the transactions of this afternoon, and henceforth dwell in your hearts by love. Many important subjects of reflection will naturally present themselves to your minds on this occasion, but I can think of none which more deservedly merits your attention, than these words: "Let brotherly love continue." Hitherto you have been united in counsel, and united in affection. Let the same spirit continue in you and abound, and you have the promise that the God of love and peace shall be with you."

He farther spoke on this occasion, in a course of extempore remarks, on the subject of brotherly love—a subject, the choice of which may be regarded as the index of his earnest desire, that those who had thus gone out from his immediate pastoral care, might become a band "strong in the Lord and by the might."

power of his

The subsequent history of this new organization became the occasion of showing, in a strong light, the excellent character and ministerial worth of Mr. Richards. Things which, at first, seemed hazardous to his position and usefulness, operated, in the providence of God, for his advancement. One occurrence, which we may mention, was a call extended to his illustrious predecessor the Rev. Dr. Griffin, to take the pastoral charge of the new congregation, after an absence of only six years. Perhaps in most cases, the return of a former pastor under such circumstances, and especially of the commanding talents and great worth of Dr. Griffin, would be likely to render the position of his successor somewhat unpleasant. The possibility of such an influence was deprecated by some of the people in Newark, and became the subject of frank and fraternal correspondence between Dr. Griffin and Mr. Richards, previous to the acceptance of the call. The experiment, however, was made; and for the space of six years these devoted men labored side by side, with perhaps equal honor and usefulness. Each pastor had points in which

he excelled. One, perhaps, in the "gift of tongues and in "prophecy; and the other in the "word of wisdom" and "discerning of spirits." One in the surpassing power of his occasional efforts, and the other in the uniform interest of his ordinary preaching; the one in success in gathering the lambs into the fold, the other in keeping them when gathered. Both were stars of the first magnitude. One star, it may be, differed from the other star in glory, but so far was the glory of the one from eclipsing or obscuring the glory of the other, that the glory of each was the more glorious by the contiguity of their orbits, and the close comparative estimate to which each was subjected. And if, in this comparison, the name of Richards suffers not, where will you look to find "the glory that excelleth."

While at Newark Mr. Richards received new proofs of the confidence of the Christian public. He was early elected Trustee of the College of New Jersey, and held the place until he removed from the State. In 1812, the year in which the Theological Seminary at Princeton was established, he was appointed a Director of that Institution, and served in that capacity with great acceptance while he remained in Newark. In Sept. 1814, he preached the annual sermon before the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The appointment places his name among the early friends of modern missions; and the sermon evinces enlarged views and a warm heart in the work of evangelizing the world. In 1815 he received the degree of DOCTOR OF DIVINITY from two CollegesUnion and Yale-a degree which, at that day, was an index, both of professional and general worth.

His name is also found in connection with the origin of several of the great benevolent institutions of the age. The American Bible Society, whose leaves, for thirty years, have gone forth for the healing of the nations, owes its existence, in part, to his efforts. For

several years he served as the Secretary of the Presbyterian Education Society, and perhaps no form of pious effort more powerfully excited the sympathies of his heart, or secured his more devoted labors, than the work of training indigent young men for the Gospel ministry.

While prosecuting his labors in Newark, Dr. Richards suffered a few of the productions of his pen to be published. An Address delivered at the funeral of Mrs. Sarah Cumming, wife of the Rev. Hooper Cumming, which occurred in 1812, has been publicly noticed with favor. The occasion was one of deep interest. The death of Mrs C. was occasioned at Patterson, by a fall from the rocks overhanging the Passaic, while she was viewing the scenery of that place. The excitement produced in Newark was unwonted, and the funeral one of the largest ever known in the city. The scene woke up the strong sympathies of the preacher's heart, and his address was worthy of himself and the occasion.

In 1816 several of his sermons were given to the press. Among these, the one entitled "The Sinner's Inability to come to Christ," may be regarded as a lucid and forcible exhibition of the subject, and, perhaps, this discourse may be considered as a fair specimen of the perspicuity which usually marked his expositions of Gospel truth.

As a pastor in Newark, it was the privilege of Dr. Richards to know that his labor was "not in vain in the Lord." At several distinct periods God was with his people of a truth. About the close of his first pastoral year a few souls were hopefully brought from darkness into light. In the year 1813, Zion was refreshed and salvation came to the congregation; and in 1817 the heavens dropped fatness and the skies poured down righteousness upon the people. As the fruits of this revival, 69 were added to the church in May, 54 in July,

and in all, including those who united soon after, 135 within nine months. This was emphatically the year of God's right hand, in connection with a ministry of fourteen years and a half. During the pastoral services of Dr. Richards, the church received an accession of about five hundred members-three hundred and thirty-two were added on the profession of their faith, and six young men, members of the church, were licensed to preach the Gospel.

It may also be noticed that Dr. Richards, for a considerable time previous to his taking leave of Newark, was regarded as having made extraordinary attainments in Christian theology. Young men looking to the Christian ministry availed themselves of his instructions, and studied under his direction; and those who knew him best looked to the day when God, in his providence, might point him to the more exclusive work of instructing those who were preparing to preach the Gospel.

I conclude this chapter in the words of the present Pastor of the First Presbyterian Congregation in Newark, from a discourse pronounced on the occasion of the death of Dr. Richards.

"Fifteen years he devoted to the faithful discharge of his duties as a minister of Christ with this people, and probably few men in the ministry ever more punctually, systematically, and successfully performed the duties of the sacred office.

"The continued prosperity of this church, the hopeful conversion of hundreds under his ministry, the enlarged benevolence which distinguished the people of his charge, and the harmony that existed through his entire ministry, are the results and evidences of his fidelity among you."

CHAPTER IV.

HIS CONNECTION WITH THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT AUBURN.

THE Theological Seminary at Auburn, was established in 1819, by the Synod of Geneva, and with the sanction of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It was incorporated by a law of the State in 1820. By the Act of Incorporation the Institution was placed under the care of a Board of Trustees and a Board of Commissioners; the latter to be chosen annually by the Presbyteries recognized in the Act, and by other Presbyteries who might afterward associate with them.

In 1821 the Seminary went into operation, with three professors, and with ten or twelve students. It was a bold effort;—an effort, we doubt not, resulting from that faith which sees "light in the darkness." Not a professorship was endowed; the Library was necessarily indifferent both as to the number and the selection of books; while the Christian community were but partially awake to the merits or the worth of such an institution. the end of two years, the number of students had not increased, but rather diminished; and in no respects, perhaps, were the prospects of the institution materially brightened, except in the advancement of the Seminary edifice.

At

About this time, however, an important impulse was given to this infant school of the prophets. Arthur Tappan, Esq., of the city of New York, generously devoted the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, as a capital fund, to be used as a permanent endowment of a professorship of