab's
writings), '0 creation of beings! Make clear your
eyes. The day of vision and meeting hath come nigh.
Prepare ye the waY7 0 people o~l the Gospel! The
day wherein shall come the Lord of Glory hath come
nigh-, prepare to enter into the Kingdom.' " (Tab.
to Pope)

"The breath of God (The Word) is diffused
throughout the world, because the Desired One hath
come in His Most Great Glory. Lo ! Every stone
and clod crieth, 'The Promised One hath appeared
and the Kingdom is to God, the Powerful, the Mighty,
the Forgiver!' Beware lest sciences prevent thee from
the King of what is known, or the world from Him
who created it and left it. Arise in the Name of thy
Lord, the Merciful, amono, the assembl~, of beings and
n
take the Cup of Life in the hand of assurance; drink
therefrom (or not) -, then give to drink to those or'
the people of (different) religions who advance.
"Verily, He hath come from heaven another tinic
as He came from it the first time; beware lest ve op-
pose Him as the Pharisces opposed I'lini Without CV1-

1 12

dence or proof. On His right side floweth the river
of Grace, and on His left side the sweet waters of
Justice; 6efore Him go the angels of Paradise with
the standards of signs. Beware lest names Withhold
you from God, the Maker of the earth and the heav-
ens." (Tab. to Pope.)

"0 people of the earth! Advance toward Hirrf
who hath advanced toward you, for verily He is the
Face of God among you; His Evidence is in your
midst and H, s Proof unto you, and He hath come to
you with Signs (the Word), the like of which the
most learned have failed to produce. The Tree of
Mount Sinai (Moses) speaketh in the bosom of the
world, and the Holy Spirit (Christ) crieth among the

nations: 'Lo! The Desired One hath come with
evident Dominion.' (Tab. to Napol~on Ill.)

"Fear God, 0 people of discernment. The Glori-
ous One crieth continually from the horizon of the
pavilion of Might and Greatness and saith, '0 peo-
ple of the Gospel! He hath come into the Kingdom
who was out of it, and today We see you standing
at the gate. . Rend the veils by the power of your
Lord, the N111,hty, the Munificent, and then enter
into My Kingdom in _,Nly Name; thus doth He com-
mand You, who dcsircth for you enduring Life;
verily, He is powerful over all things.
Blessed are those Who have known the Light and
have hastened toward it: behold they are in the King-
doni, they eat and drink with the elect. And We see

113

you, 0 children of the Kingdom in darkness; this is
not,meet for you. Do ye fear to meet the Light be-
cause of your deeds ? Advance thereto. Verily, He
said, 'Come, that I may make you my fishers; come
that I may make you fishers of men;' today We sav,
'Come, that We may make you the vivifiers of th'e
1yorld.' Thus was the decree ordained in a Tablet
written by the ~Pen of Command." (Tab. to Pope)

"0 people of the Gospel! The Door of Heaven
was opened, and the One who hath ascended there-
unto is come again, crying throughout the land and
sea, and preaching to all of this Manifestation, where-
of the Tongue of Greatness hath uttered, 'The Prom-
ise hath come, and this is the Promised One.' Be firm
so that nothing of the concerns of this world cause
thee to slip; take the cup of straightforwardness in
the Name of the Possessor of creation and drink there-
of with the permission of God, the King of the King-
dom." (Tablet)
"This victim (Bzx11A'0'LLA1I) hath made himself
a traget for the arrows of calamity unto the showing
forth of the treasures deposited in (men's) souls."
(T. N. 78.)
"Verily, We have not desired anything for our-
selves, but only for Yourselves, were ye of the just.
We have submitted to the swords of the encrnies for
the sake Of Your life, and to this will bear witness
every fair and rightly informed one. We have turned
away from whatsoever is upon the whole earth, for

IT4

the purpose of bringing you to the region of the I'vIercy
of your Lord, the Clement, the COMpassionate."
(Tabl~t)
THE ULTIALITE CRITEp,10y,

of 't'hlifs wmeatsteerkthtrooubgeh the accounts and stories which
come acquainted with ' the truth

are in the mouths of men, the truth will be entirely
concealed and hidden by reason of their manifested
differences and contrariety. It is therefore best to
discover the principles and objects of this people from
the contents of their teachings, tracts and epistles.
There is no authority nor are there any proofs or
texts superior to these, for this is the foundation of
foundations and the ultimate criterion. One Cannot
judge of the generality by the speech or action of in-

dividuals, for diversity of states is one of the pecu-
liarities and concomitants of the human race." (T.
-'V- ` 55.)

ITS

Salvation

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN."

Salvation means attainment of the high destiny
which God has made possible for every man. No
two persons are alike, and it is probable that no two
have exactly the same destiny, but each has a special
work to perform and his own heavenly niche in
the great, universal, divine economy, that place of
service which shall be the fullness of his capacity and
the joy of his soul. The opportunity is his, to ac-
complish the purpose of his being, by the help of
God, if he wills so to do. If he refuses to listen to
his Father's invitation, he cannot attain that exalta-
tion and glorious service of "Eternal Life," and is a
loser of all he might have been. The Bahá'í teaching
describes xhe process of attainment through the "Spirit
of Faith," as follow!~:

"The effulgence of God, called 'Spirit,' according
to man's comprehension, is generally
divided or classified into five grades or Spirit
planes. i. The vegetable spirit; 2. The
animal spirit; 3. The human spirit; 4. The Spirit of
Faith; 5. The Divine Spirit of Holiness.
9 1. The vegetable spirit is the virtue augmentative
(a growing or vegetative faculty), which results

119

from the admixture of the simple elements, with the
cooperation of water, air and heat.
(L 2. The animal spirit is the virtue perceptive, re-
sulting from the admixture and absorption of the vital
elements generated in the' heart, which apprehend
sense impressions.
Qt 3. The human spirit consists of the rational (co-
.ordinative) faculty, which apprehends general ideas
and things intelligible and perceptible.
"Now, these 'spirits' are not reckoned as 'Spirit'
in the terminology of the Scriptures, inasmuch as the
laws governing them are as the laws which govern
all other phenomenal beings* in respect
The to generation and corruption, produc-
Dead tion, change and reversion. This is
clearly mentioned in the Gospels where it says, 'Let
the dead bury their dead,' and 'That which is born
of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is
spirit,' inasmuch as he who would bury the dead was
alive with the vegetable and animal spirits and the
rational human soul. Yet Christ declared such to be
dead and devoid of life, because empty of the Spirit
of Faith which is the Kingdom of God. In brief,
these three 'spirits' (1. 2. 3.) are subordinate to
reversion, production and corruption.
"But the Spirit of Faith (4), which is of the King-
dom of God, consists of the All-comprehending
Grace and the perfect attainment (salvation, fruition,
*Existences bclongirn., to the phenomenal or rn,,-iterial universe, called:
"Tlie World of Generation and Corruption."

120

achievement) unto the Divine Spirit of Holiness ( 5).
This (latter) phase of the Effulgence of Truth from
the presence of the Divine Unity, (shining) on lum-
inous, light-seeking, human essences, is called the
'Holy Spirit.'
, "By this Spirit is the Life of the spirit of man when
it is fortified thereby, as Christ said, 'That which is
born of Spirit is spirit'."

He who is quickened by it is of the Kingdom of
God. He is then eternal, everlasting, divine, heaven-
ly, and shall continue with the continuance of his
Lord, no longer subordinate to the laws The
which govern the universe of matter, be- Living
cause the Spirit of Faith and the Spirit
of Divine Holiness are vitalized with the Attributes
of their Source, God, who everlastingly was, and is,
and shall be. Thus it is that the one who is born of

this Spirit obtains everlasting Life. Jesus said, "A~Itir-
vel not that I said unlo thee, Ye must be born again
rerily, vecily I say unto thee, Except a inan
be born again, he cannot see the kingdont ol God."

121

WHAT SHALL I DO TO BE SAVED?

