June 20—Morning Devotion
“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”—Ephesians 6:24
And dost thou, my soul, with the same affection and love as the apostle, bend thy knee this morning before His throne, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth are named? Dost thou look up, and pray that all grace may abound? Oh what a delightful thought is it, my soul, to warm thy affections, that in the moment thou art waiting at the mercy-scat, thousands are waiting also for the morning blessing. Go then, my soul, and tell thy Redeemer this; tell him that he hath all suited grace, and that the eyes of his redeemed, as the eyes of one man, are all directed towards him. Yes, thou glorious, rich, and gracious Saviour, we do behold thee still as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, leading thy church which is above in glory to fountains of living waters. And, Lord, we know that thou art equally attentive to thy church in the dry and barren wilderness here below, where no waters are. Vouchsafe, blessed Lord, to supply each soul. Thou hast every grace, and all grace, suited to all wants; grace to pardon, grace to save, grace to renew, grace to strengthen, grace to bless. Oh Lord, awaken, convince, humble, comfort, and pour out of thy fulness as our several necessities may be, in calling, cleansing, justifying, adopting, sanctifying, and building up thine household, that all grace may abound, according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Oh ye attendants at the heavenly gate, see that ye come not empty away. Remember Jesus is on the throne; eye him there. Behold, the very grace you need is in his hand; read the love that is in his heart, and remember that he hath not only the very grace you need, but every grace, and every mercy for all that wait upon him. Tell every poor sinner this, and bid him ask in faith, nothing doubting. Tell all you know, and all you meet, and all you see, that He who is on the throne hath abundant grace, and wants vessels, the empty vessels of his people, to give out into: tell them that his grace exceeds all sense of grace, all thoughts, all prayers, all praises, all desires; nay, that he hath exceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think. Behold, then, O Lord, thy children, thy redeemed, thy family, and let all grace be with all them, and upon all them that love thee in sincerity. Amen.
Robert Hawker (1753-1827) was an Anglican (High-Calvinist) preacher who served as Vicar of Charles Church, Plymouth. John Hazelton wrote of him:
“The prominent features…in Robert Hawker's testimony…was the Person of Christ….Dr. Hawker delighted to speak of his Lord as "My most glorious Christ.” What anxious heart but finds at times in the perusal of the doctor's writings a measure of relief, a softening, and a mellowing? an almost imperceptible yet secret and constraining power in leading out of self and off from the misery and bondage of the flesh into a contemplation of the Person and preciousness of Christ as "the chiefest among ten thousand and the altogether lovely." Christ and Him crucified was emphatically the burden of his song and the keynote of his ministry. He preached his last sermon in Charles Church on March 18th, 1827, and on April 6th he died, after being six years curate and forty-three years vicar of the parish. On the last day of his life he repeated a part of Ephesians 1, from the 6th to the 12th verses, and as he proceeded he enlarged on the verses, but dwelt more fully on these words: "To the praise of His glory Who first trusted in Christ." He paused and asked, "Who first trusted in Christ?" And then made this answer: "It was God the Father Who first trusted in Christ."
Robert Hawker on the Biblical Covenants (Complete)
Robert Hawker's Poor Man's Morning Portions
