Memoir of the Rev. Joseph Stibbs Christmas. By E. Lord [pp. 256-269]

Memoir of Rev. J. S. Christmas.
mate of his knowledge and ignorance, together with a plan
for future acquisitions." Exercises of this kind are often as
useful and as important in intellectual pursuits, as keeping
regular books and often balancing his accounts are to the
adventurer in mercantile enterprise. They indicate sincerity
and earnestness in intellectual culture, a desire to know how
the account with ourselves really stands, and a willingness, at
once, to profit by our past mistakes, and to make a more
faithful use of our time in future. For want of such a settlement and record, many know not how little they read, or
how great their ignorance: and others are not aware how
zmuch they have accomplished in a given period, and how
great reason they have to be encouraged for the time to come.
Order is the soul of business, and intelligent, honest adjustment of order.
Another commendable practice of Mr. Christmas, during
his preparation for the Gospel ministry, and in the course of
his pastoral life, is worthy of particular notice here. We
refer to the unwearied pains which he appears to have taken
to attain the grace as well as the gift of PRAYFRt. By the
grace of prayer, we mean that large participation of the spirit of faith, love, humility, and filial confidence, in other
words, that genuine taste for intercourse with God, through a
Mediator, which renders prayer delightful. By the gift of
prayer, we understand a happy talent of giving utterance to
our desires in simple, natural, fluent, happy language, without
hesitation, and without impropriety. In short, by the grace
of prayer, we mean a truly and deeply devout spirit; and by
the gift of prayer, the power, at all times, of giving expression to our requests with readiness, judgment, and taste.
These are not always found united. We have known, on
the one hand, both private Christians and Ministers, who
appeared ardently and even peculiarly pious, whose manner of
conducting social prayer was by no means judicious or happy.
And, on the other hand, we have been acquainted with a
few instances-not many indeed-but with some remarkable
instances of those, who, with a very peculiar and impressive
talent for leading in prayer, manifested, when nearly approached, very little of the genuine spirit of devotion. Mr.
Christmas seems to have possessed both in rather an unusual
degree. He took more than ordinary pains to cultivate both;
by devoting special attention to the subject; by reading the
best authors who had treated on it; by making an extended
259