REST

"Leaning on Jesus' bosom." -John 13:23 [KJV]

 

Methinks I would contemplate for a while the privilege of this highly-favoured disciple John. Surely to sit at the feet of Jesus, to look up at His face, to behold the Lamb of God, and to hear the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, what should I have thought of this but a happiness unspeakable and full of glory! But the beloved apostle leaned on Jesus's bosom. Oh, Thou condescending Saviour! didst Thou mean to manifest, by this endearing token, how dear and precious all Thy redeemed ones are in Thy esteem?  

 

But stop, my soul. If John lay on Jesus's breast, where was it Jesus Himself lay, when He left all for thy salvation? The disciple whom Jesus loved lay upon Jesus's bosom; but He, whom the Father loved, lay in the bosom of the Father - nay, was embosomed there; was wrapt up in the very soul of the Father from eternity. Who shall undertake to speak of the most glorious state of the Son of God, before He condescended to come forth from the bosom of God for the salvation of His people? Who shall describe the blessedness of the Father and the Son in their mutual enjoyment of each other?  

 

Jesus, when He was in the bosom of the Father, had not emptied Himself of His glory. Jesus had not been made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus had not put Himself under the law. He was not then a man of sorrows. He was not then acquainted with grief. He had not then exposed His face to shame and spitting; neither to poverty, temptation, the bloody sweat, and the cross. And did Jesus go through all these, and more? Did Jesus leave the Father's bosom; and did the Father take this only-begotten, only-beloved Son from His bosom; that John might lean on Jesus's bosom, and all the redeemed, like him, one day, dwell with Jesus, and lean and rest in His embraces for ever?  Oh, for hearts to love both the FATHER and the SON, Who have so loved us; that we may be ready to part with all, and forsake all, and die to all, that we may live in Jesus, and to Jesus, and rest in His bosom for ever. 

 

-preacher Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.)

February 28th, THE POOR MAN’S MORNING PORTION

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more