O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree!
Baha'u'llah (may my life, my soul, my spirit, be offered up as a sacrifice
unto His lowly servants) hath, during His last days on earth, given the
most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of the grace of God
and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom on high, souls will
arise and holy beings appear who, as stars, would adorn the firmament of
divine Guidance; illumine the dayspring of loving kindness and bounty;
manifest the signs of the unity of God; shine with the light of sanctity
and purity; receive their full measure of divine inspiration; raise high
the sacred torch of faith; stand firm as the rock and immovable as the
mountain; and grow to become luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation,
mighty channels of His grace, means for the bestowals of God's bountiful
care, heralds calling forth the name of the one true God, and establishers
of the world's supreme foundation.
These shall labor ceaselessly by day and by night, shall heed neither
trial nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no
repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort and, detached and unsullied,
shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their life to the diffusion of
the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy Word. Their face
will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be filled with joy. Their
souls will be inspired, and their foundation stand secure. They shall
scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions. They shall raise
their voice in every assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering. They
shall speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning. They
shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest unto every one the
signs of God. They shall burn brightly even as a candle in the heart of
every assembly, and beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle
breeze wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive the
souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers,
reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.
I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to appear; and yet, how
long will they delay their coming? My prayer and ardent supplication, at
eventide and at dawn, is that these shining stars may soon shed their
radiance upon the world, that their sacred countenance may be unveiled to
mortal eyes, and the billows of grace, rising from His oceans above, may
flow upon all mankind. Pray ye also and supplicate unto Him that through
the bountiful aid of the Ancient Beauty these souls may be unveiled to the
eyes of the world.
The glory of God rest upon thee, and upon him whose face is illumined with
that everlasting light that shineth from His Kingdom of Glory.