If...thou art sailing upon the sea of creation, know
thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be
likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might,
and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be
manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest,
and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him
according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.
And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure for evermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.
In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muhammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the 'Point of the Bayan'; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God, 'I am all the Prophets', inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun. (The Báb, Selections from the Writings of )
From Bahá’u’lláh
It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take counsel together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Provider, the Omniscient. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh’; The Compilation of Compilations, Vol. I, The Establishment of the Universal House of Justice)
From ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Consider not the present condition, but rather foresee the
future and the end. A seed in the beginning is very small, but in the end a
great tree. One should not consider the seed, but the tree and its abundance of
blossoms, leaves and fruits.
Consider the days of Jesus, when there was only a small body of people, and then observe the great tree which grew from that seed and what an abundant fruit it produced. This is greater than that, forasmuch as it is the calling of the Lord of Hosts and the Voice of the Trumpet of the Living God; it is the summons unto the harmony and unison of the world, and it is the banner of faithfulness, trustworthiness and friendship among the difference nations and sects of the universe; it is the light of the Sun of Truth and the spirituality of the Majestic One. Verily this great cycle (dispensation) will encompass all the horizons and ultimately all the nations will gather together under this standard.
Therefore, know the importance of this seed which was planted in the divine field by the heavenly Gardener, watered with the rain of grace and nurtured by the heat and light of the Sun of Truth. Thus, O ye friends of God, give thanks unto His Majesty, the One, that ye became (or were made) the manifestation of such a gift and the recipient of such favor. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)
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The more the conscience of man develops, the more will his heart be free and his soul attain unto happiness. In the religion of God, there is freedom of thought because God, alone, controls the human conscience, but this freedom should not go beyond courtesy. In the religion of God, there is no freedom of action outside the law of God. Man may not transgress this law, even though no harm is inflicted on one's neighbour. This is because the purpose of Divine law is the education of all -- others as well as oneself -- and, in the sight of God, the harm done to one individual or to his neighbour is the same and is reprehensible in both cases. Hearts must possess the fear of God. Man should endeavour to avoid that which is abhorrent unto God. Therefore, the freedom that the laws of Europe offer to the individual does not exist in the law of God. Freedom of thought should not transgress the bounds of courtesy, and actions, likewise, should be governed by the fear of God and the desire to seek His good pleasure. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, quoted in a letter dated 8 February 1998 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)