looks with favor upon every measure, by whomsoever advocated, that promises to promote the general good.

Let us all, then, give diligent heed to the obligations of this more glorious faith, and while we are earnest in our defence of its several doctrines, we shall best attest our fidelity to the Gospel of Christ, by giving to each its appropriate place upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord."

SERMON V.

REPROACH OF UNIVERSALISM.

BY REV. HOSEA BALLOU, 2D.

"For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe."- 1 TIM. iv. 10.

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If we were to compare the Apostle's doctrine, in this passage, with the views that are commonly entertained in the religious world of the present day, we should find one point, here, in which all agree. And it may be well to set out from this point as our starting-place.

All agree that God is the Saviour" of those that believe." This is everywhere maintained, and everywhere repeated, in pulpits, in conference-rooms, and in private exhortations. "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." In short, there never was any question

that God is truly the Saviour of all believers. And here, people commonly stop.

It should be observed, however, that our text does not stop here. Our text asserts that God is indeed the Saviour of believers, in some special sense. But this is not all; it goes further. It asserts, also, that he "is the Saviour of all men." And you will observe that this is introduced, here, as the main proposition of the two, — that it takes precedence of the other, and that what relates to believers grows out of this, as a branch from the main trunk. Lest we might still suppose that the Apostle did not really intend to assert the salvation of all, but that he somehow meant to refer only to that of the saints, you see, from the very form of his expression, that he recognises the distinction of mankind into the two well-known classes: first, the race at large, "all men ;" and then, as a special class out of these, the believers; and that he affirms that God is the Saviour of the former as well as of the latter, of the whole mass as well as of those who already believe. I cannot conceive of any thing more explicit, or more guarded against the chance of misapprehension.