It may be asked, How can man attain the Spirit of
Faith and the endowment of the Holy Spirit? This
is the most vital question that man can propound.
The great majority of the Christian churches have
taught that "Salvation is by Faith," which is most
certainly true, and also that faith is an intellectual
assent to the statement expressed in two lines of a
hymn: "Jesus paid it all; All the debt 1 owe." This
statement is true in one sense, but cowardly, degrad-
ing and ineffective for him who simply accords
mental belief to the dogma and assents gladly in his
heart to casting the burden of his sin and wickedness
upon the suffering and crucified Christ. Jesus paid
it all indeed for him who believed on Him and took
up his cross and followed him, who proved the sin-
cerity and actuality of his belief by his deeds of
obedience. He said, "ff,'hosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."
(Lu. 14.27: Matt. 10. 38.) "So likewise, whoso-
ever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he cannot be my disciple." (I.U. 14.33.) %-Is the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works
is dead also." (JaMCS 2.28.)
It is evident to any reader of the Gospels that

122

The central, vital element of man's salvation was
declared to be Faith, faith in the Christ, proved
by workg-of righteousness, and that mere
intellectual assent was not an effective Faith
fa i th. "Thou believest that there is one
God; thou d9est well; the devils also believe, and
tremble." (James 2.19.) It appears that faith
must be of such a character that it changes a man,
severs him from attachment from everything of the
world, causes him to bear the burden of the cross-
the sacrifice of his will, his desires, his life if need be,
and so to devote his entire being to the Will of God
as expressed in His Commands.
This kind of faith has its first impulse in the will
of man. It often arises from suffering and the sense
of need and it always increases that consciousness.
Faith is not an intellectual yielding to argument
through being convinced that certain statements are
correct, but it is rather from a hunger of the soul,
a knowledge of personal helplessness and the per-
ception of *a posslbl~ Mighty Helpfulness. Faith
cannot rely on any man, but in God only; the re-

quired help !nust come from a higher power than
man. The soul is craving that which does not per-
tain to humanity in itself. The latent spark of divine
longing is awaking to seek its promise, and it turns
heavenward for the dawn of hope. It is looking for
its Father, God.
Therefore it is necessary that man shall have some
knowledge of God, and for this he Must turn toward

123

the "Face" of God. "Hear, 0 LORD, when I cry
with iny voice; have mercy also upon me,
Knowledge and answer me. When thou saidst,
"Seek ye my Jace;" my heart said tinto
thee, "Thy Jace, LORD, will I seek." (PS. 27. 8.)
His "Face" is the revelation of Himself in the realm
of existence, where man dwells. All the existence
declares God -and teaches of Him, but the heart-
knowledge, the living knowledge, comes through His
Incarnate Word, the human Manifestation of His
Will. Therefore man must seek and find the Mani-
festation of God, believe in Him, accept His Word,
obey His Commands, and follow Him in the path-
way of sacrifice. The Manifestation of God may be
always known, because He provides the kind of help
which the seeking soul requires, heart-help, spirit-
help, creating'iielp.
Man is a praying creature. When he finds him-
self in need, as he does from the moment of his birth,
he strives by all means at his command to "pray"
for help. All through his life he seeks aid
Prayer from others; he is always in need, always
begging for assistance. When he is
awakened through any means to the hunger and help-
lessness of his soul, he hesitates not to prav to God,
and, whatever may be thought of the action and
working of prayer, it causes man to turn toward God
and make it possible for God to answer him. Prayer
changes his attitude from self-ward to God-ward ,
If he prays for things that pcrtain to his worldly

124

aftairs, his spirit is not turned toward God, but to.
ward himself. His prayer must be "in the Name of
God," that is in accord with the divine Word. Jesus
told his disciples to ask in his Name, and said that
whatever they asked In his Name, they received.
"Name" is a term used to express qualities, and the
Name of the Manifestation of God signifies divine
attributes; therefore, to ask in his Name means ac-
cording to h , s nature and instructions, which are
the nature and instructions of God. No prayer is
prayer to God unless it be in God's way, according
to his Word, and with a sincere desire for his Will
to be done regardless of the personal will. Prayer,
in its essence, is the abandonment of the personal will
in favor of the Will of God. And such prayer God
answers, because it is in agreement with his law and
can be answered.
God asks man to pray to him. He has given

freely everything for the necessities of human life.
He has filled the lands and waters with foods and
taught man how to cultivate and use
them; he has given the forests and all God's
materials for.shelter, the cotton and the Gifts
wool, and enabled man to mould them for his com-
fort; he has given the reasoning faculties that man
may progress in material welfare and exercise the
ethical and moral knowledges offered to him; he
has given conceptions of beaUtV that man may seek
for more than the physical dimensions of existence;
and he has implanted the perception of higher pos-

12S .

sibilities and a desire for eternal destinies, that man
may turn his face toward the Infinite.
All of these have been without the asking, but for
the greater, spiritual things, God tells man to pray
that in so doing he may recognize his need, prove the
reality of his desire, and put himself into the only
attitude in which he can receive. One must face
forward and hold out his hand if he would have the
gift; he must meet the donor part way; otherwise
there is no real gift. He who is in need will pray.
He who hesitates to supplicate God for his most
valuable treasures is standing in the station of pride,
or has not awakened to their worth and his own need.
Every man has what he desires the most if it can be
obtained. The Spirit of Faith is attainable, but it is
so infinitely higher and more valuable than all else
in existence that all other things must loosen their
hold on his heart before it can reign.
God demands obedience. It is not for man to
question God's commands. A little thought shows
that all the ordinances of God, expressed by his
INIanifestation, are for the uplifting and
Obedience good of man; how then can he question
the methods revealed from the same
Source ? The Scriptures throughout lay stress upon
obedience as of the utrnost importance in the sight of
God, and he who would attain the higher blessings
should welcome the opportunities to obey. Every-
thing in existence IS Linder law, and all things obey
freely, except man, who has been granted ability to

126

disobey, even God, and to obey himself. Man is al-
ways a servant; he obeys something; how much bet-
ter for.him to serve the Wise One, the True One, the
Beautiful One, instead of his own ignorance and
greed! "Know ye not that to whom ye yield your-
selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom
ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience
unto righteousness? (Ro. 6.16.)
The whole sin and consequent degradation of the
Jewish people was their disobedience to God. He
called them again and again to be his people.
"Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall
be my people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have
commanded you, that it may be well with you. (jer.
7. 23.) "Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the
LORD, which I speak unto thee; so shall it be well
unto thee, and thy soul shall live." (jer. 38. 20.)
The path of Faith, which is the way of Life, is to

bring into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ. (2. Cor. io. S.) This is obedience to
the MAifestation of God, in whatever age he may
appear. The voice of God, speaking through BALIA'
O'LLAU, says: "0 Son of Existence! Keep My
Cominands'for love of Me, and deny thyself thine
o,ze,ii desires if thou wishest My Pleasure." "0 Son
of Man! Neglect not My Laws if thou lovest My
Beauty, and forget not My Counsels if thou art hope-
ful to altain My Will.'Y
Faith is entire confidence. Few recognize the
value of confidence and the power of the will to in-

127

duce it. When we retire from thoughts of earthly
affairs to consider the Word of God, we
Confidence find that naught is there but the things
of value, the best things, such as wis-
dom, knowledge, justice, mercy, generosity,. beauty,
power, and love, whereas the Opposites pertain to the
natural man. Then it is easy for the sincere heart
to turn itself toward the Source of these things of
worth and to trust the Giver of them. A little true
exercise of the will and purpose will soon establish
the spirit in that direction, and then. the Spirit of God
meets it and confirms it in a certainty that is beyond
all that the highest philosophy or human effort can
accomplish. "0 Fleeting Shadow! Pass by the low
degrees of ancy, and soar to the exalted heights of
Certainty." "Oh My Brother! Hear My beautiful
Words from illy sweet Tongue, and drink the Water
of Life front the fountain of My Lips; that is-
sow the seeds of My Innate Wisdom in the pure
ground of the heart and water it with conviction;
then the hyacinth of My Knowledge and Wisdom
shall sprin',, up verdantly in the holy city of the heart."
(BAIIAWLLAR.)
The whole question of salvation is one of the will
of man. God wills it for man, if he will, but God hasendowed him with a will of his own to choose what
he will, and he never interferes with the
The
free use of that gift. He has made man
Will
after his own image, giving him a pow-
sciousness of individuality, of independence, the pow-

128

er of judgment between good and evil, a perception
Of values and a will to make decisions. All these are
God-qualities-not dust qualities. As long as man
considers these powers to be his own, to spring from
himself, and uses them only for his own worldly ag-
grandizement, he may advance in his plane of human
life, but can never rise above that plane to a higher
and nobler condition.
When he is led to "search the scriptures" and
learns that there are "better things," that God is the
Giver of all that he has and is, that it is possible for
him to come into closer communion with him and
knowledge of him' through his Nlanifestation and
his Word, then the wise man, the true-hearted one,
turns to God and seeks to know his Will. He learns
that all these powers were given him to enable him

to grow, to prepare himself under the guidance of
the Spirit for a higher service in God's
Universe. This is told in the parable The
likening the Kingdom of heaven to the Talentm
use of the talents (Tylatt. 2.5. 14-30). These en-
dowments of man are his talents given him for use.
He who uses them in such a manner as to gain others,
that is-uses them according to the divine instruc-
tions, is not only called the good and faithful servant,
but is also told, "Thou hast been faithful over a few
things, 1 will make thee ruler over many;" while he
who had buried his talent in the ground of himself
and his desire 1 s, lost the talent he had and was cast
as an unprofitable servant into outer darkness.

