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last thirty years of his life, and the personal knowledge of the writer-these are the sources on which reliance has been placed. The compiler has taken great pains to furnish himself with facts, and has been careful to introduce nothing as fact, which has not seemed to be well sustained. He has visited the spot where the subject of his sketch was born, and passed the days of his childhood-conversed with his surviving brethren and sisters-handled the church record in which his name was written when first entering into covenant with God and his people, and entered the dwelling and surveyed the premises where he prosecuted, in part, his preparations for the Gospel ministry.

The Lectures found in this volume, are published under the general direction of the three sons of Dr. Richards, though under the more immediate supervision of the youngest son, the Rev. James Richards, of Pen Yan, New York. They are now given to the press, in pursuance of earnest and repeated solicitations from ministers and others, and especially from the alumni of the Seminary, for whose benefit they were originally prepared. Two of them, namely, lectures "On the Prayer of Faith," were published several years since by request of the students of the institution, and the last, "On Ability and Inability," was published as a sermon, while the author was a pastor. It is associated with the Lectures, and therefore receives the family name. It is not wholly unworthy of the company in which it is found, though its relative position in the volume, through mistake, has failed to be what its topics might justly claim.

A short time previous to his death, Dr. Richards, in conference with his son, expressed a willingness that his lectures "On the Will," together with a few others, should be published if his friends desired. Had he lived to supervise what has now been done, it is quite probable that he would have made the volume, in some respects, different from what it is. Some of his phraseology might have been thrown into a more popular form, and other and more important changes have been made. It may proper to state, that some fault may easily be found with the

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use of some verbal expressions, especially in the lectures "On Native Depravity;" but in extenuation, it may be remarked, that if words are there found which are not authorized by Webster, they are, at least, easily understood, and the author is entitled to the credit of "giving the trumpet a certain sound." The plan of the lecture "On the Extent of the Atonement," as it existed in the author's mind, is not finished, inasmuch as it aimed at the discussion of two additional points, mentioned in the manuscript, which was omitted for the want of time, and which, though reserved for another opportunity, has not been found. The lecture, however, as published, is finished; or discusses, at length, the points it pro

poses.

As a whole, these lectures may be regarded as the result of the author's maturest reflections and severest study; and they are now sent forth into the world with the belief that however they may "provoke unto love," in the form of review or criticism, they will nevertheless impart interest and profit to those who admire manly discussion, or have a taste for the character of reading which they are intended to furnish.

As to the character of the "sketch," the writer would use a more careful form of speech. The work has been hurried to the press by circumstances which he could not control; and a part of the Biography has been written amid other responsibilities of the most urgent and exciting character.

It may be thought strange that the writer has dealt so largely in extracts, and so sparingly in entire letters, but his apology is twofold. (1.) The space designed to be occupied by the Biography was too limited to allow the publishing of many entire letters; and, (2,) The writer is honestly oppposed to giving much space to the mere introductions, or farewells, or irrelevant details of letters, in a work of this kind. If letters furnish what will aid the Biographer in drawing the character of his subject, or what will serve as links in the chain of his history, so far they may be used with great advantage; but beyond this they are, in our judgment, of doubtful utility. The writer would state in this connection, however, that he has received

several letters, from his fathers and brethren in the ministry, from which he has extracted, and which would have been published entire had our space allowed. These brethren have our grateful acknowledgments for the facts which they have communicated, and also for the aid furnished to the writer in confirming his own impressions of the character he has attempted to sketch, and thereby rendering him the more confident in giving those impressions to the world. From all, or nearly all, extracts are given. We humbly hope that our attempt to draw the character of Dr. Richards will not be found an entire failure. If those who knew him well shall recognize, in any good measure, the noble original-if the bereaved widow and the fatherless shall be satisfied-and if the youthful ministry of our land shall be induced to covet more earnestly the fallen mantle of the "venerated dead," then good has been done-good to which, under God, our lamented father contributed, both in furnishing the character drawn, and in his influence upon the writer-a son of the AUBURN SEMINARY.

Waterloo, 7th May, 1846.

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