Then he paused, and said, “Is there not, O Joseph, a certain saying touching the Shekinah, how that it dwelleth not with one man, but with many?” And I replied, “Yea, but with one also; for it is said, ‘When _ten_ sit and are occupied in words of the Law, the Shekinah is among them, for it is said, God standeth in the _congregation_ of the mighty. And whence dwelleth it even with _two_? Because it is said, Then they that feared the Lord spake often _one_ to _another_. And whence even with _one_? Because it is said, In all places where I record my name I will come unto _thee_ and bless _thee_.’” Nathanael smiled and said, “Our Master also teacheth that the presence of the Holy Spirit is with two or three, whensoever they are gathered together in his name. But this doctrine he foundeth not on words of Scripture; but methinks he seeth that there is a certain Spirit of Goodness or Kindness which passeth from one man to his neighbour and gathereth strength as it passeth. But when a man is alone and without neighbours, it cannot in this way gather strength. For it is a Spirit of 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 Nathanael, “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 Nathanael 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.’”