129

Ihis life is a primary school in which to prepare
for greater service and knowledge and larger respon-
sibilities in the future. God offers to man the won-
The derful station of sonship to him, which
Primary means that man must become like him
School ( i. John 3. 2.), be of a divine charac-
ter, reliable, able to render nobler service and to bc
entrusted with the affairs of his Father's House.
Little does man conceive the meaning of those "many"
things over which God desires him to rule. But he
must first rule himself, and he is unable to do even
this without the aid of the Spirit of God.
Although all power, all strength, all ability is the
pure gift of God,through his Holy Spirit, yet his
law is that man shall grow into a power of capacity
for these gifts by the right use of that which he al-
ready has. He will not remove man's apparent in-
dependence, his apparent individuality, his freedom
of will; he will not unman him and make him an au-
tomaton; therefore it becomes necessary for man to
use his own faculties, under the guidance of God's
Word and in unison with his Spirit, in order that he'
may receive the glorious endowments of his Father.
Naught can be accomplished until the Will of God
be supreme in the will of the man; until he can say
with his whole being, "There is no God but God!"
"I will have no other Gods before Him!" "Praise
be Linto Flis Holy Name!"
A man's spirit may be called the aspect of his will.
When he turns it toward listening, he hears; toward

130

looking, he sees; toward thinking, he perceives; all
of these ' are limited within the sensual, Man's
human piane, but when he directs his Spirit
spirit toward the Word of God he re-
ceives instruction of a higher object of devotion, who
is Wisdom itself, Knowledge itself, Love itself, and
then,'in response to the invitation of the Word, he
turns his spirit toward that One and sends forth the
'gwireless" supplications from his heart to the Heart
of the universe.
As he does this in all sincerity, there comes to him
an assurance, a confidence in a new connection, a new
help, a new power, a presence and strength which are
reliable, impregnable and Life-giving.
His seeking spirit has been met by a New
Mightier Spirit, as was the prodigal son Birth
by the Father; his spirit has been quickened and im-
pregnated by a Holler Spirit; a new conception, a new

birth has taken place within him; his spirit has be-
come the'Spirit of Ftith and is made alive with the
Spirit of Holiness shining forth "from the presence
of the Divine Unity on the luminous, light-seeking)
human essence" of himself. Then his spirit, being at
one with the Holy Spirit of God is "vitaII7ed with
the Attributes of their Source, God, who everlast-
ingly was, and is, and shall be."

"The hninaii spirit has an inipression and effect in
the world, but the Divine Spirit gives Life to the
souls and confers Eternal Life upoll those who tire

1,3 r

attracted to the Fragrances of God. This is the
great Cause from the Kin,,dom of thy Lord. Be
attached to this new Spirit which hath effective power
in the realities of things, and creates new creatures."
"Forsake every thought, every remembrance and
every praise, while holding to the Word of God.
Confine thy interests, thy works and efforts to the
Cause of God. Thus the Spirit of Power and Might
will confirm thee, and the manifest light will shine
upon thy b?-bw." "Thank God that He enriched
thee beyond the delicacies of this mortal world and
caused thee to taste the sweetness of His Love in
His New Kingdoin." (Abdul-Bahá'.)

132

The Bahá'í Revelation

THE BAHAI REVELATION IS AN INVITATION TO
LOVE GOD.

The Word of God, speaking through BAHA'-
O'LLAH, says:
"0 Son of Ajan!* In my Incient Entity and in
my Eternal Biing was I hidden. I knew my Love
in thee; therefore I created thee; upon thee I laid my
Image and to thee revealed my Beauty." (A4 4.)

"0 Son of Man! I loved thy creation; therefore
I created thee. Wherefore love Me, that I may ac-
knowle,51ge thee and in the Spirit of Life confirm
thee." (A. S.)
"0 Friend! In the garden of the heart plant only
flowers of Love, and withdraw not froin clinging to
the nightidgale of lov~ and yearning." (P. 3.)

"0 Son of Love! Only one step separates thee
from the plane of Nearness and the exalted Tree of
Love. Plant*the first foot, and with the olher step
into the Kingdom of Eternity and enter the Pavilion
of Immortality. Then hearken to what hath descend-
ed from the Pen of Glory.
"0 Son of Glory! Be swift in the 1Fay of Holi-

*These address titles si - gnify rnan consi,]er2d under certain of his several
at t ributes and stations, as created of dust, of love, of spirit, a crea-
ture of existence, etc .
tA. and P. refer to Arabic and Persian llidelen Words.

135

ness and step into the Heavens of Intimacy. Clear
the heart with the burnish of the Spirit and betake
thyself to the Presence of the Most High." (P. 7.S.)

These are the words of Divine Love. None but
the King of Love can utter such commands. Each
of God's teachers has revealed the same, expressing
it according to the human needs of h's time and place.
Moses, the Law-giver, said: "Thou shalt love the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy might." (Deut. 6.S.) Jesus,
the Son, repeated the command of Moses, and said:
"This is the first and great commandinent." Today
the Father calls:
"0 Son of Existence! Love Me that I inay love
thee. If thou lovest Me not, my Love can never
reach thee. Know this, 0 servant." (A.6.)
"Love Ale that I may acknowled(fe thee and in
the Spirit of Life confirm thee." (A. S.)
But how can man love God whom no eye hath seen?
He, Himself, answers and says: "My Love is in
thee. Seek, and thou wilt find Me near." "I have
placed within thee a spirit froin Me, that thou iiii,,,,ht-
est be in " v lover." (A. 20.)
"The source of love is to advance to the Beloved,
to abandon all else save 112m, and to have no hope
save HIS Will."

136

THE BAHAI REVELATION IS A-N INVITATION TO
OBEDIENCE.

BAHA'O'LLAH, himself, first obeyed the commands
of God, and then proclaimed them to us. Note care-
fully these commands which were completely mani-
fested in him.

"0 Soil of Humanity! The temple of Being is lily
Throne. Purge it of everythi~zi~, that I may descend
to reign over it." (A. sq.)
"0 Soil of Existence! Thy heart is my Home:
purify it for iny Descent. Thy spirit is my Outlook:
prepare it for iny Manifestation." (A. 6o.)

"If my Will thou seekest, regard not thine own,
that thou mayest die in Me, and I live in thee."
(A. S.)
"0 Soil of Man! Magnify iny Command, that 1
may reveal to thee*the secrets of Greatness and il-
lumine thee with the Li.ZlIts of Eternity." (A. 42.)

"0 Soil .)/ Man! Lift zip thy heart with delight,
that thon inayest be fitted to ineet Me and to mirror
forth iny Bealily." (A. 37.)

These are the divine counsels to him who would
be a manifestation of God. They were absolutely
fulfilled in the Blessed Perfection, and oftered by Him
to all mankind. They are also entirely obeyed in

137

Abdur-Bahá', the servant of Bahá', the perfect Man
and Exemplar to all men in the new Covenant and
Dispensation of God. He who obeys these commands
becomes a Bahá'í, that is-a manifestor of the Name
of God, of God-like attributes,' according to the de-
gree of the purity of his heart. "The pure in heart
shall see God," yes-and the pure hearted shall
"Mirror forth his Beauty."
Thus is the command of the Spirit obeyed, the
same Eternal Spirit which said through the blessed
mouth of Jesus: "Let your light so shine among men
that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven." (Matt. S.16.) No
man can glorify God by adding to His Glory, but
each soul can glorify God by so purging and pollFh-
ing his own life that the holy attributes of God shall
reflect from him to his neighbor and thus to all hu-
manity. This it is to be a Christian, to be a Bahá'í.

THE ALPIIABET OF L017E IS OBEDIENCE'

"0 Son of Existence! Keep my Commands for
Love of Me, and deny thyself thine own desires if
thou wishest iny Pleasure." (A- 39-) -

"0 Son of Man! Neglect not my Laws if thou
lovest my Beauty, and forget not my Counsels if thou
art hopeful to attain iny IVIII." (A. 40-)

"If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in
my love, even as I have kept my Father's command-
vients, and abide in his love." (John, iS.io.)

138

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John,
14AS.)
"If a nian !ove me, he ,I/ keep my words, and
my Father will love him, and we will come unto him
and make our abode with him." "The word which
ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."
(John, 14.23.)

Obedience to the commands of God as revealed to
man through his Messengers is the only path to at-
tainment of his spiritual blessings and bounties. It
is for this that the "Men of GoW are "sent"; that
man, wandering far from knowledge ' of his Truth,
troubled in the maze of man-made doctrines, dis-
couraged with uncertainties and blinded by earthly
clouds of material philosophies, may again perceive

the light of Truth, the revelation of God's instruc-
tion shining forth in the dawn of a New Day, and
that perceiving he may walk in the light, recognize
the gift.of God and humbly obey Him. "Line upon
line, precept upon lyrecept!" This is the divine way.
If we fail to learn his lesson in one of the Days of
God, his love and generosity offer the teachings to
us again a~d again. They are always the same, yet
ever changing in expression to meet our capacity and
our need.

139

THE BAHAI REVELATION IS OF AUTHORITY.

In these days of tumults when churches, sects,
dogmas and sciences are antagonizing each other with
assertions and denials; when all is cloud, change and
uncertainty, when material wars, mental tempests,
psychic dangers, and spiritual temptations surround
and attack us everywhere; when religions of author-
ity are derided and scorned; when the Entity of God
is denied on the one hand, and divided among in-
numerable individuals on the other, is it not refresh-
ing and delightful to hear a Voice, a Trumpet of
God, cryino, out again from the wilderness: "Prepart,
ye the way of the LORD. 2Wake straig-ht his paths"
(Is. 40.3 : Mal. 3. 1: Mark 1.3.), for "He whom
God shall ~izaitifest" (Beyan) cometh!

"0 Son of Spirit! The Gospel of Light I herald
to thee: Rejoice in it! Ind to the state of Holi-
ness I call thee: Jbide in it, that thou inayest be in
peace for ever and ez.cr." (A. 34..)

