John Jay: First chief justice of the Supreme Court

John Jay (1745-1829) was born in New York City and shortly moved with his family to Rye, New York, where he grew up.

He graduated from King’s College (later Columbia University) in 1764, and after reading law was admitted to the New York bar to practice law in his home state.

He helped to get the U.S. Constitution ratified and is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of America.

Jay was an American statesman-diplomat of the Christian faith. He was a member of the First and Second Continental Congress and served as president of the Continental Congress in 1778-1779.

He, with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, helped negotiate and then signed the Treaty of Paris that ended officially the American Revolutionary War.

He also helped write America’s first military manual and later served as governor of the State of New York, 1795 to 1801.

President George Washington appointed Jay as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, and in 1821, Jay helped found and then served as President of the American Bible Society.

He was a Christian statesman.

Let’s consider a few personal statements regarding his faith.

In 1824, in his address to the members of the American Bible Society, he said this: “The Bible (when read by people) will inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed; that this Redeemer has made atonement for the sins of the whole world, and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve.”

In his last will and testament, be wrote: 

“Unto Him who is the Author and Giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His merciful and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved son.”

As Jay was drawing near death on May 17, 1829, he was asked if he had any final words for his family. His short reply was, “They have the Book.”

America has a rich spiritual heritage as so many of our founders and their wives were professing and practicing Christians.

We are so blessed to have such a godly heritage.

May God be acknowledged and praised throughout our land, for He is absolutely necessary for the health and survival of America.

Our founders laid the foundation; let us take care how we build upon it.

Peace!

Writer’s note: The above quotations from ‘America’s God and Country: Encyclopedia of Quotations, Fame Publishers, 1996.