The Father's Love for Jesus as Mediator | Ep. 1

"But the full apprehension of the love of the Father on this one account, cannot perhaps be brought within the capacity of the human mind. But if God the Father loves Jesus as Mediator, and for his undertaking, and is unceasingly beholding him with rapture on this account, it may serve at least to teach thee, my soul, how exceedingly it becomes thee to look to Jesus for the same; and that thine eyes, as the eyes of all the tribes of Israel, should be towards the Lord. Dearest Lord Jesus! let mine eyes, mine heart, my whole soul be fixed on thee, until every affection be going out in desires after thee. I would trace thee, as the Old Testament saints, who saw thy day "afar off, rejoiced, and were glad." I would see thee as New Testament believers, who are looking to thee, and "are enlightened, and their faces are not ashamed." I would see thee with the first dawn of the morning; yea, before the morning light, and "until the day break, and the shadows flee away;" and until my beloved come to me "as a roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether!" Yes, precious Lord Jesus! I would be sending the earnest longings of my soul through the windows of the eye after thee, and never give rest to my eyes, nor slumber to my eye-lids, until that blessed hour arrive, when no medium shall intervene to prevent the full enjoyment of my soul in thee; and when a body of sin and death shall no longer weary my soul, in her enjoyment of thee; but I shall then see Jesus as he is, and never more lose sight of his lovely person, but live in his presence, and Jesus in mine, for evermore"

• Robert Hawker (1753-1827), Poor Man's Portion, p. 360