"0 Son of Perceplion! Look thou to iny Face, and
turn front all save 111e, for my ,-liithority IS eterna!
and shall never cease; iny Kin,&oin is lastipi.~ and shall
not be overthi-o-.z:~i. If thoit seekest another than
Me; yea, if thou searchest 1he universe joreverniore,
yet shall thy search be vain. (A. 16.)

140

"0 Son of Man! If thou run through all immen-
sity and speed through the space of heaven, thou shalt
find no resLsave in obedience to our Command and in
devotion before our Face." (A- 40
"0 Son of Man! Go not beyond thy limitation,
nor claim what is not for thee. Venerate the Coun-
tenance. of thy LORD, the 41inighty." (A. 2 5.)
What is that Face, that Countenance, but the hu-
man Manifestation of his Will, the Revealer of his
Command, the Proclaimer of his Authority! It is
as necessary for the mind of man to have an em-
powered teacher, and for his spirit to have a center
of divine Authority, as for the earth to have a sun
shining from its heaven.
Man did not spring full armed from the soil. He
is a creature of growth, an evolution, and only that
can be evolved which has first been involved. All the
earthly kingdoms of matter reach the fulfilment of
their destinies Linder and by the influence of the sun's
rays, and rnan, the fruitage and monarch of earth

and the embryo of He~ven, cannot attain his heavenl,
possibilities except by virtue of the rays of command
shining from the Spiritual Sun of Truth, the Day St-ar
of revelation, prepared and appointed by God to shm,
forth his Light and declare his Will.
This Revelation is called in the Arabic language-
BAHA'O'LLAH, the Glory of God, the Shining Light
of his Knowledge, the outpouring of his Love, the re-
vealing of his Will. The title BAIIA'O'LLAII is also

I.t I

given to the Man, the instrument of Light. It is a
perfect Revelation of God's Manifestation in Exist-
ence, containing the essence of all revelations; so It
and He are called "The Blessed Perfection." As
manifested perfection is beauty, He is called the
Beauty of God. Indeed, all good names belong to
this shining Sun of Glory, who is the Manifestor
of God's Will and the Speaker of Authority.

1,1-2

THE BAH.-~I REVEILATION TEACIIES THE RFLIGION Or
LIVING.

It is my life, your life, not philosophy, not medi-
tation alone, not mysticism, not preaching or hearing,
but DOING; doing every day that which makes an ad-
vance and starts at least one ripple of progress in the
little world of which the doer is temporarily the
Center. It is effort, struggle to make today better
than yesterday, and to lay a new foundation, a
higher base for the building of tomorrow.
There can be no life without change; stagnation is
death. As religion is life it demands action and the
doing of that which will cause change and produce
growth. Man "dies daily," as the Apostle Paul said
of himself, and the old, dead cells must be replaced
by the new, the higher, stronaer, better, that it may
serve for 4n advance in the scale of being.
ThUS_iS the "New treature" born every day; yes,
in each thought, each purpose, each act. The rim of
the rolling wfi.eel of life touches the earth of existence
a point it a time, moment after moment. Its prog-
ress and direction depend upon the living of the now,
this instant, upo which hangs our eternity. We
have to Nvatch but a moment at a time, this little par-
ticic of life, to make the best of it. B.,x1fA'0'LLAii has
written :
"0 Son ol Existence! Examine 1hy deeds each

143

day before thote art judged, for death will suddenly
overtake thee, and then thy deeds shall Judge thee. YP
(A. 32.)
"Gztidaiice hath ever been by words, but at this
lime it is by deeds. That is-all pure deeds inust
appear from the temple of man, because all are part-
ners in words, but pure and holy deeds belong espe-
cially to Our friends. Then strive with your life to
be distinguished among all people by deeds. Thus
We exhort ye in the holy and radiant Tablet." (P.
76.)
"The effect of deeds is in triah niore pozz;erfiil than
that of words. The progress of man depends upon
faithfulness, wisdom, chastity, intelligence and deeds."
"The trieth of words is tested by deeds and dependent
upon life. Deeds reveal the station of the nian."
(W. 62.)

It is the living of men, which attracts the noble
aspirations of others.

144

THIS REVELATION IS A CALL TO SACRIFICE.

To the sacrifice of pure dying and pure living,
dying to self and living to God.

"0 Son of TAinanity! If thou lovest Ale turn
away from thyself: if my Will thon seekest regard not
thine own, that thou maycst die in We, and I live in
thee." (A. 8.)

"0 Son of Spirit! No peace is ordained for thee
save by departing from thyself and coniing to Me."
(A. g.) .

"0 Son of Li,,,,ht! Forget all else save Me, and be
comforted by iny Spirit." (A. 17.)

"0 Son of the Earth! If thon desirest Me, desire
no other 1han Ille." (P. 3 1.)

"0 MY Servant! free thyself froni the worldly
bond, and escape from the prison of the self." (P.

40.)

Repeatedly. man is counseled to escape from at-
tachnient to the things of earth and self, and to turn
his desire and confidence to God only. He is urged

to abandon the evil and seek the good.

"0 Af ' v Servani! Purge the inind from nialice and,
free froni envy, enter the presence of UnitY."
(P. 42.)

145

"0 Sons of Hope! Divest yourselves of the gar..
inent of pride and lay aside the robe of haughtiness."
(P. 47.)
"0 Essence of Passion! Greed inust be aba.,z-
doned, that thou mayest find content, for the greel ' v
hath ever been deprived, while the contended h6th
ever been loved and esteeitied." (P. SO.)
"0 Children of Dust! Giving and Generosity are
qualities of ntine. Happy is he who adorns hiniself
with iny 17irfiies." (P. 49.)
"To be poor in all save God is a great blessing:
inake it not sinall, for in the end it will inake thee rich
in God." (P. 53.)
In times past religious sacrifice was interpreted to
mean deprivation of material possessions and corn-
orts, seclusion from the world and from human in-
tercourse. It was considered to be separation from
things as the onlY means of severance from attach-
ment to things. True sacrifice is spiritual, not ina-
terial only. It is the sacrifice of a meek and contrite
spirit that the Lord requires. In this day of Light
God does not demand the exclusion and casting away
of that which ss.e have, unless wC' hold it for evil and
it "offend us." Everything is good and of his Bountv
and is a blessing If PrOPC11v Used. He says:

"0 Son of Dust! .111 lhings in the heavens and in
the earth have 1 ordained for thee, except the hearis,
which 1 haz.e appointed as a place for the descent of
the inanifestation of inY BeautY and Glory." (P.27-)

T&6

God, who is Love, demands the sacrifice of all
other loves if they prevent the lover from Him. "He
wills to B~ loved above all that Is." Christ, speaking
the Word of God, said: 'We that loveth father or
inother inore than ine is not worthy of ine, and he that
loveth son or daughler niore than ine is not worthy
of nie, and he that taketh not his cross and followeth
after ine is not worthy of ine. He that saveth his
life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for iny sake
shall find it." (Matt. 10-37.)

The nicaning of the word "sacrifice" is to make
holy, and true sacrifice is making holy every posses-
slon, each thought and deed-"holy unto the Lord."
It is consecration of spirit, soul and body to the Will
of God, rnaking our WIIIS Subservient to Him and his
Will the motive of each purpose and act, doing all
things "for the sake of God." Then truly man dies

to self and God lives in him, and thus his life becomes
holy.
When 'this form Qf sacrifice shall prevail among
men, and the Will of God inspires them in soci ' ety, in
business, in politics, religion and life, then indeed shall
this earth berorne a "1'aracilse of Glory." Then all
life becomes a radiant sacrifice, and the prophecy of
Zechariali 14.20 shall be fulfilled: "In that day there
shall be upon the bells of the horses HOLINESS
UNTO THE 1.ORD, and the pots in the LORD'S
!.juse shall be like the bowls before the altar."

J. 47

THE BAHAI TEACHING IS AN INVITATION TO
SERVICE.

