ure
captive to his environment.

"The bird is a captive in the air and the fish a captive in the sea. Man
alone stands apart and says to the elements, I will make you my servants!
I can govern you! He takes electricity, and through his ingenuity
imprisons it and makes of it a wonderful power for lighting, and a means
of communication to a distance of thousands of miles. But man himself may
become a captive to the things he has invented. His true second birth
occurs when he is freed from all material things: for he only is free who
is not a captive to his desires. He has then as Jesus has said, become
captive to the Holy Spirit."

THE POWER OF GOD

A friend asked 'Abdu'l-Baha how far the individual could attain to that
Christ consciousness in himself of which St. Paul speaks as our hope of
Glory.

'Abdu'l-Baha turned with a look of great joy and said with an impressive
gesture: "The bounty and power of God is limitless for each human soul.
Consider what was the quickening power of the Christ when He was on earth.
Look at His disciples! They were poor and uncultured men. Out of the rough
fisherman He made the great Peter, and out of the poor village girl of
Magdala He made one who is a power in all the world today. Many queens
have reigned who are remembered by their dates in history, and nothing
more is known of them. But Mary the Magdalene is greater than them all. It
was she whose love strengthened the disciples when their faith was
failing. What she did for the world cannot be measured. See what a divine
power was enkindled in her by the power of God!"

INSPIRED MESSENGERS

When asked if it would be always necessary for prophets to come from time
to time--"would not the world in the course of events through progress
reach to a full realization of God?"--'Abdu'l-Baha replied: "Mankind needs
a universal motive power to quicken it. The inspired messenger who is
directly assisted by the power of God brings about universal results.
Baha'u'llah rose as a light in Persia and now that light is going out to
the whole world."

"Is this what is meant by the Second Coming of Christ?" "Christ is an
Expression of the Divine Reality, the Single Essence and Heavenly Entity,
which hath no beginning or ending. It has appearance, arising, and
manifestation and setting in each one of the Cycles."

Those who have been with 'Abdu'l-Baha notice how, often, after speaking
earnestly with people, he will suddenly