DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT: District Clerk's Office. BE it remembered, that on the fifteenth day of February, A. D. 1814, and in the thirty eighth year of the Independence of the United States of America, William Wells of the said Dis trict has deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the Right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit-" Sermons by the late Rev. J. S. Buckminster. With a memoir of his life and character." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, intitled, " An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an Act intitled," An Act supplementary to an Act, intitled, An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching Historical, and other Prints." WM. S. SHAW, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. ADVERTISEMENT. THE collection of this volume of posthumous discourses was undertaken in compliance with the general wishes of those, who had the privilege of hearing the preaching of Mr. Buckminster, and particularly of the society in Brattle Square. About sixty sermons were first selected, from the whole number found among his papers, by two distinguished members of his parish. From among this number, those, which compose the present volume, were taken and prepared for the press by two of his brethren in the ministry. In performing the difficult and delicate task of revision, every other liberty has been very sparingly used, except that of omitting such passages, as appeared not to have received the usual degree of the author's care and attention. The only general principle of selection, which could be adopted, was, to take those sermons, which, with regard to their literary execution, were found to be in a state most fitted for publication. Many discourses, therefore, have been necessarily neglected, containing passages not inferiour to the best in the present volume, but which appear not to have been laboured throughout with equal felicity. One or two have 27590 |