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“At one time, the clouds of affliction and sorrow conceal the Heavens of gladness and joy; at another, the eternal leviathan of love devour, in one fleeting moment, all manifestations of sadness, anguish, grief, and dejection, and the morn of Divine guidance dawn forth with the joyful tidings of ‘despair not of God’s mercy,’ and the gentle breezes of His Providence dispel every vestige of torpor and estrangement. These tidings, however, are not constant and immutable in these stations, and the wayfarer remains confined between the right hand of faith and assurance and the left hand of denial and despair. Some wayfarers remain forever veiled in these stages. Others are assisted by invisible aid from the Source of unfailing grace, whereat the hosts of the Realm on high raise the tabernacle of Divine power, and the ascendency of ‘and verily Our host shall conquer’ is manifested, obliterating the signs and standards of every worldly attachment and limitation, even as alluded to by some who have attained this station. At such times, the ascendancy of God’s names and attributes will so surround a soul as to leave it no place either to stay or to flee. This station, however, has its own obscurities and impediments, for they that journey towards the land of Divine Unity and detachment are still wrapped within the confines of names and attributes and take delight in their gardens and bowers. Thus it is that, in describing these stations, some have made reference to the ‘unity of existence’ and the ‘unity of appearance.’ By this is meant that the seeker will close his eyes to all save his Beloved and open them to naught but His beauty. He will pass beyond the mortal world and approach the everlasting realm. He will see no beauty but the Beloved’s and hear no utterance but His praise; that is, he will avert his gaze from aught save His beauty and refuse to hearken to any melody but the sweet accents of His voice. Howbeit some are led astray even in this station; for no sooner do they inhale the fragrance of reunion, and hearken unto the voice of the doves of heavenly grace, than they imagine themselves to have attained perfection and wander lost in the wilderness of self-conceit, thus depriving themselves of the soft-flowing stream of Divine Providence and the ethereal cup of heavenly delight. Yet others, assisted by the grace of the everlasting Friend, consume these veils with the fire of His love and step into the meads of ancient glory. That is, forsaking the wilderness of the ‘unity of existence,’ they attain unto the ultimate abode of the ‘true appearance of the Divine Unity’. So clearly will they witness in this stage God’s all-encompassing mercy that in every created thing, both in the world and in the souls of men, they will behold Him Who has been interpreted as the Holy Outpouring. No longer will they close their eyes to any beauty nor stop their ears from hearkening to any voice. For there is no prohibition in this stage and no debarment, inasmuch as in all things they will discern, with both their outer and inner eyes, the revelation of the signs of Him Who is the King of all names and attributes, and in every atom they will find a door that leads to the garden of Divine Unity and the city of pure abstraction. ‘Wherever I turn my gaze, ’tis Thee Whom I behold.’ […]”