"The people of Bahá' must serve the Lord with
wisdoni, teach others by their lives, and nianifest the
light of Gcd in their deeds." "In this day all inust
serve Godwiih purity and virtue." (W. 61.)
Service is a manifestation of God, for He serves
all existence. He is the Provider, and we are under
his Providence. He is the Giver, and we receive His
Gifts. He is the Generous, and we seek his Favor.
The only way we can praise him and give thanks is
by imitating him in service to humanity, and this is
acceptable as service to God. Service "in His Name"
and according to his Commands is Oneness with Him.
If man desires to be conscious of unity with the
Spirit of God, let him learn the Will of God and
serve humanity as God serves all.
We cannot serve God: He needs no creatures' serv-
ice. Neither can we serve ourselves alone, because
such selfishness results in death, not life. But we
can serve others. We can train ourselves to grow in
strength and ability to serve humanity, that is-oLir
neighbor, the ones near to us and around us as wcli
as those far away, excluding none from our service.
That is God's service, for two reasons-bccause it is
obeying his Command, and because it is the God-11kc

148

in man that we serve. It is written that if one have
nine bad qualities and but one that is good, it is our
duty to notice and praise the good that its growth
be encouraged. Each human being has something of
the "image of God" in him, and it is a blessing to
us if we be able to serve that God-like quality and
aid it to shine forth.
"0 Son of Man! I knew nty Love in thee; there-
fore I created thee: upon thee I laid iny image, and
to thee revealed iny Beauty." (A. 4-)
It is that image and that beauty which we delight
to serve, no matter how faint its reflection. Indeed,
the less it appears, the more it demands our service
and help in the Name of God.
"0 Son of Man! iFithhold not froni Ptiy servant
in whatsoever he inay ask of thee, for his face is my
Face, and tholt inust reverence Me." (A. 3 1-)
When any member of the body is ill, all the other
members endeavor to restore it to health, because all
are affec~ed by its 111Liess. So the health of humanity
is disturbed by the ignorance, weakness and sin of its

members, and all should strive, under the guidance
of the Great Physician, to heal the sicknesses of the
world as they appear in one or many of ~its creatures.
And this soul-healing, this overcoming evil with good,
is to be done by encouraging the good and instilling
the precepts of spiritual health.
"0 Son of Man! Breathe not the sins of any one
as long as thon art a sinner. If thoit doest contrary

149

to this coniniand thou art not of Me. To this I bear
witness." (A. 28.)

"0 Son of Existence! .4ttribute not to any soul
that which thou desirest not to be atIributed to thy-
self." (A. 30.)

Fault finding and unkind criticism are not service
either to God or to man. It is our own deeds that we
must examine and criticise, but service is to discover
and exalt the good in others and aid them in their
efforts for good.
Today the great exemplar of the Bahá'í Revelation
is Abdul-Bahá', the Servant of God, who serves all
mankind with no recompense except the joy of obedi-
ence. He is the appointed interpreter of the ex-
pressed Will of God as written in the Scriptures. He
has borne exile and imprisonment for the sake of the
beloved of God. He is no respecter of persons and
serves all alike, giving to the poor and ignorant what
befits their need, to the rich, the learned, the strong,
that which benefits them.
He commands those, who seek God's Will in pref-
erence to their own, to serve their enemies as their
friends, their oppressors 'as brothers, to lical the sick,
aid the wears,, strengthen the weak and help the af-
flicted; to be faithful and trustworthy in all condi-
tions, patient under trial, strong in adversity, joyful 111
suffering, and to be content with what God gives. All
this is service, the using of the talents entrusted to

150

us for the benefit of mankind and the upholding of
the banner of righteousness.
Not the least service is that of example, and,
though a man open not his mouth, he serves greatly
the Cause of God and the uplifting of humanity by
simply living as God asks of him. No one is so
small that his life does not influence others. The good
character of that influence constitutes service. So
this means of oneness with God is open to every
soul, no matter how poor or weak he may be. All
souls are very poor and helpless who do not try to
serve in some way, while he who uses the little he has
will surely grow in strength and capacity to receive
more.
Among those who have accepted the Bahá'í Reve-
lation in the Orient, the desire to serve is remarkable,
so much so that the name Bahá'í has become a synonym
for trustworthiness and reliabie service. The natural

desire of. man is to be served, but the Bahá'í esteems
ability to serve otheys as a blessing; he watches for
opportunity and seizes upon it as on a treasure. No
matter how small or insignificant the act, he serves
with such gladness and constancy that it has become
noteworthy and has made the name Bahá'í honored.
Furthermore, this service breeds courtesy and in-
culcates love. It becomes an expression of love, so
that the Bahá'ís there are not only the most serving
people in the world, but also the most courteous and
loving. As service implies consideration of the de-

151

sires of others and the relinquishment of one's own,
therein are the elements of true politeness, of affection,
of heaven itself. No wonder that the conditions of
the millennium are already visible among those peo-
ple, and that the Bahá'í Religion is called a new Gar-
den of Paradise. It is written:

"0 People of the Delectable Paradise! L et the
people of certainty know that a new Garden has ap-
peared near the Paradise in the Open Court of Holi-
ness, and that all the people of the Heights and the
temples of the exalted Heaven are around it."
(P. 18. )
"0 People of My Garden! I set the plant of
your love and friendship in the holy Garden of Para-
dise with the hand of Tenderness, and watered it with
the showers of Mercy. The lime for its fruitage is
at hand." (P. 34.)

"0 My Servants! Ye are the trees of my Garden;
ye must bear fresh and beautiful fruits, that ye and
others may be profited by them." (P. 80.)

The life of Jesus was one of pure servitude, and
of example; how often He said "Follow Me." He
gave similar lessons of service in many commands
and parables, such as those of the Good Samaritan,
the mote and beam, the division of the sheep and
goats. '7nasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of
these, ye have done it unto me." He said-and it
was a prophecy-"He that is greatest among you
shall be your servant." (Matt. 23.1 1.) The serv-

IS2

ice of man to man, especially to the weak and help-
less, has been the command of God in all ages, and
now it ig' given again with the power of the Word
and of Example, and through Abdul-Bahá' it is made
the Center of the New Covenant of God with
men for this Age of Peace, the Millennium of
Consummation.

153

UNIVERSAL LOVE.

The command of Unity requires the cultivation ot
Universal Love which is the love of God expressed in
love to man. All love is given to man to teach him
the value of love. One needs but to calmly consider
human love to learn many lessons of the value and
meaning of love. Love teaches sacrifice, especially
of the personal will. The. loyer always seeks to learn
the wish or will of the beloved, and then to make
his own will serve that will. This law runs all
through the degrees of love, from lowest to highest.
The manifestation or proof of love is giving, or
sacrifice of self. Self-love is hatred; it hates all that
does not conduce or give to it. Love means giving,
and he who gives most receives most. God, the
Generous, the Giver, is Love itself. He gives all
that is in existence. Everything that man has is a
free gift, his power to think, to know, to live, to
work, to enjoy, to be, is all the pure gift of God.
What can he offer in payment? That which he re-
ceives is from above himself, utterly out of his abil-
ity to create; it is from the heavens, while all that lie
could offer in return Would be simply dust.
If love means giviiig, it may be asked, how can
man love God if there is nothing he can give hirn?
God has provided for this by endowing man with

154

the consciousness of individuality, independence and
will, and then he asks man to give up all these great
powers f6r love of him. He says, "Son, give me
thine heart," which is asking him for his life. This
is the great lesson of the cross. Christ taught man
that Oneness with God meant utter loss of the human
life. . "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it," for God gives to this brave loser another life
which fadeth not away, an Eternal Life.
If, through obedience to the commands of God,
he becomes able to taste one drop of the Love of God
in his being, he becomes evanescent in that melting
Love; he gives all that he has, is, or hopes to be,
gives himself without a thought of reward. This
giving is in obedience to the command of God as ex-
pressed through BAIIA'O'LLAII: "0 Soil of II11111an-
ity! If thou lovest Ale, turn a~:c;ay Iront th - ilst,If,- if
My [Fill thou seekest, regard not lhine own, 1hat
thou mayest die in J41e, and I live in thi,c."
Particular love, or- especial love for an individual
is riot universal love, which is no respecter of persons.

As the town is greater than the citizen, the State of
more import~mce than the town, the Country, than
the State, and mankind more than all; so the love of
mankind is immeasurably above affection for one per-
son or an immediate circle of friends. The love of
the individual has, at its best, elements of selfishness
in it. It seeks a response, or it may be only a pleas-
urable emotion caused by interest or nearness, but the

,ss

love of mankind is an affection for the welfare and
highest good of each one and of all, recognizing that
all are children of one Father and brothers of one
family. It may cause but little emotion, but it de-
mands service. Each member of humanity becomes
a type of the whole, and love, that is, service, goes out
unsparingly to all without regard to kinship or recom-
pense. If there be any preference, it is for the poor,
the needy, the helpless, because the essence of love
is to exalt the low and feed the hungry.

BAHA'O'LLAa has said the most exalted word for
harmony and love is: ".411 are from God. This ex-
alted word is like unto water quenching the fire of
anintosity and rancor hidden and deposited within
hearts and breasts. Different religions will attain to
the light of real union through this single word. Per-
ily, He saith the fruth and guideth to the Ptiih." If
one sees a poor creature who is repulsive, and he per-
mits that word, ".411 are front God!" to enter his
mind, the heart will soon respond and repulsion will
be overcome in the longing to help that poor one, to
lift him up from his degradation to a perception of
his divine birthright.
Abdul-Bahá', the true servant of God, manifests
this universal love in every word and act. Humanity,
mankind, all of them are his beloved. He, of all
men, can understand the lament of Christ: "0 Je-
rusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often

156

would 1 have gathered thy children together, even as
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and
ye would not."
Universal love is true humanity. The One Uni-
versal Lover is God, and as man approaches him, he
becomes a reflector of that love, and becomes a lover
of *mankind. The Word Incarnate, the Glory of
God, BAHA'O'LLAII, said: "Glorv is not to hint who
loves his country, but to him who loves his kind."
The first is man-like; the last is God-like.

IS7

THE BAHAT REVELATION IS NEEDED.

