General Introduction to the Autobiography, Reminiscences, etc.
‘’ They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever/ So speaks the Oracle of Sacred Truth, and all history elucidates and confirms it. When such moral benefactors of the world pass away from the scenes and labours of time, a lustre gathers around their memory purer and steadier than that which attaches to conquerors, statesmen, and princes. Even the honoured names of poets, patriots, and philosophers, though sounded forth more loudly and widely by the trump of fame, are not so dear to mankind, nor do they exert so benign and extensive an infiuence upon the heart and character of survivors. This happy result seems to be secured by a law in the moral government of God which conserves, for the benefit of future ages, whatever in human character is most redolent of heavens own goodness and purity. That law may be clearly traced in the history and experience of mankind, but is fully read only in the words of inspiration, the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance, but the name of the wicked shall rot. Even the world itself, true, in this case, to its moral instincts, cannot help reverencing the one chajTacter, and despising the other, though unconscious of the law by which it is influenced.
Hence the fragrant memories of the good and great are claimed as the common property of mankind. They are the specimens of itself in which humanity glories; the types of what men ought to be, and living examples of what the grace of God can do with even a fallen nature. Men will not let such memories perish. They are the lode-stars of life to many: luminaries to all eyes that never sink beneath the horizon. Or in another view, they become sacred spoils rescued by their own inherent immortality from the power of the universal destroyer, and consecrated by the pen of history to embellish and enrich future and distant ages. Humanity would feel itself poor without them; and history would want its greatest lights and best lessons.
These intellectual and spiritual treasures may remain embodied in the writings which such pre-eminently wise and good men bequeath to the world ;• or they may consist in the records which others preserve of their bright example, wise instructions, and useful lives; and sometimes partly in their own writings, and partly in those of others concerning them. It is only occasionally and rarely that such persons embalm their own memories, for the benefit of their successors, in an autobiography; and probably it is chiefly due to the rarity of this species of composition, that the desire to peruse it has become so strong.
It is a difficult and a delicate thing for a man to write memoirs of himself, and the world is curious to see how he can perform it. There is strong reason, however, to doubt whether any artist could produce so good a portrait of himself as he could of some other person, or some other of him. At any rate Ave have seldom seen an autobiography which conveyed so accurate and complete a conception of the character of its subject as might have been conveyed by Euiother hand; though in some lineaments it might have been more accurate and striking.
There are doubtless many things in a man’s experience and feelings which no one can understand and explain so well as himself — many facts in his history which no one can describe so well as himself — and perhaps some traits and some phases of his character which no one can harmonize with his individuality so well as himself j and if he be so thoroughly honest and simple-hearted as not to fear being “known and read of all men,” and so devout a worshipper of truth as to sacrifice pride and fame upon its altar, then he may produce an autobiography the accuracy of which would command the approving verdict of all competent judges, and the value of which every reader would appreciate. In that case we might place the portrait in the picture gallery and moral treasury of the mind, to be studied for imitation, as well as reverenced and guarded by honour and love. When the memory of the just has thus embodied itself in form, and embalmed itself in our affections, it only remains for us then to give to it that vital force and influence which shall enable it to reproduce its like in ourselves and future generations.
Whether our esteemed friend, Mr. Jay, showed more wisdom in writing memoirs of himself than he would have shown in leaving materials by which some other hand might have traced his history, and described his character, or whether he has comprised in his autobiography as much of himself and his history as his friends and the world will care to know, are both questions, we suspect, on which there will be a diversity of opinion, and which as editors it does not become us to decide. It is, however, quite certain that many interesting facts in his history are not noticed in the Biography, and that some of the most important and instructive come out in his Reminiscences of other persons: so that the reader must not expect to find anything like a complete narrative of Mr. Jay’s life in his Autobiography.
While it is probable that many readers of this volume will
b2 feel some disappointment that Mr. Jay has not left us a history of his life at once more comprehensive and minute, yet the record of his matured opinions on various important subjects connected with the cause of Evangelical Religion, will by men of sound judgment be accepted as ample compensation for the lack of historic detail. Of how much greater value, in other memoirs of eminent persons, would such expressions of opinion have proved, than many of those ordinary incidents of every-day life which, as they convey no important information, and elucidate no principle serve only to swell the bulk, without enhancing the worth, of the volume, or it may be volumes. In the one case we are listening to the decisions of wisdom and experience, while in the other we are entertained with facts without interest, or garrulity without amusement.
Mr. Jays Reminiscences often bear no inconsiderable relation to himself, and show the influences of early connexions. But there are many interesting and memorable facts relating to his personal history which he has failed to record in either section of his work, and which we have felt it our duty to supply as far as we have been able to collect information. In the matter of dates also in the Autobiography, where they were most essential, our friend has been totally negligent. There is scarcely one from the beginning to the end. INIost of those, however, which were of any importance, we have been enabled to supply from Letters, Magazines, Reviews, and other sources.
