9 6 THE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



whom it points onward in the order of creation and 

 upward in the scale of life. The mystery can only be 

 fully explained by his social life. In him the highest 

 exemplification of its meaning and use are the words of 

 the sacred writer, "Two are better than one, and a 

 threefold cord is not easily broken." There is a Greek 

 proverb that says, " One man, no man." A single 

 isolated human being knows little of the mysteries of 

 his own being, of the universe around him, or of the 

 nature and relations of God. The dimensions of his 

 being contract ; its quality deteriorates ; he parts one 

 by one with the great essential attributes of humanity, 

 those which raise him above the level of the beasts that 

 perish. But when he is united with his fellows the 

 bounds of his being are enlarged. He sees with their 

 eyes and feels with their hearts. He knows more of 

 himself, more of God, more of the universe. There are 

 duties we should never understand or perform except 

 by association with our fellows. " A man's belief," says 

 Novalis, "gains quite infinitely when he has convinced 

 another thereof." Our consciences are strengthened 

 by the sight of each other; and the consciousness of 

 being members of a larger body helps immensely all 

 our efforts to resist temptation, to do what is right, 

 and to help on the cause of truth and love. And just 

 as by the mixture of chemical substances results are 

 obtained which are not found in the separate in- 

 gredients, so by the association of human beings with 

 each other, outward actions and inward traits of the 

 soul are realized which would have no existence in the 



