‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York/The City Of The Covenant

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THE CITY OF THE COVENANT *

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(References to New York and its metropolitan district in Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.)

O THOU COMPASSIONATE LORD: This Assembly has been organized for the exaltation of God—the Holy Spirit. Assist, confirm it and reinforce it by Thy heavenly power so that it may blaze like unto a brilliant flame and may diffuse merciful light, that it may illumine the surrounding regions, may promulgate heavenly teachings and serve the oneness of the world of mankind, that it may free the souls from the darkness of the world of nature, may illumine them by the divine light, may baptize them with spirit and may bestow light and eternal life.

Deliver my greeting and praise and my abundant longings to my beloved ones in that city (New York) which hath become the City of the Covenant, and the town of the love of God. The signs thereof will surely appear as the sun at midday. Truly I say unto thee, I love the beloved ones in that city with all my heart and soul, for as much as they love union, harmony and accord and are firm in resisting the people of discord and hypocrisy. Verily this is one of the greatest favors on the part of God and one of the mightiest bounties from the presence of God.

The good news of the unity and concord of the friends in New York proved a great source of joy. The original intention and the divine foundation is the unification of the

  • It was in New York during His visit in 1912 that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá first revealed to believers the station of “Center of the Covenant.”

[Page 45]world of humanity. Therefore, this merciful reality must first find realization among the friends so that it may affect other souls.

Today the world and the people are under the shadow of Divine Providence: the light of the Sun of Reality has been shed upon the world of minds and thoughts: hence, light is seen everywhere.

O ye who are sincere! O ye who are firm! O ye who have risen to the service of the Cause of God and to the exaltation of His Word among mankind!

Happy are ye, for you have established a spiritual assembly under the shadow of your Lord’s protection, who is the most compassionate and merciful, and have sought to diffuse the fragrances of God in those regions. In doing this, you have no other motive than to draw near unto God and secure a place in His magnificent Kingdom, till you receive more and more confirmation by the breath of the Holy Spirit in this glorious age.

And I tell you the truth, that if you remain firm in this path and if this luminous assembly continues to exist soon shall it possess transcendent signs, radiant rays of light and sweet fragrances, which will fill all sides of that exalted country with refreshing perfumes. And verily God will assist you with a power which will bewilder the wise, but which will dilate your breasts with joy at every moment. Before long shall you see that that assembly shall surpass high assemblies of former dispensations. So be ye firm and steadfast and manfully face all intensely trying ordeals. Strive not to indulge in scandalous gossip, even though it assumes a different form, for it shall vanish while your service to the Cause of God shall remain, just as shall remain your mention in the Tablets of the exalted Kingdom.

[Page 46]O ye who are turned toward the Kingdom and drawn unto the Holy Fragrances diffused from the Garden of El-Abhá.

Arise with every power to assist the Covenant of God and serve in His vineyard. Be confident that a confirmation will be granted unto you and a success on His part given unto you. Verily He shall support you by the angels of His Holiness and reinforce with the breaths of the Spirit that ye may mount the Ark of Safety, set forth the evident signs, impart the spirit of life, declare the essence of His commands and precepts, guide the sheep who are straying from the fold in all directions, use every effort in your power to give the blessings ye have and strive earnestly and wisely in this new century. By God, verily the Lord of Hosts is your support, the angels of heaven your assistance, the Holy Spirit your companion and the Center of the Covenant your helper! Be not idle, but active and fear not. Look unto those who have lived in the former ages—how they have resisted all nations and suffered persecutions and afflictions, and how their stars shone and their attacks proved successful, their teachings established, their regions expanded, their hearts gladdened, their ideas cleared and their motives effective. Ye are now in a great station and noble rank and ye shall find yourselves in evident success and prosperity, the like of which the eye of existence hath never seen in former ages.

El-Abhá and salutations be upon everyone who is firm in the Covenant, free from dissension, sanctified from deceits and steadfast in the path!

I am greatly pleased with the city of New York. The harbor entrance, its piers, buildings and broad avenues are magnificent and beautiful. Truly it is a wonderful city. As New York has made such progress in material civilization, [Page 47]I hope that it may also advance spiritually in the Kingdom and Covenant of God, so that the friends here may become the cause of the illumination of America: that this city may become the city of love and that the fragrances of God may be spread from this place to all parts of the world. I have come for this.