To us, moreover, it appears an inauspicious circumstance that Mr. Jay should have left his Autobiography to so late a period of life. The undertaking was frequently urged upon him by his children, but it was not until a very earnest Letter, in the name of the rest, was written by one of his sons, that he commenced it resolutely and at once. This was about August in the year 1843. He then wrote as follows; —
“At length I have begun in good earnest, having such good health and some leisure, besides what relaxation requires, to write the memoir. The sight of the Letter you wrote, dated August 6, 1842, urging it, fell in my way, and I yielded to it. My plan is to address it in a number of Letters to yourself,* like Mr. Winter’s to me, as I can go on by easy degrees. I have already written seven, but I send them not (not having copies), lest they should be lost; and I may like to revise them as I proceed. I am so happy I have hit upon this method, and begin to feel an interest in it. The fragments I wrote some years ago will occasionally come in with alterations and additions. Now tell no one this but your wife, till I give you leave. Should my health continue I hope to bring together a good number of these Letters; but I find I must not apply too closely, as it affects my head and my stomach.’^
At this period Mr. Jay was in his seventy-fourth year, and though) as to his preaching abilities, possibly as lively and popular as ever, yet as to his recollection of dates, and the order of circumstances, it was scarcely to be expected that he could avoid some confusion, even if he retained vivid recollections of events and persons through so long a series of years. It does not appear that he had kept any diary or memoranda, and most probably had nothing to aid him but his memory when he first commenced his work. This, however, we believe applies solely to the Autobiography. — The “Reminiscences” were committed to paper much earlier, at least in part. Some of them were evidently written soon after the demise of the subjects of them. Many of these were persons of note and eminence in their day, whose friendship Mr. Jay highly prized; and all of them had some influence in the formation of his character, or in directing the events and circumstances of his life. Several of the most
* This was addressed to one of his sons, but he afterwards changed his purpose, and addressed these Letters to ail his children.
distinguished subjects of his Reminiscences have had copious and separate biographical works devoted to them. This, however, will not lessen but rather heighten the interest attaching to his recollections. They are entirely his own, and for the most part will be clear additions to the facts already known concerning those eminent and excellent persons. In some instances a clearer light will be thrown on certain facts, some obscurities will be removed, and some mistakes or misrepresentations corrected. We are quite sure Mr. Jays anecdotes will be highly relished by the admirers of those characters to whom they relate.
Concerning his correspondence we have only a very few observations to offer. It appears that Mr. Jay felt a great reluctance to engage in letter- writing. He refers to this so early in his history as the commencement of his acquaintance with Miss Davies, afterwards Mrs. Jay. The reader will find it confirmed in an early section of his Autobiography. He frequently alludes to it in the course of his correspondence, and in several other parts of his writings; sometimes alleging conscious distaste and incapacity, though at other times charging neglect and failure to the pressure of other claims and the multiplicity of public engagements. Yet we have had a very considerable mass of letters submitted to our examination, a fair proportion of them being long letters.
In a paper containing directions and suggestions to his literary executors, he writes thus: ‘’ With regard to my Correspondence I now see I never laid sufficient stress upon letter- writing as the means of promoting social affection and moral pleasure and profit. I had naturally an aversion to letter- writing. My letters were therefore few and imperfect, and written in haste, as if occupying time taken from more serious engagements. I therefore think none of them entitled to publication. Yet I would leave this, after my own expressed opinion, to the judgment of my executors.’^
While using the liberty here conceded to us for the gratification of friends, we have at the same time respected Mr. Jay’s own opinion by making a comparatively small selection.
It would seem from Mr. Jay’s high appreciation of the epistolary style of both Newton and Cowper, that he felt it difficult to realize his own ideal of excellence in this department. This may explain his reluctance to make the effi)rt, while the eagerness oi his correspondents to be favoured with his letters attests how successful he was when he did make it. His own style in his letters scarcely yields in simplicity, playfulness, and ease, to the eminent examples at which he aspired. The frequent excuses and apologies he makes for delay clearly prove that he was not what is conventionally termed a good correspondent. In this respect he contrasts himself with his admired and beloved tutor, who was distinguished for the excellence as well as for the extent of his epistolary correspondence. Mr. Winter, he says, ‘^^ frequently cautioned his young men not to follow his example. In one case, at least, this advice, I fear, was pursued to the extreme, and this he equally censured. The writer is the guilty individual. When, therefore, I had my last interview with my venerable friend, he asked me — for he was willing, if possible, to learn of those he had taught — to sketch the outline of a sermon from the words, ‘His letters, say they, are weighty.’ I complied; but in presenting it expressed my wonder at the choice of the subject, and intimated that I could hardly deem it important enough for the edification of an audience, many of whom could not write at all. He smiled, and I saw he had gained his object. In this way he had iasinuated a mild reproof. He had drawn from me some reflections on the utility and importance of letter- writing, by which I own I was condemned.” *
An indiscriminate publication of a man’s letters is not to be
* Mr. Jay’s Life of Winter, p. 313.
applauded. A considerable proportion of all letters written by men of such publicity as Mr. Jay must be letters upon business or domestic occurrences, or entering into details of family matters or intercbanges of friendship, in which strangers can feel no interest whatever, and from which they can extract no improvement. It is but rarely that men engaged in public life can sit down to discuss set subjects with their friends; and it is but very seldom indeed that such persons can afford time for more than prompt and brief replies to their correspondents. But sometimes their letters to their afflicted friends are highly valued, and may be appropriate to many besides those to whom they were first addressed. We have made a selection of those letters to Mr. Jay’s friends, and of some of theirs to him, which we have thought would be read with interest by others.
We trust the perusal of the whole work will gratify Mr. Jays numerous friends, and through the Divine blessing promote that great and good cause to which our venerated friend devoted his long life and earnest endeavours.