ercy," He, in a passage alluding to
the growth and future development of the Faith, declares, "hath enveloped
the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and the whole world is bathed in
its shining glory... The day will soon come when the light of Divine unity
will have so permeated the East and the West that no man dare any longer
ignore it." "Now in the world of being the Hand of divine power hath
firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest bounty and this wondrous
gift. Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this holy cycle shall
gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its
growth and the dayspring of the revelation of its signs. Ere the close of
this century and of this age, it shall be made clear and evident how
wondrous was that springtide and how heavenly was that gift!"

In confirmation of the exalted rank of the true believer, referred to by
Baha'u'llah, He reveals the following: "The station which he who hath
truly recognized this Revelation will attain is the same as the one
ordained for such prophets of the house of Israel as are not regarded as
Manifestations 'endowed with constancy.'"

In connection with the Manifestations destined to follow the Revelation of
Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha makes this definite and weighty declaration:
"Concerning the Manifestations that will come down in the future 'in the
shadows of the clouds,' know verily that in so far as their relation to
the source of their inspiration is concerned they are under the shadow of
the Ancient Beauty. In their relation, however, to the age in which they
appear, each and every one of them 'doeth whatsoever He willeth.'"

"O my friend!" He thus addresses in one of His Tablets a man of recognized
authority and standing, "The undying Fire which the Lord of the Kingdom
hath kindled in the midst of the holy Tree is burning fiercely in the
midmost heart of the world. The conflagration it will provoke will envelop
the whole earth. Its blazing flames will illuminate its peoples and
kindreds. All the signs have been revealed; every prophetic allusion hath
been manifested. Whatever hath been enshrined in all the Scriptures of the
past hath been made evident. To doubt or hesitate is no more possible...
Time is pressing. The Divine Charger is impatient, and can tarry no
longer. Ours is the duty to rush forward and, ere it is too late, win the
victory." And finally, is this most stirring passage which He, in one of
His moment