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Robert Hawker
Robert Hawker (1753–1827) was an English preacher and Anglican priest whose powerful evangelical ministry earned him the nickname "Star of the West" in 18th- and early 19th-century Devon. Born in 1753 in Exeter, England, he was the son of Jacob Hawker, a surgeon. Initially trained in medicine under Samuel White in Plymouth and serving briefly as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Marines, Hawker shifted his path to theology. He entered Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1778, and was ordained in 1779. Appointed assistant curate at Charles Church, Plymouth, under John Bedford in 1778, he succeeded Bedford as vicar in 1784, a position he held until his death. In 1772, at age 19, he married Anna Rains, with whom he had eight children. Hawker’s preaching career was marked by his extemporaneous, high-Calvinist sermons, which drew thousands with their passion, biblical depth, and accessibility, often lasting 70 to 80 minutes and necessitating gallery expansions at Charles Church. Known for beginning services with spontaneous prayers—sometimes against clerical norms—he preached annually in London to packed congregations, reportedly impressing King George III, who handed him sermon texts moments before preaching. Beyond the pulpit, he launched one of the earliest Sunday School hymn books around 1787 and, in 1813, founded the Corpus Christi Society to aid distressed Christians across denominational lines. A prolific writer, his works like The Poor Man’s Morning Portion (1809) and Poor Man’s Commentary on the New Testament (1816) were priced affordably for the working class, reflecting his pastoral heart. During the 1809 fever outbreak in Plymouth, he and Anna tirelessly tended to sick soldiers, risking their own health.
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Robert Hawker preaches about finding true rest and security in Jesus, emphasizing that without Him, life can be filled with horrors and unsatisfying pursuits. He highlights how those who do not know Jesus are constantly seeking good things in the world, ultimately aiming to fulfill their fleshly desires. The sermon encourages the listener to make the light of God's countenance their greatest desire, leading to a heart filled with gladness that surpasses worldly abundance. The ultimate goal is to experience the blessedness of being in God's presence day by day, finding peace and safety in Him both in life and in death.
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I Will Lie Down in Peace
July 13 EVENING. "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 My soul! it is blessed, indeed, to lie down, or arise, when Jesus is your rest and refreshment! But, apart from security and safety in him, both the day-light and the darkness have their horrors. And how unsatisfying is every thing where Jesus is not? This is strikingly exemplified, day by day, among all carnal characters. According to the Psalmist, "there are many that say, who will show us any good?" Indeed, the whole world, who knows not the blessedness of Jesus, will speak this way! What a busy life some men make of it? And what is it for? Be their pursuits what they may; let them be ever so much diversified, one object is the aim of all. The apostle has said what it is: to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts. (Rom 13:14) My soul! what is the first and last, the greatest and most momentous desire of your heart? Can you, and do you, adopt the words of the Psalmist, in this sweet psalm: "Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased." Oh! the blessedness of such a state! May it be mine! Dearest Lord Jesus! grant it to me, day by day; and in the evening and night watches, let your sweet visits be unceasingly renewing: and then will I take this precious portion for my song, both when undressing for the bed of sleep, and on the bed of death: "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
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Robert Hawker (1753–1827) was an English preacher and Anglican priest whose powerful evangelical ministry earned him the nickname "Star of the West" in 18th- and early 19th-century Devon. Born in 1753 in Exeter, England, he was the son of Jacob Hawker, a surgeon. Initially trained in medicine under Samuel White in Plymouth and serving briefly as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Marines, Hawker shifted his path to theology. He entered Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1778, and was ordained in 1779. Appointed assistant curate at Charles Church, Plymouth, under John Bedford in 1778, he succeeded Bedford as vicar in 1784, a position he held until his death. In 1772, at age 19, he married Anna Rains, with whom he had eight children. Hawker’s preaching career was marked by his extemporaneous, high-Calvinist sermons, which drew thousands with their passion, biblical depth, and accessibility, often lasting 70 to 80 minutes and necessitating gallery expansions at Charles Church. Known for beginning services with spontaneous prayers—sometimes against clerical norms—he preached annually in London to packed congregations, reportedly impressing King George III, who handed him sermon texts moments before preaching. Beyond the pulpit, he launched one of the earliest Sunday School hymn books around 1787 and, in 1813, founded the Corpus Christi Society to aid distressed Christians across denominational lines. A prolific writer, his works like The Poor Man’s Morning Portion (1809) and Poor Man’s Commentary on the New Testament (1816) were priced affordably for the working class, reflecting his pastoral heart. During the 1809 fever outbreak in Plymouth, he and Anna tirelessly tended to sick soldiers, risking their own health.