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 “Bushtit” by Chad Crouch and was adapted for length under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Thus saith the Lord! I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.—Jeremiah 2:2.
Pause, my soul, over this condescending token of God’s love to Israel, and see whether it doth not hold forth to thee a blessed portion for thy encouragement. Israel had been most undeserving; but yet the Lord would put Israel in remembrance, by assuring his people that he remembered their love when God first formed Israel into a people. When he led them into the wilderness, and married Israel, they sung the praise of Jehovah in their love-songs, on the day of their espousals. “Now,” saith the Lord, “I remember thee in these things; for these were tokens of affection, when thou wentest after me, in following the pillar of cloud through the desert; in trusting to a harvest, though as yet the land was not sown.” And may I, blessed Lord, sweetly interpret this precious portion with application to myself, as though my God so spake to me of the day of my espousals? Doth my God and Saviour remember me in the first awakenings of his grace, when, at the first mention of his name, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib? Well, then, may my soul remember thee, O thou God of my salvation! the savour of thy past love and past experiences gives now, at this moment, new delight to my soul, and awakens new desires of communion with my God. The-very recollection of what I then was, and how thou calledst me, and made my time a time of love; and how thou passedst by, and didst bid me live, and didst cleanse me, and take me home, and betrothedst me to thyself, and made me thine for ever; the very thoughts refresh my soul now; and these former experiences drive away present distresses and despondency! How is it, my soul, with thee now? Art thou less in frame—less in love? Hast thou not the same earnest liking to Jesus now, as then? Is the strength of thy love, and desires, and delights, abated? Look at this blessed Scripture. Hear what God saith to Israel, in a time of Israel’s coldness. See how God’s love was not changed, though Israel’s was so abated. Art thou, my soul, conscious of the same? Art thou lamenting it; desiring, waiting for some renewed token of thy Jesus’s love? Is his name, his Person, his righteousness, still precious? Dost thou wait but for the whispers of his grace? See, here it is— “I remember, though thou hast forgotten the day of thine espousals!” Oh! the wonderful condescension of the Son of God! Behold, my soul, how, in this very way, how he is preparing thine heart for the renewings of his love, and his sweet manifestations towards thee! Oh! cry out with the church of old, under similar circumstances, “Draw me; we will run after thee.” Unless thou drawest, Lord, the distance will remain; but the desire of being drawn shows the earnestness for union. Lord, I beseech thee, do this; bring me near to thyself, to thine everlasting embraces: then shall I run, nay, even flee to my beloved, and will hang upon thee as the vessel hangeth on the nail, and dwell, and remain, with thee for ever.
