Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/183

Rh Love. Wherefore, as it seemeth to me, our Master teacheth that the Holy Spirit is present, in some sort, in the intercourse between man and man, whensoever men do aught together as the children of God."

"But yet," said I, "I would fain know why Hezekiah the Scribe was thus rebuked, and why the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven." Then said Nathaniel, "All men have within themselves some portion of the Spirit of God; even as we now have some portion of that great wind and breath of heaven which here in Jotapata is rustling in the olive-branches, and yonder at Capernaum is driving the fishing-boats, and out in the Great Sea is speeding the ships of Tarshish on their path. Now if thou closest thy mouth and thy nostrils against the winds of heaven and sayest, 'The air is as poison to me, I will not breathe it,' behold, thou perishest. Even so is it with the Holy Spirit. Every man that cometh into the world, hath in him some portion of the Holy Spirit. For the spirit which is in him breatheth of the Holy Spirit, and dependeth and liveth thereon. But if he shall say knowingly in his heart, 'I will not breathe thereof; I will call good evil, and the Holy Spirit I will call unholy;' then lo, his spirit dieth within him, and he can no more enter into the life of God."

Then I said, "Is not the sin of Hezekiah less than the sin of Barachiah the son of Zadok, who cursed Jesus?" And Nathaniel replied, "No, for Barachiah cursed Jesus in his anger and in his haste, knowing not the truth: but Hezekiah saith in his heart, 'Lo, the truth is not pleasing unto me, therefore I will not look upon it; nay, it is hateful, therefore I will call it evil.'"

Then I mused for a space, and afterwards I questioned Nathaniel yet again and said, "Thou hast said that in the Day of Redemption the Holy One (blessed is He) will slay