Is there any religion of the past that the whole
world will accept? After 3400 years of the Mosaic
law, 1900 years of Christianity, and 1300 years of
Mohammedanism, it is as difficult to Christianize the
world as to i'vloslemize it. If there were no further
light than that which shines from the ordinary Chris-
tianity of today, how long will it require to bring the
Mohammedan races alone to accept its teaching? In-
deed, Mohammedanism is making more rapid strides
among ignorant peoples than Christianity, but neither
of them are affecting the other. Judaism, Buddhism,
Brahmanism, Zoroastrianism -are standing like great
walls, impervious to outside attacks, though all show-
ing signs of corruption and decadence within them-
selves. Why is it that t4e Christian Word of God
has not been accepted by all these peoples? A bit of
history may give light on the matter.
In I82o, Rammohun Roy, the great Indian re-
former and founder of the Brahrno Somaj, a mail
of high and noble character, was so charmed with the
teachings of Jesus that he published extracts from
them under the title "Precepts of Jesus." Although
born and trained a Brahman, he perceived clearly the
awful practices that had been engrafted by the priests
upon the original teachings, and he strove to find for

himself the pure tr-uths of Religion. In his preface
to the 'Trecepts of Jesus." he stated his belief and
hope that. those simple and clear expressions of moral
laws would have effect in uplifting his people, because
they seemed to him the best expressions to be found
in any religion of that which conduced to the real
welfa ' re of man, and because he thought that they
could not be made a ground for metaphysical criticism
or dispute. He made no references to the recorded
miracles of Jesus, because, as he said, the Indian
mind was already "sodden with miracles" and could
not be further affected by any relation of them.
This unique opportunity for the introduction of the
teachings of Christ among the Brahmans was how-
ever rendered practically useless by the immediate
and strong opposition of the Christian missionaries
then in India. Because he laid stress only upon the
teachings of jesus as applicable to life, and not upon
the doctrines of the blood atonement and the miracles,
he was ~et upon, denounced and ridiculed by the
Christians, much to tht delight of the Brahman priest-

hood.
Later he succeeded in forming a sort of literary
partnership N~ith two Christian missionaries for the
purpose of translating the Gospels into Bengall for
native use, but when they came to the third verse of
the ist chapter of the Gospel of St. John, and Rain-
mohLin Roy desired to translate the Greek word "dKI"
to the Bengali word meaning "through," both of
the gentlemen refused to translate it except as in the

159

old English Translation, "by," and one of them re-
fused to assist further in that glorious work. The
original meaning of the phrase is-"through whom
all things were made." It is such insistance upon
partisan interpretations, upon dogmas and doctrines,
rather than upon the life-helping power of the Word,
that inspires ridicule and rejection by those who are
called "heathen."

It is written: "The faith of God and religion of
God hath been revealed and manifested from the
heaven of the Will of the King of Pre-existence only
for the union and concord of the dwellers upon earth;
make it not a cause of discord and dissension."
(BA,11AVLLAH.)

V~hrough the ages religion has been made a cause
of discord and dissension. The different religious
teachings have separated the peoples more than dif-
ferences in climate, country or race; and the same
thing in each religion has been the cause of the divi-
sion, viz: the idea held by each nation that its re-
ligion was the only one authorized by God, and the
conception growing out of that idea, that it was the
one people especially chosen by God to be his favor-
ite. He was ever deemed to be decidedly a "respecter
of persons." This same idea reached down from the
great religion to its several sects, between whom the
bitterness was most severe. The Mohammedan Sun-
nites and Shiites, the Christian Catholics and Pro-
testants, hated each other cordially. Even now a con-

-r6o

vocation of Christian Clergy, looking toward a union
of sects for service to humanity, refuses to acknow-
ledge Unitarians or Universalists as their brothers in
association and service. Adherence to their self-
chosen interpretations and opinions is of more value
than the union of all possible earnest and noble work-
ers for the uplifting of humanity. But a few years
ago, within our memories, each sect of Christians
claimed to control the only infallible path to heaven-
ly safety. They considered each other one to be at
least doubtful, if not indeed the very broad road to
destruction. The Protestant still protests, while the
adherent to Rome acknowledges no Christians except
the children of that Church.
It is only when coming into light that we are able
to recognize the darkness, and now, in this Day of
Light, we see the gloom and chains of the spiritual

prison houses in which mankind has been dwelling.
We can also, perceive that he who is incarcerated,
barred iiii by walls of his own building, cannot extend
the hand of assistan~e to the inmate of another prison,
nor can he reasonably expect to succeed in. gathering
others from.their places of confinement into his own,
or inducing them to break theirbonds to put on his.
L/ But when the Deliverer appears, the IN-lessenger of
God to open the prison doors, to break down the
walls of separation, to bring light into their darkness,
to lift them up into the liberty of divine manhood, to
establish freedom, peace, harmony and love, to reveal
heavenly happiness and glory as the birthright of man

161

and to make this earth a paradise of God, who that
seeks good and truth can refrain from loo~-itig to this
glorious Light of revelation and lifting up his heart
and hands in praise to Almighty God, the Father of
Generosity and Love!
~/Does the world need such an awakening, such a
Spiritual Sun-rising ~nd divine introduction to peace?
For answer, we have but to look at the nations of the
world and their conditions during the last century
and now. Peering into the darkness of the past we
perceive that all peoples have been dwelling in bond-
age. Religion, which was given by God to develop
and lift man up to that high estate where the Truth
should make him free, has been used with craft and
greed to shackle his soul. With the great masses of
rnankind that captivity still exists, but we see here:
and there, in many directions, eftorts for freedom.
The conditions of the past no longer satisfy. On
every hand men are turning from their former teach-
ers and doctrines, breaking their bonds and looking
to new guides. The ground of dead dogmas is being
ploughed deep to prepare for a n . ew seed sowing;
the clouds of man-made doctrines are dispersing be-
fore the dawn of Truth, and the ranks of darkness
are breaking before 'the armies of Light.
Had the commands of God, spoken by the mouth
of our Lord Jesus, been obeyed, there Would have
been no need for another revelation of the same teach-
ings, but, as soon as the pure seed of the Word sown
by him (Matt. 13.27.) began to spring up, tares ap-

162

peared with it. Men interpreted the Words of God
according to their own material imaginations, mingled
pagan l3hilosophies and false conceptions with the
pure teachings, and proclaimed the whole as divine
doctrine. This was easily done as there were no act-
ual writings of Jesus to correct them. To each great
teaching was added a material interpretation which
gradually robbed it of its spiritual instruction and
changed the laws of freedom, given for the liberation
of God's people from the bonds of Jewish and Pagan
theocrasies, into new theological prisons for the souls
of men. (2 Peter, 2.Ig.)
And so the wheat and tares have grown up to-
gether, lest the wheat be also rooted up-"until the
harvest"-"the end of the world (or age), when-
"The Son of inan shall send forth his angels, and they
shallgather out of his kingdoin all things that offend."

"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in
the kingdont of their Father. Who hath ears to
hear, let -Inin hear." Were it not for the tares of
false doctrines the NiTord of God would.-have con-
quered the world centuries ago. The world is bet-
ter than it kQows. It is those tares which it refuses
to accept and which hinder the great nations from
receiving the truth of Jesus, so simply and beautifully
declared by him. And now, God's loving kindness to
his creation has again appeared in new instruction
and command, such that all "wayfarers" in the path
of God may not err therein.
The human instrument is needed for the revealing

163

of his Will and Guidance. The Infinite God does not
flame forth his brightness directly to finite man to
blind and destroy him, but tempers it to man's condi-
tion. A pure instrument is needed, one that is self-
less, strong to bear all indi,,,,nlties, weak in self, strong
in God. A Teacher is required for his children.
When his lessons become an old story and without
effect because of man's adulteration, Mercy sends a
new teacher who is a Mediator, a Lamp to convey
and express as much of the divine Light as can be
borne. It is always "darkest before dawn." He
comes when the world is plunged in ignorance and
uncertainty, and brings the light of knowledge and
assurance, that mankind may be saved from self-
destruction. Today this is BAHA'O'LLAH, the Glory
of God, the Bearer of Light.

164

THE OBJECT OF THE BAHAI REVELATION IS UNITY.

It Is to dispel the differences between religions, to
overcome strife, to create the unity of mankind in the
recognition of God's Oneness and Singleness, and to
bring peace among all peoples and men as members
of the one human family of the great Father and
Creator of all.
It is written: "0 people of the world! Ye are the
fruit of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Walk
with perfect charity, concord, affection and agree-
ment. I declare by the Sun of Truth, the light of
agreement shall brighten and illuntine all horizons."
(BA HA'O LLAH.)

