This little book of Meditations on the Sufferings and Death of the Lord Jesus Christ consists of 48 short pieces taken from Hawker’s The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions. This extract is from Meditation 31 on the text ‘But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre’ John 20:11.

Behold, my soul! in this woman, a delightful instance of what thy love should be to thy Lord. If at any time thou dost miss thy Jesus, and longest for his return, where wouldest thou expect him? Surely at his ordinances, in his word, at his throne of grace, where Jesus leads his sheep “forth by the footsteps of the flock”, and “feeds [his] kids beside the shepherds’ tents”. “How do men of the world pursue the object of their wishes, but where it is to be found? Are they thirsty? they haste to drink. Are they cold? they seek the fire. Follow this plan. If Jesus be away, seek him where he hath directed thee to come. So Mary waited at the sepulchre; and as she waited, she looked in, while she wept, to see the place where Jesus had lain. Sweet view of a sincere seeker! The heart and eye are both engaged, and all the affections are going forth in desire. The angels addressed Mary; but the sight of angels could not satisfy her, till Jesus himself came. It is worthy of remark, that the first appearance the Lord Jesus made of himself, after he arose from the dead, was to this woman, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And it is yet farther remarkable, that the first words which Jesus spake after the glorious event of his resurrection, was to Mary Magdalene! He passed by the whole of the apostles, to give Mary this distinguished honour. Mary stood at the door of the sepulchre, weeping, but the apostles had returned to their own homes: and the Lord Jesus rewarded that waiting. “Woman,” saith Jesus, “why weepest thou?” As if the Son of God had said, “What cause can there be now to weep, since all the ruins of the fall are done away, and sin, death, hell, and the grave, with all their tremendous consequences, are destroyed for ever?” I hope I do not mistake, but I think this feature in the character of the Lord Jesus, is calculated to dry up every tear from every eye of his redeemed. It seems to speak in the language of that precious scripture: “For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee” (Isaiah 30: 19). My soul! do not fail to take with thee the many blessed improvements, which the waiting of Mary, and the grace of Jesus in thus rewarding that waiting, brings with it. There is no interruption, no pause in Jesus’s love. In reading that sweet volume, there are no stops, no, not a comma, but what we ourselves make. And if at any time we find ourselves come to the bottom of a page full of the relations of Jesus and his love, it is only to turn over the leaf, and there we find the continuation of the same blessed subject. Now, my soul! learn, from Mary, to take thy stand where she stood; not at the sepulchre of Jesus, for he is risen, as he said, and we are commanded not to seek the living among the dead; but we are to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, and to look at Christ upon his throne of glory. Nevertheless, as the angels said to those who sought Christ at the tomb, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay”! so we may by faith often view that memorable sepulchre; and precious will be the meditation, as Mary’s was. And, my soul, do not forget who it was that led Mary thither, and gave her those sympathies, and at length converted her sorrow into the most heartfelt joy. Oh! it is blessed, it is precious, to be kept in the way, “the good old way,” of waiting upon the Lord. He is always near, and though he may for awhile seem to conceal himself, yet he will be found of them that seek him. He saith himself, “It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear”. “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am!” Blessed Jesus! do thou by me, do thou by all thy children, who seek thee sorrowing, as thou didst by Mary, and as thou dost by all thy people; “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?” And when our souls reply, “It is Jesus alone we seek,” Oh, then, to hear our own names called upon, as hers was, Mary! and in such a way as to draw forth every affection of the heart in our answer,” Rabboni! my Lord and my God!”

Meditation 31, page 90 – 93

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Consider Him by Robert Hawker, published by Gospel Standard Trust Publications (2016)