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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 the blessedness of being servants of Christ, who are distinguished from the world by serving Him. God's servants partake in the spiritual feast of Jesus, the living bread and water, and rejoice with joy of heart. They have the privilege of seeing God's face through faith and will one day behold Him in all His glory. The name of Christ is imprinted on their foreheads, signifying the transformation into His image by the Spirit of the Lord.
His Servants Shall Serve Him
AUGUST 25. MORNING. "His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." Rev 22:3,4 Mark these pictures, my soul. Jesus has servants, and they are distinguished from the world. They "serve Him." What is it to serve Christ? Free grace has made them servants, in bringing them from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. This is why the prophet proclaims in the Lord's name, "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit." (Isa 65:13,14) How distinguishing are these pictures! God's servants have the table of Jesus to sit down to; the bread of life, the bread of God, the living bread, which is Jesus himself, to feed upon. They shall drink also; for he that is their living bread is their living water also -even the water of life, of which whosoever drinks shall thirst no more; "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14) The servants of the Lord shall rejoice, and sing for joy of heart also. Yes, "The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom 14:17) And this is not all. The servants of the Lord shall "See his face." They do now, by faith in his word, in his ordinances, in his manifestations, visits, grace, providences. And, by and by, when this veil of covering, cast over all people, is totally taken down and removed at death, they shall have a glorious view of the King in his beauty by sight. Moreover, his name is said to be "in their foreheads." Yes, it is so; the image of Christ is impressed upon them, as "Holiness to the Lord" was engraved on the head covering of Aaron. "Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [they] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor 3:18) My soul, what do you say to these evidences? Are they yours? Take the comfort of them to yourself.
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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.