We know that each great religion had its begin-
ning in oA source, the Word of God revealed by his
Messenger; that all -taught the same truths of rever-
ence and love to God and justice to man. We find
the Golden Rule inculcated in each religion and as
early as 5400 years ago, 3500 years before the time
of Christ. Religion is one, always was one; its pearl
of truth was Love and its duties the qual*t' es of love,
but man changed and colored it to suit his desires,
changed its God-love into self love, its divine attain-
ments to earthly ambitions. He set up an interpre-
tation of his own, placed a ring of exclusion about

165

it and made it a fortress of oftence against all outside
of his circle.
Each of the great teachers of God has taught that
a time of consummation should come when there
would be a great and universal revelation, when all
the world should know the Word of God, would
,,i,orship Him and dwell together in peace; but each
religious nation construed that to mean that the grea
"Coming" would be through the return of its owr
prophet and founder, who would then appear wit~
such mighty powers and angel hosts that he woulc
force all nations to acknowledge him and bow be
fore the rule of that one special and chosen people
Alas for the pride and vanity of man I That whic
he hopes is impossible and contrary to the essence o
God's teaching. The prophecies of God are sur
and true, but man's interpretation of them is from hi
own wish and ignorance.

"fl'ho hath declared this from ancient time? Wh
hath told it front that tinze? Have not I the LORD
and there is no God else beside me; a just God and
Saviour; there is none beside nze. Look unto 7ne, an
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for 1 ant Go6
and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, th
word is gone out of iny mouth in righteousness, an
shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bo.,
evcry tongue shall swear." "In the LORD Shall a
the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (1
45. 21.)

166

The time has come. That great revelation, the
Word;-has gone out to all the nations, but instead of
holding up to the gaze of the world one religion as
perfect, admirable and to be embraced, it declares
every religion to be of the One God, all pure in their
origin, one in their essence, and that each has gone
astray and lost much of its truth as originally revealed.
It points all men back to the teachings of their own
prophet and shows the oneness of those instructions.
It calls upon all mankind to thus learn the primary
doctrine of the Oneness of God the Father, the One-
ness of his Word, the oneness of his Prophets, the
revealers of that Word, the oneness of religion, and
the oneness of the human race, His children. The ad-
herents of each religion of the past have demanded
that all men should accept it or be lost. This revel-
ation of God's Will calls upon the followers of each
religion to acknowledge the divinity and truth in

the others and for all to unite in love, peace and wor-
ship of the One God and Father of all.

"0 Children of 111en! De ye know why ffl'e have
created ye frvm one clay? That no one should j.1orify,
himself over the other? Be ye ever inindful of how ye
were created. Since 1Fe created ye all front one sub-
stance, ye inust be as one soul, walking with the sanie
feet, eating with one mouth and livi . ng in one land,
that ye may manifest with your being and by your
deeds and actions the signs of unity and the spirit
of oneness." (A. 64.)

167

"0 Son of Man! My Oneness is my design. 1
have designed it for thee; therefore clothe thyself with
it. Thus thou mayest be a star of my Omnipresence
forever." (A. 6S.)
The central Bahá'í teaching is the Oneness and
Singleness of God, the Infinite Entity who is "above
ascent or descent," and who "singly and alone, abid-
eth in His Own Place which is holy above space and
lime, mention and utterance, sign, description and
definition, hei.,-ht and depth."
This Unique One manifests through existence his
Oneness which-"iii its lrue significance means that
God alone should be realized as the One Power
which animates and dominates all things, which are
but manifestations of its eiterZy." (BAI-IA'O'LLAfl.)
Thus all things are manifestations, according to
their degrees, of the Oneness of God, and all are in
unity, harmony and perfection, each in its own es-
pecial kingdom of the universe, excepting man, who
has been given the power to oppose the law of one-
ness and to injure himself by using his will contrary
to the Will of Oneness. This gift enables him to
ascend or descend in the scale of being. Were it not '
for this free ability, he could never ascend, because
that signifies a change of condition amounting to a
re-creation, and it depends upon his compliance with
certain laws. It is a growth from one plane of ex-
istence to another. To attain this change, new facul-
ties, new powers must be created in him, and he can

168

be fitted to receive them only through a free personal
choice a * nd personal activity in compliance with in-
structions given by God through his revealed Word.
These powers and this elevation into the Kingdom of
God are divine gifts coming from the Love and Gen-
erosity of God, but they will not be forced upon him
whd turns his back upon them.
The path of heedlessness and self-will is choked
with thorns of suffering, loss, degradation and death
that man may he pricked to consciousness and desire
for better things. It is the way of selfness, separa-
tion, disagreement and disunity. The path of ascent
is that of unity, recognition of responsibility, of God's
love, power, right, justice, mercy, generosity, im-
manence, Oneness. It is fragrant with flowers of
true friendship, love and peace, and it leads to Eternal
Life. The revelation of God's Word today invites
the wanderers and prodigals to return to this way of
Unity, which leads to their Father's House.

i 6r)

THE BAHAI REVELATION MAKES ALL THINGS NEW.

"Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created;
Ind thou renewest the faceThe glory of the LORD shall endure forever."
(PS. 104. 30.)

The revealed Word of God is his creative power.
Thraugh it were all things made that were made. It
creates new men, renews right spirits and makes clean
hearts. Its first command uttered to the chaos of
man's restless, indefinite, uncentered life, is-"Let
there be light!" The Word is that Light and its di-
vine power pierces the veils of selfriess, penetrates the
centers of being and kindles a flame of love, which
melts away the barriers of separation and opens the
spirit of man to the Spirit of God.

"0 Son of Light! Forget all else save Me, and
be comforted by My Spirit." (A. 17.)
"0 Aly Friend! Thou art the sun of the heaven
of Aly Holiness; defile nQt thyself with the eclipse of
the world." (P. 73.)
"0 Son of AlIan! Lift up thy heart with delight,
that thoit inayest be fitled to ineet Me and to inirror
forth My Beauty." (A- 37.)

When the light of that lloly Spirit shines forth
from the heart of man, all the beasts of darkness,

170

the doubt, suspicion, distrust, unbelief, fear and sad-
ness flee. away, and assurance, certainty, trust, con-
fidence, joy and peace take possession of the new-born
creature, the new created son of God. This work of
creation has ever been the purpose of the divine revel-
atio ' n from the beginning of the world of mankind,
in each beginning of a new Dispensation of God's
Kingdom on earth, and in the beginning of each hu-
man soul's redemption from ignorance and death to
knowledge, love and life.
This revelation of God's Will brings the dawn of
a new day of Truth to disperse the night of error and
discontent. Today it shines forth in glorious splendor,
so that the minds and hearts of all people are awak-
ening to a renewed energy, to new perceptions and
longings. Nature, under this wonderful light, is
opening her long-locked treasures to scientific search
and giving the world the means of an immense pro-
gressioU toward better conditions of life.

It is a day of 'Wonderful revealing. The whole
earth is flooded in the light of the Spirit. It enters
every minj that has reflective power and radiates in
every plane of being. It is unfolding new things
everywhere. The scientist discovers new laws and
facts; the artist beholds new" beauties; the physician
uses new methods; the student learns new lessons, the
philosopher conceives new ideas; the aspirant forms
new ideals. Never before has earth witnessed such
a disclosure of its secrets. In this clear Spiritual at-

171

mosphere everything reveals the laws and lessons of
God, evidencing that "One Power which animates
and dominates all things, which are but manifestations
of its energy."
The apex, focus and center of all this manifestation
is the Word of God which, in this Day of Light,
shines forth as the "Glory of God," BARA'O'LLAH,
through his human instrument, His Image, BAHA'-
O'LLAui. This Word is the messenger of his instruc-
tion, his command and invitation to the souls of men.
It is the brilliant sun, the focal dynamo of the Holy
Spirit, and the new knowledges of men, whether ma-
terial, mental, moral, ethical or spiritual, are around
it as planets about their sun. They are all parts of a
new created heavenly system, the "new heaven and
earth," of which the shining Word is the Center, the
Light-giver. Man's discoveries are his perceptions
of truths in the realms of existence, which become vis-
ible to him in the light of the spirit, while the revela-
tion of the Word of God 1~ LL11_ 1.11 of Truth itself
shining into the minds and hearts and creating in
them the powers of true perception. This is the re-
vealing of God to men; that, the seeking of men for
God.
The Sun has brought the New Day. Though
many earnest workers in the world may not yet see
the real Sun shining in the new heavens, yet they
should know that it is Day because the Light is here.
Even those who ascribe their new knowledges and

172

progress to their own greatness must acknowledge
that th~ir success was invisible until the Light shone
forth. The new things were hidden, non-existent to
them until the Sun of this Manifestation dawned on
the Eastern horizon. The eye of the blind cannot
see until it be "opened," and even then it can see but
dimly until there be Light. He said; and what He
said is truth: "The root of all knowledge is the
Knowledge of God; Glory be to Him! Jnd this
Knowledge is impossible save through his Manifesta-
tion." Let us lay our pride and self-praise at his feet
and give glory to God for all that we have, all that
W , are or shall be.
V7`e Unity, wisdom, peace, justice, mercy and love, the
elements of heaven on earth, can be realized only
through that creative power which makes all things
new by re-creating the hearts of men. All agree-
ments of nations cannot bring peace until they be made
in the "fear of the Lord," in knowledge of his Word

and ol;edience to bis Commands. Naught but the
changeless power of that Word can give permanent-
welfare to man. The sooner this is recognized, the
sooner shall appear the millennial "Heaven on earth."
The time for reception of this heaven-bringing knowl-
edge has come. Old doctrines and beliefs are being
tested in the courts of modern judgment, for this is
the Day of judgment, and the chaff of false teach-
ings is being cast into the fires of ridicule and rejec-
tion. On the one side are scholarly efforts to destroy
both wheat and tares together to make way for new

