y appointed ordinances that are
implicit in the World Order that stands associated with His Holy Name....

...

The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, whose supreme mission is none other but the
achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of
nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as
signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race.
It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the
ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain
of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series
of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest
stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet.
The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world
citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture--all of which
must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden
Age of the Baha'i Era--should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as
this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the
organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay
must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to
progress and develop.

...

The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and to
terminate its age-long martyrdom. And yet it stubbornly refuses to embrace
the light and acknowledge the sovereign authority of the one Power that
can extricate it from its entanglements, and avert the woeful calamity
that threatens to engulf it.

Ominous indeed is the voice of Baha'u'llah that rings through these
prophetic words: "O ye peoples of the world! Know, verily, that an
unforeseen calamity followeth you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you.
Think not that which ye have committed hath been effaced in My sight." And
again: "We have a fixed time for you, O peoples. If ye fail, at the
appointed hour, to turn towards God, He, verily, will lay violent hold on
you, and will cause grievous afflictions to assail you from every
direction. How severe, indeed, is the chastisement with which your Lord
will then chastise you!"

Must humanity, tormented as she now is, be afflicted with still severer
tribulations ere their purifying influence can prepare her to enter the
heavenly Kingdom destined to be established upon earth? Must the
inauguration of so vast, so unique, so il