Souls from the East and the West have been brought together here through the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a gathering as this would be impossible through material means. A meeting of this kind has now been established in New York, for here tonight we find people from remote regions of the earth, associated with the people of America in the utmost love and spiritual unity. This is only possible through the power of God.

This is a delightful gathering; you have come here with sincere intentions and the purpose of all present is the attainment of the virtues of God. The motive is attraction to the divine Kingdom. Since the desire of all is unity and agreement it is certain that this meeting will be productive of great results. It will be the cause of attracting a new bounty, for we are turning to the Kingdom of Abhá seeking the infinite bestowals of the Lord. This is a new Day and this hour is a new Hour in which we have come together. Surely the Sun of Reality with its full effulgence will illumine us and the darkness of disagreements will disappear. The utmost love and unity will result, the favors of God will encompass us, the pathway of the Kingdom will be made easy. Like candles these souls will become ignited and made radiant through the lights of supreme guidance. Such gatherings as this have no equal or likeness in the world of mankind where people are drawn together by physical motives or in furtherance of material interests, for this [Page 48]meeting is a prototype of that inner and complete spiritual association in the eternal world of being.

True Bahá’í meetings are the mirrors of the Kingdom wherein images of the Supreme Concourse are reflected. In them the lights of the most great guidance are visible. They voice the summons of the heavenly Kingdom and echo the call of the angelic hosts to every listening ear. The efficacy of such meetings as these is permanent throughout the ages. This assembly has a name and significance which will last forever. Hundreds of thousands of meetings shall be held to commemorate this occasion and the very words I speak to you today shall be repeated in them for ages to come. Therefore be ye rejoiced for ye are sheltered beneath the providence of God. Be happy and joyous because the bestowals of God are intended for you and the life of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon you.

Rejoice, for the heavenly table is prepared for you.

Rejoice, for the angels of heaven are your assistants and helpers.

Rejoice, for the glance of the Blessed Beauty Bahá’u’lláh is directed upon you.

Rejoice, for Bahá’u’lláh is your protector.

Rejoice, for the glory everlasting is destined for you.

Rejoice, for the life eternal is awaiting you.

How many blessed souls have longed for this radiant century, their utmost hopes and desires centered upon the happiness and joy of one such day as this. Many the nights they passed sleepless and lamenting until the very morn in longing anticipation of this age, yearning to realize even an hour of this time. God has favored you in this century and has specialized you for the realization of its blessings. Therefore you must praise and thank God with heart and soul in appreciation of this great opportunity and the attainment of this infinite bestowal; that such doors have [Page 49]been opened before your faces, such abundance is pouring down from the cloud of mercy and that these refreshing breezes from the paradise of Abhá are resuscitating you. You must become of one heart, one spirit and one susceptibility. May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same heaven, fruits adorning the same tree, roses of one garden; in order that through you the oneness of humanity may establish its temple in the world of mankind, for you are the ones who are called to uplift the cause of unity among the nations of the earth.

First, you must become united and agreed among yourselves. You must be exceedingly kind and loving toward each other, willing to forfeit life in the pathway of another’s happiness. You must be ready to sacrifice your possessions in another’s behalf. The rich among you must show compassion toward the poor, and the well-to-do must look after those in distress. In Persia the friends offer their lives for each other, striving to assist and advance the interests and welfare of all the rest. They live in a perfect state of unity and agreement. Like the Persian friends you must be perfectly agreed and united to the extent and limit of sacrificing life. Your utmost desire must be to confer happiness upon each other. Each one must be the servant of the others, thoughtful of their comfort and welfare. In the path of God one must forget himself entirely. He must not consider his own pleasure but seek the pleasure of others. He must not desire glory nor gifts of bounty for himself but seek these gifts and blessings for his brothers and sisters. It is my hope that you may become like this; that you may attain to the supreme bestowal and be imbued with such spiritual qualities as to forget yourselves entirely and with heart and soul offer yourselves as sacrifices for the Blessed Perfection. You should have neither will nor desire of your own but seek everything for the beloved [Page 50]of God and live together in complete love and fellowship. May the favors of Bahá’u’lláh surround you from all directions. This is the greatest bestowal and supreme bounty. These are the infinite favors of God.

June 29, 1912, at West Englewood, New Jersey.


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