A reading of Anglican priest Robert Hawker’s (1753–1827) morning devotional writings from “The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portion.”
The music for this reading is “Belted Kingfisher” by Chad Crouch and was adapted for length under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
The man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.—Ruth 3:18.
Behold, my soul, in this scripture-history some sweet features by which the disposition of Jesus’s love, and the earnestness in his heart to relieve poor sinners, is strikingly set forth. When a poor sinner is made acquainted with the Lord Jesus, hath heard of his grace, goes forth to glean in his fields; at the ordinances of his house, and under the ministration of his word, lies down at his feet and prays to be covered with the skirt of his mantle; Jesus not only takes notice of that poor seeking sinner, but gives the poor creature to know, by some sweet and secret whispers of his Holy Spirit, that he is not unacquainted with all that is in his heart. And when such have lain long, and earnestly sought, even through the whole night of doubt and fear, until the morning of grace breaks in upon the soul, yet may they be assured the God-man Christ Jesus will not rest until that he hath finished the thing. It is one of the most blessed truths of the gospel, (and do thou, my soul, see to it that it is written in thy best and strongest remembrance, to have recourse to, as may be needed, upon every occasion,) that a seeking sinner is not more earnest to see Jesus’, and enjoy him, than Jesus is to reveal himself to that seeking sinner, and form himself in the sinner’s heart the hope of glory; for Jesus will not, cannot, cease his love to poor sinners, until the object for which he came to seek and save them is fully answered. And it is a thought, my soul, enough to warm thy coldest moments, that all the hallelujahs of heaven cannot call off thy Jesus’s attention from the necessities of even the poorest of his little ones here upon earth. In every individual instance and in every case, Jesus will not rest until that he hath finished the thing, as well in the hearts of his people as in the world, when he finished the work the Father gave him to do. Yes! Jesus will not rest until the last redeemed soul is brought home to glory. Precious consideration! how ought it to endear yet more the preciousness of the Redeemer!
