Discourse respecting that inability which prevents the sinner from embracing the Gospel ;-two opposite views of this subject which have been held, stated ;—what is meant by natural ability, and what by moral ability;—the inability which prevents a sinner from obeying the Gospel, wholly moral, consisting in his unwillingness; the distinction no less important than obvious, p. 125132. Proofs that men possess natural ability, perfectly to love God and to obey the Gospel,-argued from the divine commands; -the objection that this ability was lost in Adam, answered ;—also the notion that though we are not able to obey, God has promised to give strength to those who ask him ;-other objections noticed and refuted, p. 133-147. Practical inferences;-if men have ability to obey God, the want of a disposition to do so, is no excuse for disobedience;-if they possess such ability, then they are not passive in regeneration;—and those Scriptures which speak of repentance, faith, and love as man's duty, are easily seen to be consistent with those which speak of them as God's gift ;-the destruction of those who do not obey the Gospel, is to be attributed wholly to themselves;-possessing such ability, it is a wicked thing in men to delay repentance on pretense of waiting for divine aid, p. 148-169.

Farewell Letter to the American Presbyterian Society of Montreal, L. C. p. 170-213.

MEMOIR.

THE subject of the following memorial, JOSEPH STIBBS CHRISTMAS, was born April 10th, 1803, in Georgetown, Beaver county, Pennsylvania. His parents had thirteen children, of whom he was the eighth. His father was descended from an ancient family of the north of England. Having passed the early part of his life in London, he removed to this country and settled in Pennsylvania, in 1784. His maternal grandfather, Joseph Stibbs, likewise from London, came to this country and settled in the then colony of Virginia, prior to the revolution.

From his earliest years the extraordinary versatility and ardor of his mind were displayed both in his studies and in his more active employments. He discovered a restless spirit of inquiry into every subject to which his attention was directed, and at the same time a taste for rural scenery, an inventive and imitative turn, and a remarkable fondness for drawing and painting. A communication from one of his relatives states that before he was eight years old he had a room appropriated to himself,

where he practised drawing maps and painting, and that he became so devoted to the use of his pencil as to subject himself to severe privations, in order to indulge that propensity.

He continued to cherish this passion for painting till near the close of his terms at college; and at one period it engrossed nearly all his time and attention, and was designed to be the object of his future life. He accordingly studied and wrote much on this and its kindred arts. Several of his manuscripts on this aubject are preserved, some treating it by way of analysis, others of criticism; some consisting of notes and observations on the history of painters and painting, and some defending the art, as a pursuit for life, against the objections of his friends and acquaintances. From these papers, and from some letters which were addressed to him, it appears that he continued to practice this art with increasing facility and very flattering success; and that he was encouraged to send one of his original pieces in oil to the exhibition at Philadelphia.

In addition to this, he gave himself at the same time to the kindred, and, to a genius and temperament like his, no less fascinating art of poetry. Did his papers furnish nothing but what remains of his first sixteen years on this subject, they would suffice to show that he possessed those rare talents and qualities which fitted him to excel in whatever he undertook. He pursued with this the same method as with every other subject upon which he bestowed any considerable attention: he analyzed it,

studied its history, principles, and relations, and then practised. Having once possessed himself of a subject in this manner, it seemed to occupy a fixed place in his mind, and to be ever ready to be used at pleasure.

As an illustration of the hold which poetry and painting had gained on him, and of his success in the cultivation of them, it may suffice to mention his "Poem in two cantos" entitled "the ARTIST; prepared for the public contest between the Union and Literary Societies of Washington College," (of which he was then a member, and in his sixteenth year;) "and published by the Union Society in 1819." It was his object to vindicate the fine arts from the disparaging opinions then current as to their importance, and to awaken an interest in their favor. His analysis of this poem is subjoined,* from

*Canto I. opens with a view of the dark ages-inquires what first relieved mankind from the thraldom of superstition and ignorance attributes this emancipation to the fine arts-mentions some of the modern poets of Italy-Dante-Tasso-Petrarchartists, Michael Angelo-Buonarotti described-Da Vinci-an allusion to the battle of Pisa-Raphael, his character, fame, untimely death-Traits of Correggio, his penury, misfortune-Titian, his excellence chiefly in coloring-Tintoret-Giorgione-Paul Veronese characteristics of Salvator Rosa-the three Caracci, Hannibal, Agostino, Ludovico-their scholars, Guido and Dominichino-proceeds to the painters of France-Poussin-Le Brun -Le Seur-the sanguinary David-Flemish artists-Rubens, Vandyke, Rembrandt-Prussian, Eckstein-the English school, Reynolds, Fuseli, Wilson, Barry-mentions the sources whence the painters drew their knowledge of design and correctness of contour-the antique,"