O thou who art turning toward the Kingdom of G.o.d!
I have read thy letter of clearest composition. I beg of G.o.d to make thee fluent in tongue, pure in heart, strong in spirit, severed in heart from all else save G.o.d and occupied in the praise of G.o.d; to continue in prayer and supplication unto G.o.d, to be humble, meek, spiritual, free from the earthly world and its concerns and awakened to the Kingdom and its Manifestation. Verily, thy Lord is powerful in all things!
"O thou who art tranquilized by the Call of the Kingdom..."
O thou who art tranquilized by the Call of the Kingdom at this time!
The meanings of thy words evinced thine abundant attraction and thy turning unto the Lamp of Lights. Be not grieved on account of lack of information of the mysteries of this great Cause. If thou keepest firm in the religion of G.o.d, the covering shall be removed for thee and thou shalt become informed of the allegories and mysteries of the Kingdom of G.o.d.
O maid-servants of G.o.d! Continue in healing hearts and bodies and seek healing for sick persons by turning unto the Supreme Kingdom and by setting the heart upon obtaining healing through the power of the Greatest Name and by the spirit of the love of G.o.d.
Verily, I beg of G.o.d to ordain perfect rest and composure for thy revered daughter.
As to your moving to another city: Meditate thou, perform the ablution and pray to G.o.d before sleeping; and whatever the Merciful One may inspire unto thee at the time of revelation in a dream, that will be consistent with obtaining thy wishes. But the greatest motive for the happiness (or felicity) of that family, both in this world and the next one, is that thy revered husband and thy dear son-in-law should become believers in the lights of the Kingdom which have surrounded all regions at this age of effulgence.
"O thou who art yearning for the Glad-tidings of G.o.d!..."
O thou who art yearning for the Glad-tidings of G.o.d!
Verily, I was informed of the contents of thy letter which showed that thine insight is opened, thy heart is purified, that thou art baptized by the divine water and by the lordly fire and spirit and that thou art born again from the womb of this mortal world. This is through the grace of thy Lord, the Clement, the Merciful!
As to the imprisonment of Abdul-Baha: This is his utmost wish, his extreme joy and this is what refreshes his burning; and I do not long for deliverance from the depths of this agreeable prison. Verily, this Most Great Prison is conducive unto the [shining of the] Orb of the Horizons.(284)
Verily, I beg of G.o.d to bless unto thee thy marriage with thy revered husband, to protect thee under all conditions from the violence of tests and trials and to make thy feet firm in the Religion of G.o.d in this wonderful (or new) age.
"O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom!..."
O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom!
Mrs. ......... became the cause of thy life and suffered thee to inhale of the rose-garden of the Holy Spirit. Be thou thankful to her and sacrifice thyself for her, for she became the means of thy guidance and thou hast become the object of favor and a center of the bounty of G.o.d. She was thy guide to the Kingdom and the cause of eternal life. Supplicate thou also from G.o.d that thou mayest walk in her footsteps and become engaged in the training and guidance of souls.
Caress on my behalf the beloved maid-servant of G.o.d, Miss ........., thy daughter, and convey to her my respectful greetings.
"O thou dear maid-servant of G.o.d!..."
O thou dear maid-servant of G.o.d!
Thy letter was received. Praise G.o.d! for thou didst hear the call of the Kingdom, wast awakened, attentive and attained faith in the Lord of Hosts.
His Holiness Christ, addressing the believers, uttereth the following in the Gospel: "Be awake lest the Son of Man come and find ye asleep!" Now, thou wast awake, therefore thou didst advance and engage in the service of the Word of G.o.d. Appreciate the value of this attainment, and, like unto a candle, radiate the light of the love of G.o.d in the meeting of the beloved. Encourage the beloved of G.o.d and be a source of joy and gladness to the Bahais. hold meetings and read and chant the heavenly teachings, so that city may be illumined with the light of reality and that country become a veritable paradise by the strength of the Holy Spirit, for this cycle is the cycle of the Glorious Lord and the melody of oneness and solidarity of the world of mankind must reach the ears of the East and West.
Convey greeting of reverence to all the maid-servants of G.o.d and His man-servants.
"O ye friends of this prisoner!..."
O ye friends(285) of this prisoner!
According to what is heard and evident, you have arranged an a.s.sembly in the utmost beauty and a number of you present yourselves in that meeting with all love and unity and engage in communion (i.e., reading of the communes), chanting of the verses, spiritual conversation and utterance of the Kingdom. Blessed are ye for having adorned such a meeting and for having prepared such a feast! That gathering receiveth bounty from the Supreme Concourse and that nucleus is under the protection of the Bounty of Abha.
In thanksgiving for this attainment and confirmation you must strive to make Boston a fruit-garden(286) and a rose-garden. Verily, this is not difficult with the Lord.
the beloved of G.o.d in this mortal world are each a spiritual trumpet. They breathe the breath of life and thus confer upon them that are dead in negligence and ignorance, the life eternal. They are the merciful physicians who bestow upon the spiritual patients eternal healing.
The city of Boston hath great preparation (literally, readiness), but the endeavor of the righteous is needed and the efforts and strivings of the free are necessary. For unless the seed is sown, the bounty and blessing will not be attained; until the tree be planted, the fresh fruit will not be produced; unless the candle contact with fire, it will not ignite; and until a light dawn, the darkness will not vanish. Therefore, the beloved of G.o.d must sow the seeds and plant the fresh plants in that garden. They must ignite the extinguished candles so that the purpose may be attained and the beloved intent unveil its face.
In the spirit of humility and supplication do I beg and implore at the Divine Threshold and seek for you a.s.sistance and providence.
"O thou near servant to the Threshold of G.o.d!..."
O thou near servant to the Threshold of G.o.d!
Thy letter was received and thy desire became known. Thou wishest to serve the Threshold of G.o.d. I wish for thee the same. Therefore, copy the Tablets and spread them among the beloved. The meanings of those leaves are the spiritual table, the heavenly blessing and the means for the life eternal.
Thou hast written concerning the organization of a council for the building of the Mashrak-el-Azcar. This news brought much spirit and fragrance, for the nine delegates, sent by the various a.s.semblies, gathered in that meeting and consulted concerning the building of the Mashrak-el-Azcar.
The Mashrak-el-Azcar is the most important matter and the greatest divine inst.i.tute. Consider how the first inst.i.tute of His Holiness Moses, after His exodus from Egypt, was the "Tent of Martyrdom" which He raised and which was the traveling Temple. It was a tent which they pitched in the desert, wherever they aobde, and worshipped in it. Likewise, after His Holiness Christ-may the spirit of the world be a sacrifice to Him! -the first inst.i.tute by the disciples was a Temple. They planned a church in every country. Consider the Gospel (read it) and the importance of the Mashrak-el-Azcar will become evident.
In fine, I hope that all the beloved of G.o.d, collectively, in the continent of America, men and women, will strive night and day until the Mashrak-el-Azcar be erected in the utmost solidity and beauty.
"O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom!..."