Victorian children’s writer Mrs. Favell Lee Mortimer (born Favell Lee Bevan) was a woman of deep piety--and of even more profound prejudices. Born a Quaker in London in 1802, she converted to Evangelicalism at age 25 and devoted her life to the proper religious development of children, a task that involved extolling the virtues of Protestantism and denouncing as corrupt or evil every other form of faith and practice.
... Show more
Sermons & Devotionals by Favell Lee Mortimer
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 11:25 to end. Christ offers a thanksgiving to his Father, and invites the heavy laden to come to Him.
We have now read the end of our Savior's discourse to the people, after John the Baptist's messengers had departed. The beginning of the discourse contains warnings and reproofs, but the end is filled with thanksgivings, invitations, and entreaties. Jesus intermingled prayer to his Father with his a... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 11:7-17. Jesus commends John the Baptist.
God has said, "those who honor me I will honor."—(1 Sam. 2:30.) John the Baptist honored Christ much in his preaching, and now we hear how greatly Christ honored him. The Lord, who knows all men, declared that no prophet greater than John had ever appeared. Elijah, who raised the widow's son, was no... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:1-8. Christ defends his disciples when falsely charged with the breach of the Sabbath.
The Pharisees were so much inflamed against Christ, that now that he was in Jerusalem they sought eagerly to find some accusation against him, or his disciples. They particularly watched them on the Sabbath day; and now they thought they had caught them in a fault, because they observed them pluckin... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:14-21. Isaiah's description of the gentle and compassionate Savior.
Though Jesus had silenced his enemies in the synagogue, he had not overcome the enmity of their hearts. Though they could not answer him, they could hate him. So great was their hatred, that when they left the synagogue, "they held a council against him how they might kill him." Without the grace of... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:31, 32. He warns against the unpardonable sin.
This is a very dreadful part of our Savior's discourse to the Pharisees. There is a sin which cannot be forgiven, and it is a sin of the tongue. Certain words which may be spoken against the Holy Spirit, are called, "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." There is a mystery in this subject which we wou... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:33-37. Jesus warns against idle words.
Behold an instance of the severe terms in which the meek and gentle Jesus sometimes rebuked sinners. He called the Pharisees a "generation of vipers." Thus he declared them to be the seed of the old serpent, and the children of Satan. They had accused him of casting out devils through the power of S... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:38-42. He refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees.
It was not with a sincere desire to be convinced of the truth that the Pharisees wished for a sign. They had already witnessed so many miracles that they could not avoid knowing that Jesus was the Son of God. This was their great sin, that when they knew the truth they would not confess it. As our S... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:43-45. The parable of the unclean spirit.
It was in this alarming manner that our Savior concluded his rebukes to the wicked Pharisees. We can scarcely call this short history a parable, because it appears to be a literal account of an event that has taken place. Still it is a parable, because it is partly figurative—the heart of a man is l... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:46 to end. He describes who are his mother and his brethren.
Such were the gentle words which our Savior added to a discourse containing many severe reproofs and dreadful warnings. The former discourse, recorded in Matthew 11, also ended with sweet encouragement—"Come unto me, all you that are weary and heavy laden." But the passage we have just read is still... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 12:9-13. Christ heals the man with the withered hand.
It was upon the way to the synagogue that the disciples had plucked the ears of corn; for our Savior did honor to the ordinances of public worship by attending them himself. He taught at the synagogue, he sat among the readers, and expounded. His enemies were present; for they observed the forms of ... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:1-18. Christ relates the parable of the sower, and explains why he spoke in parables.
We have much reason to rejoice that our blessed Savior explained the parable of the Sower; for had he not done so, many different opinions respecting its meaning would have been held, but now the signification is fixed and certain. We will, however, defer the consideration of it until we read our Lo... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:18-21. The explanation of the former part of the parable of the sower.
There is one circumstance which renders this parable peculiarly interesting. It describes the characters of all people who hear the gospel; therefore it must describe ours. Let us endeavor to discover by the help of God to which class we belong. First—there are the wayside hearers—these seem to be c... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:22, 23. The explanation of the latter part of the parable of the sower.
Let us now consider the two latter kind of hearers which our Savior has described. One is the thorny ground hearer—the soil of his heart is not so dry and barren as that of the stony ground hearer. The word sinks into it, and springs up, and blossoms, and buds, and produces fruit; but, alas! not goo... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:24-30. The parable of the wheat and tares, with the explanation contained in ver. 36-43.
The parable of the wheat and tares in some respects resembles that of the Sower of the seed, but it differs from it in this respect. In the parable of the Sower we heard only of good seed; here we read also of bad seed. While Christ, by his faithful ministers, sows good seed, or the pure gospel, the... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:31-35. Parables of the mustard-seed and of the leaven.
We will now consider several short parables that our Savior related, but of which he gave no interpretation; still we may endeavor from other parts of Scripture to discover their meaning. The seed of the mustard-tree is smaller in proportion to the size of the tree it produces, than any other seed. ... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:44-46. The parables of the hidden treasure and of the pearls.
We should be much astonished if a man were to show such eagerness to possess a common field, that he was willing to give any price for it. But if we afterwards found that he had discovered in it a mine of precious ore, we should not be surprised at his anxiety to obtain the field, even at a very hig... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 13:47 to 52. The parable of the fishing-net.
The parable of the net cast into the sea was calculated particularly to interest the disciples, many of whom were fishermen. They were accustomed, after the toils of the day, to sort the fish they had taken. This employment affords a lively image of the distinctions that will be made at the last day... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 14:22 to end. He walks upon the sea.
This history contains a beautiful instance of the care of our Savior over his people. On another occasion the disciples were alarmed, because Jesus was asleep when a storm arose. How much more alarm they probably felt now that he was absent! Yet it ought to have comforted them to remember that he hi... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 15:1-20. Jesus eats with unwashed hands.
It has often been observed, that in the character of Jesus, opposite qualities were united. We seldom (or perhaps never) see a man remarkable at once for meekness, and for boldness. Yet our Lord was remarkable for both. The incident we have just read, affords an instance of his boldness in dealing f... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 15:21-28. The woman of Tyre.
It is very interesting to observe the various ways in which Jesus behaved to afflicted people. Some, he offered to relieve; saying to one at the pool of Bethesda, "Will you be made whole?" and to another with a withered hand at the synagogue, "Stretch forth your hand." Others he restored on their FI... Read More
Subscribe
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Most Searched
Group of Brands
© 2026 Bibleportal.com All rights reserved.