The Christian Contemplated by William Jay Review
One theologian who has been influencing me greatly over the last couple of months is, unfortunately, not very well known: the Rev. William Jay. Today it's his book The Christian Contemplated.
The book
It's 475 pages. I think it's clothbound, though it doesn't quite feel like cloth. It has a beautiful purple cover with rose-gold lettering, a pink ribbon that matches, and it's Smyth-sewn and really well made. On top of that it reads extremely easily, because the typeface is huge, maybe 14 or 15 point, and the preface even larger. It feels like a 200-page book, so you read a lot in a short time.
About William Jay
Jay was born on May 6, 1769, and died on December 27, 1853. He worked alongside his father, a stonemason, until 1785, when he left to pursue education and the ministry. In 1791 he married his wife Anne, and they had six children. He kept close friendships with William Wilberforce and John Newton. He had very poor health near the end of his life and died at 84.
He was a contemporary of Spurgeon and of Ryle, and in all these men (Wilberforce and Newton too) you see a common focus on evangelism, on spreading the gospel to the whole world. Jay was a nonconformist preacher who preached from one pulpit, Argyle Chapel in Bath, for 60 years, and before that had already preached some 1,000 sermons. He preached to all men, in all places, of all denominations: rich and poor, black and white, everyone who would hear his voice, because all humans have a soul and all need the gospel. You see that everywhere in that period: Spurgeon, a Baptist, preached to everyone; Ryle, an Anglican, preached to everyone.
What's in it
Thirteen chapters, each answering the question: how should the Christian live in this or that? It's almost like reading a sermon but only the application, except the whole sermon is application. So practical, so biblical, and so applicable even 200 years later.
The Christian in Christ; in the Closet; in the Family; in the Church; in the World; in Prosperity; in Adversity; in His Spiritual Sorrows; in His Spiritual Joys; in Death; in the Grave; in Heaven; and the Result.
One curiosity: the last chapter, "The Result," is in an entirely different typeface, size and layout. The text was taken from an 1835 edition, and from what I can tell that chapter wasn't in it, so I'm not sure whether it was added later. It doesn't take anything away from the book.
Are there better books on this topic?
There are other books of practical Christian living, like Brakel's The Christian's Reasonable Service and many Puritan works; the Puritans were very practical people. But for a single volume on how a Christian lives in all these contexts, as far as I've read, there isn't a better one.
Would I buy it?
Yes. It's very difficult to get now, because Sprinkle Publications has gone out of business, so only copies printed before that are left. Sprinkle also published Jay's autobiography, if you want to know more about him. I highly recommend buying it if you can find it.
A few things I marked
- Christians should get as much leisure for the closet as they can, and to do that they should guard against wasting time: "redeem time from indecision and trifling," and especially from unnecessary sleep (p. 43). I waste so much time in indecision, trifling and sleep.
- He quotes Mrs. Bury's diary: "I would not be hired out of my closet for a thousand worlds" (p. 51). She wondered that anyone could live prayerless. The worst of sinners may approach God boldly through Christ, and the holiest Christian should. What a privilege, and we treat it like nothing.
- "Do children dread to enter a room where a loved and honoured father is to be found?" (p. 58). I teared up the first time I read that. God is so gracious, kind and merciful, and yet we don't even treat Him like we would our earthly fathers.
- He who despises his own soul will feel little concern for the souls of others (p. 70).
- If you let your children go naked, perish with hunger or die alone in sickness, you'd be shunned as monsters, but you deserve far more blame if you disregard their spiritual and everlasting welfare (pp. 84–85). I don't have children yet, Lord willing one day, but so many parents focus on the house, friends, school, sports and clothes, and disregard their children's spiritual life entirely.
- "The public worship of God ought always to be considered as an unspeakable benefit to mankind" (p. 120).
- "Thus secular life is Christianized, and the bounds of religion enlarged far beyond the district of what we commonly mean by devotion" (p. 154). I'm not sure why he sounded so postmillennial there, but I'm not entirely opposed to it!
- "Nothing recommends godliness more than cheerfulness" (pp. 174–175). All men desire happiness, and if you succeed where others fail, your success may lead others to follow. Christians, be cheerful. We have reason to.
- In "The Christian in the World" (pp. 177–178), Jay speaks to women who may have gifts and a longing to teach and preach: however gifted, God has given His command, and we honor and glorify Him by following it. Very insightful, and not at all how we'd like to view that text today, I'm ashamed to say.
- Nothing less is required of us than a willing, cheerful resignation, and that can only flow from knowing Him who smites us (p. 234). Trials always humble the Christian, convincing him he has much less grace than he imagined.
- Practical advice for everyone (p. 279): "Rise early; take proper exercise; beware of sloth; observe and avoid whatever disagrees with your system; never overburden nature; be moderate in your table indulgences; and let not appetite bemire and clog the mind." God gave you a body. Do something with it!
- "When you think of the grave, remember that Jesus himself has been there" (p. 386).
There's lots of poetry throughout the book, and I'll close with one he quotes (p. 402):
Oft have I heard thy threat'nings roar, And oft endured the grief; But when thy hand has pressed me sore, Thy grace was my relief...
When I lie buried deep in dust, My flesh shall be thy care; These withering limbs with thee I trust, To raise them strong and fair.
To that I say amen and amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!