173

material philosophies; on the other are anxious hearts
looking for the Truth of the Eternal God and lifting
their eyes to the hills to behold the coming of their
Helper and their Lord.
There must be decomposition before a new com-
position. The old conditions must be disrupted and
dissolved before the new can be established, and so
the world is in a tumult of unrest. It is only the
process of preparation, the cyclone which purifies the
air, and out of its struggles and uncertainties shall
come the peace of nations, and to the individual
hearts the "Peace that passeth understanding."
Through all the storm and stress the Sun of God's
Revealed Word, BAHAVI.LAH, shines steadily, pierc-
ing the clouds. Its light of knowledge and heat of
love shall disperse them entirely in God's good time,
and all the world shall acknowledge its Creator and
declare: 'We is God, and there is no God but Hlin!"
'We doeth what He willeih!" Praise be to His Holy
Name!
"0 Son of J11an! Lift up thy head froin sluniber,
for the Sitn has climbed to the zenith, that He may
illunime thee with the Lights of Beauty." (A. 63-)
"0 Son of Man! The Light hath shone upon thee
front the horizon of the Mount, and the Spirit ol
Purity hath breathed in the Sinai of 11ty heart. There-
fore empty th ' ysell of doubts and fancies; then enter
into this Mansion that thou inayest be prepared for
the Eternal Life and ready to ineet Alc. Hercin
there is no death, no trouble nor biirdeiz." (A. 64.)

174

THE REVELATION IS COMPLETE IN ITSELF.

Were all the books of former days lost and for-
gotten, the whole of true religious teaching would
be found in the Words of the Bahá'í Revelation.
It contains all that is needed for instruction and
highest attainment, the salvation of all races and
peoples. The essence of all sacred teaching is ex-
pressed in it. It is the renaissance of all religions,
and for the true believers in each religion. Each finds
in it the essence and culmination of itself. Each ac-
cepter recognizes it as the flower and beauty of his
own religion; each rejecter denies it to have any re-
lation to his own. The Mosle m calls it Christianity;
the Christian opposer calls it Mohammedanism, while
those of every rel gion who receive it call every man
friend and bt~other. The. first of its "Hidden Words"
is as follows:

"This is that which hath descended front the Source
of Majesty, Xrough the tongue of Power and
Strength upon the prophets of the past. lVe have
taken its essences and clothed thein with the garment
of brevity, as a favor to the beloved, that they may
Julfil the Covenant of God; that they niay perform
in theinselves that -,uhich He hath cuirusted to Mein
and attain the victory by virtue of devotion in the
land of the Spirit."

17S

The revelations of the past are still of vital value
to their followers, and for indentification of the es-
sential Oneness of God's Word in all times, then as
now, for with Him "a thousand years are as a day."
In every Scripture is sufficient for man's salvation if
he wills for it, if he hungers for righteousness and
thirsts for the waters of Life. But "darkness has
covered the earth and gross darkness the people,"
and but little faith is found upon earth. Now again
-"the people that walked in darkness have seen a
great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow
of death, upon them hath the light shined." Again
it has come to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali,
"by the way of the sea"-"in Galilee of the nations."
(IS. 9. 1-2: Matt- 4- 4-16.)
Since the time of the Crusaders the shore road,
leading from Haifa to Acca and thence on to Dam-
ascus in the interior, has been called the "via maris,"
the "way of the sea." Whoever has gone the nine
miles from Mt. Carmel to Acca, riding in the surf
along the Mediterranean shore, will recognize the fit-
ness of that name "the way of the sea." By that
way was the exile, BAHAWLLAII, sent to his long
imprisonment at Acca. God made the wrath of man
to praise him and to accomplish his prophecies, by
sending his Light-bearer to that land which he had
chosen throughout the ages for affliction and for the
revealing of his Glory.
From that "Greatest Prison" He announced the
Word of God with such power that it passed through

176

the bars of stone, through the walled and guarded
fortress to. distant countries, even to the thrones of
kings. It penetrated the hearts of seekers for truth
everywhere, and the victory it proclaimed from the
prison room, which seemed a mockery of truth, has
resounded from the lips and lives of the redeemed
in many lands. No wall, no guard, no prison could
prevent that Word or hinder its effect. Today it is
going on from victory to victory, while all the powers
of nature and devices of men are working together
in the hand of God to establish the new heavens and
the new earth, to prepare the way for the universal
knowledge of God and that "Most Great Peace"
which He has declared must accompany his King-
dom on earth.
The last of the "Hidden Words" proclaims the
completeness of this Revelation:

"I testify, 0 Friends, that the Bounty has becontc
complete, the Evidence is accomplished, the Jrguntent
manifested, and the reason affirmed. Now, what will
your endeavors show forth front the degrees of de-
votion? Thits. are the favors perfected unto ye and
unto all who tire in the Heavens and earths. Praise
be unto God, the Lord of all mankind!"

177

TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA~.

"0 People! The doors of the Kingdom are
opened; the Sun of Truth is shining upon the world-,
the Fountains of Life are flowing; the Day-springs
of Mercy have appeared; the Greatest and Most
Glorious Light is now manifest to illumine the hearts
of men! Awake, and hear the Voice of God calling
from all parts of the Supreme World:

'Come unto Me, 0 ye children of men!
'Come unto Me, 0 ye who are thirsty, and
drink of this Sweet Water, which is descending
in torrents upon all parts of the globe!'

"Now is the time! Now is the accepted time! Look
ye at the time of Christ. Had the people realized
that the Holy Spirit was speaking to them througb
His Divine Mouth, they would not have waited three
centuries before accepting Him. And now, is it meet
for you that you are sleeping upon the beds of idle-
ness and neglect while the Father (declared) of
Christ has come among us and opened the Greatest
Door of bounteous gifts and divine favors? Let us
not be like those in past centuries, who were deaf to
His Call and blind to His BeaUtV; but let us try and
open our eyes that we may see Him, -and open our

- 178

ears that we may hear Him, and cleanse our hearts
that He May come in and abide in our temples.
"These days are the days of faith and deeds-not
the days of words and lip-service. Let us arise from
the sleep of negligence and realize what a Great
Feast is prepared for us; first eating thereof ourselves,
then giving to others who are thirsting for the Water
of Knowledge and hungering for the Bread of Life!
These great days are swiftly passing, and once gone
they can never be recalled. So, while the rays of the
Sun are still shining and the 'Center of the Covenant
of God' is manifest, let us go forth to work; for after
a while the night will come and the way to the Vine-
yard will not then be so easy to find.
"The Light of Knowledge hath appeared, before
which the darkness of every superstitious fancy shall
be annihilated. The hosts of the Supreme Concourse
are descending to assist all those who rise up to serve
their Lord, to subdue and gain the victory over the
city of tl~e hearts, to-proclaim the Glad-tidings of the
Coming of God, and to unite the souls of His crea-

tures."

179

COMMUNE.

"0 God! 1 see that the manifestations of Thy
Providence have indeed attracted me and the pure
wine of Thy Utterance bath taken possession of me
from all directions in such wise that 1 could not see
anything save that which makes me acknowledge and
remember Thy signs, Thy manifestations and Thy
affairs.

"By Thy Glory, every glance of my eye, whenever
directed toward Thy heaven, reminds me of Thy
greatness, exaltation, highness and superiority.
"Whenever 1 look to the earth, it makes me ac-
quainted with the manifestations of Thy might and
the appearance of Thy grace.
"Whenever 1 gaze toward the sea, it speaks of Thy
greatness, might, authority and,loftiness.
"Whenever 1 turn to the mountains, they show me
the standards of Thy victory and the banners of Thy
power.
"By Thy Glory, 0 Thou, in whose grasp are the
reins of the world and the control of nations, 1 was
overtaken by the warmth of Thy Love and the exhila-
ration of the wine of Thy unity to such an extent
that made me hear from the blowing of the wind Thy
mention and praise; from the murmuring of waters

18o

Thy qualifications and attributes, and from the rus-
tling of trees the mysteries of Thy judgment, which
Thou hast deposited in Thy kingdom.
"Praise be to Thee, 0 God of Names and Creator
of Heaven! Praise be to Thee for that by reason of
which Thou hast made known to Thy servants Thy
Day,. wherein the Stream (Kawther) of Life hath
flowed from the Finger of Thy generosity and the
Spring of Revelation and Unity hath become mani-
fest through Thy Manifestation to whomsoever is in
Thy earth and heaven.
"0 God l This is a day, the Light of which Thou
hast made holy above the sun and its effulgence. 1
testify that this day has been illumined by the Light
of Thy Face and by the Effulgence of the dawning
lights of Thy Manifestation. This is a day where-
in _every despondent one hath clad himself with the
mantle of hope, every sick one adorned himself with
the garments of healing, and every poor one came
ni-rh to the Sea of Richness. Praise be to Thee, 0
Dt31red of the -wor'ld 1 Praise b ' c to Thee, 0 be-

loved of the hearts of the yearning!"

(BAIIA'O'LLAR.)