O thou handmaid of God! The heavenly glad tidings must be delivered with
the utmost dignity and magnanimity. And until a soul ariseth with
qualities which are essential for the bearer of these tidings, his words
will take no effect.
O bondswoman of God! The human spirit possesseth wondrous powers, but it
should be reinforced by the Holy Spirit. What thou hearest other than this
is pure imagination. If, however, it be assisted by the bounty of the Holy
Spirit, then will its strength be a thing to marvel at. Then will that
human spirit uncover realities, and unravel mysteries. Turn thy heart
fully to the Holy Spirit, and invite others to do the same; then shall ye
witness wonderful results.
O handmaid of God! The stars in the sky do not exert any spiritual
influence on this world of dust; but all the members and parts of the
universe are very strongly linked together in that limitless space, and
this connection produceth a reciprocity of material effects. Outside the
bounty of the Holy Spirit, whatsoever thou hearest as to the effect of
trances, or the mediums' trumpets, conveying the singing voices of the
dead, is imagination pure and simple. As to the bounty of the Holy Spirit,
however, relate whatsoever thou wilt--it cannot be overstated; believe,
therefore, whatsoever thou hearest of this. But the persons referred to,
the trumpet-people, are entirely shut out from this bounty and receive no
portion thereof; their way is an illusion.
O handmaid of God! Prayers are granted through the universal
Manifestations of God. Nevertheless, where the wish is to obtain material
things, even where the heedless are concerned, if they supplicate, humbly
imploring God's help--even their prayer hath an effect.
O handmaid of God! Although the reality of Divinity is sanctified and
boundless, the aims and needs of the creatures are restricted. God's grace
is like the rain that cometh down from heaven: the water is not bounded by
the limitations of form, yet on whatever place it poureth down, it taketh
on limitations--dimensions, appearance, shape--according to the
characteristics of that place. In a square pool, the water, previously
unconfined, becometh a square; in a six-sided pool it becometh a hexagon,
in an eight-sided pool an octagon, and so forth. The rain itself hath no
geometry, no limits, no form, but it taketh on one form or another,
according to the restrictions of its vessel. In the same way, the Holy
Essence of the Lord God is boundless, immeasurable, but His graces and
splendours become finite in the creatures, because of their limitations,
wherefore the prayers of given persons will receive favourable answers in
certain cases.
O handmaid of God! It is with the Lord Christ even as with Adam. Did the
first human being who came into existence on this earth have a father or
mother? It is certain that he had neither. But Christ lacked only a
father.
O handmaid of God! The prayers which were revealed to ask for healing
apply both to physical and spiritual healing. Recite them, then, to heal
both the soul and the body. If healing is right for the patient, it will
certainly be granted; but for some ailing persons, healing would only be
the cause of other ills, and therefore wisdom doth not permit an
affirmative answer to the prayer.
O handmaid of God! The power of the Holy Spirit healeth both physical and
spiritual ailments.
O handmaid of God! It is recorded in the Torah: And I will give you the
valley of Achor for a door of hope. This valley of Achor is the city of
Akka, and whoso hath interpreted this otherwise is of those who know not.