to help thee that the spirit will carry
out its power in thee as desired and wished.

"O thou faithful servant of the True One!..."

O thou faithful servant of the True One!

I received thy letter and its contents caused the utmost joy and fragrance
within me, because it showed thy firmness in the Cause of God and proved
thy steadfastness in the love of the Word of God. Its meanings were the
mystery of unity and its expression showed thy firm intention in serving
the glorious Lord.

I beseech the Threshold of Unity with all humility and supplication to
make thee confirmed in His service and to enable thee to be serviceable in
the Holy Threshold; that thou mayest not be a moment at rest nor take a
breath of composure; nay, rather to pass all thy life in this greatest
gift and this supreme favor employed in diffusing the breath of God; that
thy sincerity of heart, thy sanctity and purity may increase and that thou
mayest become entirely separated from aught else save God. Except a man be
purified and sanctified from the soil of his dependence on this world, the
spiritual purity will not become manifest in him. The more the mirror is
clear and pure the greater will the rays and the bounties of the Sun of
Truth show forth from it.

As to those things published in journals against thee: Thou shouldst not
be grieved nor sorry therefor, because thousands of journals have written
traducing Abdul-Baha, have given false and base accusations and awful
calumnies. Notwithstanding these he was neither troubled nor grieved
thereby; nay, rather these cause me to exert myself more than usual in the
path of God and to drink the cup of sacrifice and to boil in the fire of
His love. Man must seek to gain the acceptance of God and not that of the
different classes of men. If one is praised and chosen by God, the
accusation of all the creatures will cause no loss to him; and if the man
is not accepted in the threshold of God, the praise and admiration of all
men will be of no use to him.

By all these it is meant that thou must not be sorry and grieved because
of these things the papers have written against thee; nay, rather trust in
God and be unmoved by either the praise or the false accusations declared
by people towards thee, depend entirely on God and exert thyself to serve
His holy vineyard. All else save this is but imagination, though it be the
praises of all people in thy behalf; because all else is of no result and
b