orizon of Thy mercy, to blot out from my
heart all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that with all my affections I
may turn unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all mankind!

I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, O my God! I have laid hold on
the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of Thy tender mercy. Ordain
for me the good things that are with Thee, and nourish me from the Table
Thou didst send down out of the clouds of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy
favor.

Thou, in very truth, art the Lord of the worlds, and the God of all that
are in heaven and all that are on earth.

LIII: "I KNOW NOT, O MY GOD, WHAT THE FIRE IS WHICH..."

I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which Thou didst kindle in Thy
land. Earth can never cloud its splendor, nor water quench its flame. All
the peoples of the world are powerless to resist its force. Great is the
blessedness of him that hath drawn nigh unto it, and heard its roaring.

Some, O my God, Thou didst, through Thy strengthening grace, enable to
approach it, while others Thou didst keep back by reason of what their
hands have wrought in Thy days. Whoso hath hasted towards it and attained
unto it hath, in his eagerness to gaze on Thy beauty, yielded his life in
Thy path, and ascended unto Thee, wholly detached from aught else except
Thyself.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by this Fire which blazeth and rageth in the
world of creation, to rend asunder the veils that have hindered me from
appearing before the throne of Thy majesty, and from standing at the door
of Thy gate. Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, every good thing Thou didst
send down in Thy Book, and suffer me not to be far removed from the
shelter of Thy mercy.

Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art, verily, the
All-Powerful, the Most Generous.

LIV: "LAUDED BE THY NAME, O MY GOD! AID THOU BY..."

Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Aid Thou by Thy strengthening grace Thy
servants and Thy handmaidens to recount Thy virtues and to be steadfast in
their love towards Thee. How many the leaves which the tempests of trials
have caused to fall, and how many, too, are those which, clinging
tenaciously to the tree of Thy Cause, have remained unshaken by the tests
that have assailed them, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Merciful!

I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made known unto me such servants as
have utterly abolished, by the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty,
the idols of th