Welcome to Call to Decision 

 American Minute with Bill Federer

 May 17

 The first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was the president
 of the American Bible Society.

 Who was he?

 John Jay, who died MAY 17, 1829.

 A member of the Continental Congress, even serving as its president,
 John Jay signed the Treaty of Paris with Franklin and Adams, ending
 the Revolutionary War.

 Jay helped ratify the Constitution by writing the Federalist Papers
 with Madison and Hamilton.

 In 1777, John Jay told an Ulster County Grand Jury:

 "The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favoured with an
 opportunity of...choosing the forms of government under which they
 should live."

 To the New York Convention, December 23, 1776, John Jay said:

 "When you have done all things, then rely upon the good Providence of
 Almighty God for success, in full confidence that without his
 blessings, all our efforts will inevitably fail."

 Jay continued:

 "The Holy Gospels are yet to be preached to these western regions,
 and we have the highest reason to believe that the Almighty will not
 suffer slavery and the gospel to go hand in hand. It cannot, it will
 not be."

 On May 17, 1829, as he was dying, John Jay was asked if he had any
 last words for his children.

 He replied: "They have the Book."