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.
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Sermons & Devotionals by Favell Lee Mortimer
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 2:12-15. The heavenly warnings.
Twice in a very little space God sent messages to his faithful servants in the dreams of the night. One dream was to warn the wise men not to inform Herod that they had found the infant King; the other was, to warn Joseph not to remain in Bethlehem. We perceive how easily God can defeat the plans of... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 2:16-18. The Slaughter of the Babies.
Everyone who reads this passage must shudder at the dreadful cruelty of Herod. There was a singular barbarity in ordering the babies to be slaughtered; little creatures who could not have offended him, and were unable to resist him. Who can bear to think of the anguish of the mothers in that terribl... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 2:19-23. Joseph's return.
What an important charge was committed to Joseph! The care of the infant Savior and of his mother. How honorable was the post he occupied! He was a shield from the darts of the enemy to the blessed child. God did not leave him without assistance in performing his allotted work. Joseph knew not how t... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 2:9-11. The wise men's journey to Bethlehem.
Herod had not been able to give the wise men exact information respecting the place where the King they sought would be found—he had only told them that he was in Bethlehem. But God did not leave them to search in vain. As they were on the way, the star they had seen in their own country appeared ag... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 3:1-6. John preaches in the wilderness.
We hear nothing of John the Baptist during his youth, excepting that he was pious, and lived much in the deserts. When he was about thirty years old, he began to preach. He did not, however, go to the cities, but remained in the wilderness. We may wonder how he found a congregation there. Probably h... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 3:13-17. The baptism of Jesus.
One of the most wonderful events ever transacted on this earth is recorded in this passage. We behold the Son of God in great humility coming to be baptized by John, as though he had been a sinner—and we behold the Everlasting Father and the Spirit, honoring him with unspeakable honor. Well might Jo... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 3:7-12. John warns the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Among the people who came to hear John preach in the wilderness, were many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Curiosity drew them to hear that famous preacher. It will be well to stop a moment to inquire into the character of these men. They were called Pharisees and Sadducees, not because they bel... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 4:1-7. The temptation of Christ.
We have read of the great honor that Christ received at his baptism. Immediately afterwards, he was exposed to terrible sufferings and temptations. It is God's method often to prepare his people for great sufferings, by granting them great consolations beforehand. Jesus was "led up by the spirit int... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 4:12-17. Christ takes up his abode at Capernaum.
The Lord Jesus chose to reside principally in the most ignorant part of Canaan; he selected the part at the greatest distance from Jerusalem, and which bordered on the wicked cities of Tyre and Sidon. And what led him to do this? Was it not pity for the ignorant and neglected? There are some who are... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 4:18-22. Christ calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
Was it not a high honor to follow the Lord Jesus from place to place, to hear his word both in private and public, and to behold his works of power and love? Whom did he call to enjoy this honor? Poor ignorant fishermen; these became his intimate companions, his bosom friends, and his holy apostles.... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 4:23-25. Mark 1:40-45. The cure of the leper and of multitudes with diverse diseases and torments.
How full of labors of love was our Savior's life below! His principal object was to preach the Gospel, but he confirmed his word by various miraculous cures. These bodily cures represented the spiritual blessings he came to bestow. As he healed all manner of diseases without any exception, so he cou... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 4:8-11. The third temptation of Christ.
Though Jesus had resisted two temptations, Satan was not dismayed. Here we have an instance of the persistence of our great enemy. Though he may have failed in one attempt to injure us, he will make another, and sometimes he succeeds better the second time than he did the first. Balaam resisted the ... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:1-10. Christ begins his sermon on the Mount by pronouncing the beatitudes.
The blessed Savior had been just engaged in healing the bodies of men, when he ascended the mountain to preach words that might save their souls. He opened his mouth to speak with a loud voice to the vast multitude. What heavenly words proceeded from those gracious lips! He began with pronouncing bl... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:11-16. Christ prepares his disciples for persecution.
The sermon which the Lord Jesus preached on the Mount astonished those that heard it. Who would have thought that the persecuted could rejoice? Yet Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men shall revile you." There are a great many different kinds of persecution; but only one of them is mentioned in thi... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:16-18. Christ forbids ostentation in FASTING.
There was another duty upon the performance of which the Pharisees prided themselves—fasting. Some of them fasted twice a week. On those days they neglected the care of their persons, and went abroad that men might see they fasted, and admire them for their religiosity. In the day of a public fast f... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:17-32. Christ explains the spiritual nature of the law.
It is a very common idea, that Christ came to set aside the law; but it is a mistaken one. He said himself, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill." He knew that man had broken it; and he came to fulfill it in his stead, and to bear the punishment due to man for breaking it. But he came to d... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:33-37. Christ forbids irreverent swearing.
The Lord Jesus observes the expressions we use in our common conversation; he notices every reproachful word we utter to each other; he notices also every irreverent word we speak of God. He heard with displeasure the Jews of old calling their brethren raca and fool, and swearing by heaven, by the e... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:38-42. Christ forbids revenge.
These directions have excited a great deal of surprise. It seems to proud man impossible that God should expect him to bear injuries without complaint, or desire of revenge. Let us inquire in what manner these directions are to be understood. The words, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," are ... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 5:43 to end. Christ enjoins the forgiveness of enemies.
It is written in Lev. 19, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The Pharisees for many ages past had given a very imperfect explanation of this law. They had not explained the term "neighbor" aright. They had declared that it applied to those who loved us, and did not include those who hated u... Read More
Favell Lee Mortimer
Matthew 6:1-4. Christ forbids ostentation in GIVING.
The Lord Jesus now began to show the emptiness of the good works in which the Pharisees gloried. He had declared what false views they entertained of the law of God, and now he shows that their best actions were nothing worth, because they were done from wrong motives. Let us remember that he said, ... Read More
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