San Diego
Grace Fellowship

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

February 3

Morning

"Who loved me, and gave himself for me."—Gal. ii. 20.

See, my soul, how Paul is for ever using Jesus, and feasting for ever upon him. Oh! seek grace to do the same. He saith, Jesus loved him; Jesus, the Son of God, loved Paul. Now love from any object is valuable, but from the first, and best, and greatest of all Beings, what invaluable love is this? And who did Christ love? "Why me," saith Paul: "who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious." And how do you know, Paul, that Jesus loved you? " He gave himself for me," saith Paul. "Gave himself?" Yes, himself. Not his gifts only, not his grace, not his mercies, though all creation is his. And whatever he gave must have been an undeserved mercy; for I merited hell, when he bestowed upon me heaven. But even heaven, with all its glories, is nothing, saith Paul, to what Jesus gave me; for he gave "himself for me." Oh! my soul, wilt thou not look up, wilt thou not be encouraged to hope, to believe, to hang upon Jesus, for the same. Oh! for faith to believe. Precious Jesus! thou author and finisher of faith, grant me this mercy! And while I read these sweet words concerning thee, who loved and who gave thyself for poor lost sinners-Oh! like Paul, and with the same assurance of faith, cause me to add—me, me: Jesus "loved me, and gave himself for me."

Evening

"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.)"—Psalm xlix. 7,8.

How very striking is the former of these verses! And Oh! how justly true! If it were possible for the rich worldling to keep back from the grave, by purchase, his worldly friend, would he do it? Yes, indeed, it is possible he might, under the presumption, that when it came to his turn, he should himself be redeemed. It is, however, of little consequence to estimate human friendship, when they are altogether helpless in the most important of all concerns. But, my soul, doth not this scripture point to him, and tend to endear him to thy warmest affections, who was indeed "a brother born for adversity;" and who, "though rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that through his poverty we might be made rich?" Jesus was, and is, the brother (mentioned in that scripture, Lev. xxv. 25.) who, when our whole nature was waxen poor, and we had sold our possession, and had no power to redeem it, came and proved his—relationship by ransoming our lost inheritance.