y children, is as a fountain of life. Those who
drink of it drink immortality and joy and peace passing all
understanding. The Saviour of mankind--Himself the Word of God--has
given Himself freely, that all men may come to Him, and, drinking
of the living water, may find within their hearts a living fountain
which shall cause that they never thirst again. But the question
before us is not whether men shall drink of this fountain--we know
that they must do so to live--but how they shall drink of it; how
and in what manner the waters of life shall be dispensed to them."

The boys fixed their eyes eagerly upon him. Julian nodded his head,
and Edred's eyes grew deep with the intensity of his wish to follow
the workings of the mind of his instructor.

"For that we must look back to the days of our Lord, when He was
here upon earth. HOW did He give forth the Word of Life? How did He
rule that it was from that time forward to be given to men?"

"He preached to the people who came to Him," answered Edred, "and
He directed His apostles and disciples to do likewise--to go forth
into all lands and preach the gospel to every creature."

"Just so," answered Brother Emmanuel, with an other of his slight
peculiar smiles. "In other words, he intrusted the Word--Himself,
the news of Himself--to a living ministry, to men, that through the
mouths of His apostles and those disciples who had received regular
instruction from Him and from them the world might be enlightened
with the truth."

The boys listened eagerly, with mute attention.

"Go on," said Edred breathlessly. "Prithee tell us more."

"Our blessed Lord and Master laid no charge upon His apostles to
write of Him--to send forth into the world a written testimony. We
know that the inspired Word is written from end to end by the will
of God. It was necessary for the preservation of the truth in its
purity that its doctrines should be thus set down--that there
should be in existence some standard by which in generations to
come the learned ones of the earth might be able to judge of the
purity of the doctrines preached, and refute heresies and errors
that might and would creep in; but it was to men, to a living
ministry, that our Saviour intrusted the precious truths of His
gospel, and to a living ministry men should look to have those
truths unfolded."

"I see that point," cried Edred eagerly. "I had never thought of it
quite in that way before. Does it so state the matter