say to her: "O maid-servant of God! Seek whilst thou canst the life
eternal and wish for everlasting glory in the divine world."

Embrace twice thy children, and give my greeting to the maid-servant of
God, thy mother.

thy name is Joseph. Let thy title be Bahai.

"O thou child of the Kingdom and firm in the Covenant!..."

O thou child of the Kingdom and firm in the Covenant!

Thy letter, through his honor Mirza ........, was received and thy former
letters also became acceptable and through the contents of those writings
utmost joy and fragrance was produced, for they all evinced faith,
assurance and firmness in the Covenant.

In this day the most vital and momentous matter is steadfastness in the
love of the Manifestor of Light on the Mount of Sinai and endurance of
ordeals and unaccountable calamities in this Cause.

Ere long the seditious people shall arise in that country to deride the
righteous ones and to ridicule the holy ones. Every day they will cast
ignominy and at every moment they will present great persecution. They
shall revile the friends for the sake of the love of Baha; and bring down
upon them contempt and sarcasm; neither do they fall short in creating
torture.

This is the custom and sentence of the people of bygone ages. Undoubtedly
these things must transpire in these days even with a greater intensity.

That is why His Holiness the Christ sayeth: "Everything which hath
happened in the cycles of the former prophets will certainly occur again
in these days." Consider ye! What calumny, slander, cruelty and oppression
were brought down upon the apostles by the Israelites for the sake of
faith and assurance! They unlocked the hands of pillage, persecuted and
tortured those sanctified souls. Therefore, there is no doubt but that you
will become afflicted with trial, calamity and oppression in the path of
the Beauty of Abha. These trials are the essence of bestowal and pure
bounty and the proofs of your acceptance in the Threshold of Oneness.
Consequently, when the fire of trials is ignited, celebrate ye in joy,
dance with overflowing emotions and be ye happy that--praise be to God!--ye
have become the target of contempt in the path of the Beauty of Abha and
are hated by the people of passion and desire.

Thy services in the highway of the Kingdom are accepted, thy toleration of
the troubles is known and manifest and thy eloquent speeches in the
assemblies of believers are heard and