Zion's Pilgrim

Robert Hawker was the vicar of Charles, in Plymouth from 1778-1827. He was concerned to engage the attention of his flock beyond the church walls with an extensive writing ministry, which is most well known for his Poor Man's Bible Commentary and Morning and Evening Portions. Altogether it ran to 10 volumes when his collected works were first published in 1831. He inventively adopted a different literary form in Zion's Pilgrim to provoke interest whilst instilling sound teaching. It appears his thoughts ran along similar lines to those of John Bunyan, and indeed this composition of his has been favourably compared with Pilgrim's Progress. It has the same theme - tracing out the life and experiences of a pilgrim (cf. Hebrews 11:13). However it must be said that in terms of literature it is far short of Bunyan's standard, although arguably reaching greater heights theologically. Hawker has a style that is quaint, his characters and plot are almost ludicrously contrived, but for the serious and discerning reader there is much meat on the bone here. His Pilgrim starts out and almost immediately encounters a neighbour - the Moral Man. Hawker's familiarity with the methods and reasonings of Pilgrim's antagonists is evident. He does not set up straw men to knock down, but we recognise in them the age-old arguments subtly brought forward. These deepen with the Moral Preacher at church, then shift when entering the home circle of a 'pious' family. But he is helped to progress by meeting a Traveller and through his introduction to a very different kind of prayer meeting and the (inevitable) Poor Man who ministers at it. Here we find a very different kind of religion, and one which begins to enter into Pilgrim's case. There are yet many adventures leading to his conversion, and after to an advanced age, but all are subservient to Hawker's purpose of instruction in the vital principles of a revealed faith. There is a savouriness about these truths which transcends the shortcomings of the form into which they are cast, and well repays persevering reading.
The edition of Zion's Pilgrim still available to purchase new is a paperback volume within Gospel Mission's Select Works set, which sells separately at just £6.95. They are reproductions of the originals, which is short of desirable, as this book could do with some reformatting. Introducing chapters would be helpful for a start!
Jeremy
Zion's Pilgrim by Robert Hawker, Gospel Mission, £6.95

Recommended Devotional Readings

Reformation Heritage Books are to be congratulated for being constrained to reprint this classic, after a year of it being unavailable.  Robert Hawker (1753-1827) was vicar of Charles in Plymouth, and conscious of the poor amongst his congregation, published these meditations for them on texts of scripture in small, affordable penny portions.  The eventual result was this Christ-centred devotional, which still satisfies the 'poor in spirit, who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom.'  I am really pleased to have got a good stock of these on board - possibly the first in the UK to have done so?!  Our price is £24.95, which is not bad for a chunky hardback book (730 devotions for the whole year) now with a stylish new cover design.  Joel R Beeke has written a very informative and warm introduction to Dr Hawker and his ministry, which he feels has been 'largely overlooked by modern scholarship.'  May these daily doses of free grace doctrine be to the benefit of many readers.  I'm using them at the moment and I would encourage you to do so too.  This isn't a sales plug - beg, borrow or buy a copy from whoever you can!  You won't regret it.
'The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions' by Robert Hawker DD.
Jeremy

New Focus Conference 2011

It is a real pleasure to take good books where they are really appreciated.  This has always been the case at the New Focus Conference.  After doing a local bookstall at the Pennine Bible Witness last Friday evening, we went down to Gornal, near Dudley, West Midlands, for the day on Saturday. It was a tough schedule, but the Lord blessed us.  The driving conditions were ideal, the children were commendable, the books were mopped up by avid readers, and there was some good fellowship, ministry, and conversations.  Not to mention the excellent hospitality!  Where else in this country could you take books and easily sell edifying old authors like Robert Hawker and William Gadsby?  If you can tell me, I'd love to know!  Given half a chance, we would move heaven and earth to go, and count it a real privilege to do so.
Jeremy

Samuel Eyles Pierce

What an interesting and unusual name! I wonder how many people now have even heard of him. But his 'Exposition of Psalms' in 2 volumes has just been deemed worthy of being republished by Particular Baptist Press (PBP). It follows on in their Newport Commentary series from 1 John, also by Pierce (see 2nd from left on bookshelf picture above). But the Psalms volumes were 'very scarce' when C H Spurgeon commended it in his famous and comprehensive 'Commenting and Commentaries' in the 1800s. I was told by PBP that they had only managed to locate one old copy in the US to do their publication from. I have obtained some sets of this quality bound limited edition for £59 per set.

Samuel Eyles Pierce (1746 - 1829) ministered for some time in the west country, particularly Truro, before ending up as pastor of the Baptist church meeting in Shoe Lane, London. He was first in the Church of England, being greatly blessed under the ministry of Augustus Toplady and then William Romaine. Then he became an Independent and trained at Lady Huntingdon's college for ministers at Trevecca for 4 years. But finally he became convinced of believer's baptism. In all his writings he is very full of Christ, insisting that the believer must moment by moment be depending on him, as nothing but sin and unsoundness even in the most earnest endeavours is found within the heart. "Christ is all, and in all" is his motto, and this dictates his approach to the Psalms.

There is a lovely story which is very telling of the spiritual relationship between Pierce and Robert Hawker (Vicar of Charles in Plymouth) :

On Dr Hawker's last visit to London, he was accosted by a gentleman on his leaving St Ann's, Blackfriars, who lamented his return home. The Doctor replied, "My dear sir, I shall not take the gospel with me." "Where," said the person, "would you advise me to go to hear it?" The Doctor rejoined, "Go and hear Mr Pierce, at Shoe Lane. Not that I mean to put myself on a level with that man of God, still I hope I am hobbling after him, though at a great distance." (from J A Jones in the preface to an 1862 edition of Pierce's 'Letters on Spiritual Subjects')

Jeremy

Don Fortner

Don Fortner, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Danville, Kentucky is due to preach at Egglesburn Baptist Church in Teesdale on Wednesday night (18/04/07), God willing. Anyone interested? Contact Peter Meney, Tel. 01833 650797 or email peter@go-newfocus.co.uk for details.

Don has written a number of books, all of which we stock. One Biblical Studies Series is called 'Discovering Christ in...' and he covers the books of Genesis, Ruth, Song of Solomon and Revelation.

I know that Lorna enjoyed the one on Ruth and used it as daily reading material.

As far as I am concerned, however, Don's greatest service to the Christian public was in instigating the project of republishing Dr Robert Hawker's commentary on the whole Bible (a 9 vol set). This is known as the 'Poor Man's Commentary', mainly because it was first issued in small portions to suit the pocket of the average worker in the early 1800s. But I like to think that it also refers to the fact that Hawker consistently points out the fullness of the love of Christ to the feelingly poor and needy sinner. We were glad to lend a hand in the republication work in 2005 by providing an original copy for scanning. We are one of the few stockists of this valuable commentary on this side of the Atlantic.

Jeremy