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Favell Lee Mortimer
Favell Lee Mortimer (July 14, 1802 – August 22, 1878) was a British author and educator whose evangelical writings preached salvation and moral instruction to children across the 19th century. Born in London, England, to David Bevan, a Barclays bank co-founder, and Favell Bourke Lee, she was the third of eight children in a wealthy Quaker family that moved to Hale End, Walthamstow, when she was six. Raised under evangelical influences like Rev. George Collison, she oversaw religious education on her father’s estates in Wiltshire and East Barnet, deepening her faith after a conversion in 1827. Mortimer’s preaching career took shape through her pen after marrying Rev. Thomas Mortimer in 1841, a popular London preacher whose ministry she supported until his death in 1850. Her sermons emerged in best-selling books like The Peep of Day (1833), which sold over 500,000 copies and was translated into 37 languages, delivering simple gospel truths to young minds with a stern emphasis on sin and hell. Works like Line Upon Line and More About Jesus extended her reach, blending education with evangelistic zeal, while later geographic titles like Near Home reflected her moral worldview. Widowed, she adopted a son, Lethbridge Charles E. Moore, and died at age 76 in West Runton, Norfolk, England.
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Favell Lee Mortimer preaches about Jesus' meekness and wisdom in the face of insults and accusations, highlighting how every circumstance in life presents an opportunity to cultivate grace. Jesus displayed great meekness and wisdom in dealing with perverse sinners, exposing their inconsistencies and deceitful pretenses. Those who claim to have good motives for doing wrong will be speechless before their Judge. Jesus challenges people's ignorance about His origins, emphasizing the importance of truly knowing God, which He came to reveal to humanity.
Scriptures
John 7:14-29. Christ Defends Himself for Healing on the Sabbath Day.
In these verses we have a fresh instance of the insulting manner in which Jesus was treated upon earth. He was despised for his want of a learned education. "How knows this man letters?" exclaimed the Jews scornfully, "having never learned!" Soon afterwards their insolence increased, and they cried, "You have a devil." This treatment gave Jesus an opportunity of displaying his meekness. Every circumstance that befalls us affords the opportunity of cultivating some grace. Disappointment affords the opportunity of exercising resignation; enjoyment of showing gratitude; when we are praised, then is the time for humility; when we are insulted, then is the time for meekness; every temptation to sin furnishes an occasion of manifesting faithfulness to God. Jesus showed not only great meekness, but also great wisdom, in his dealings with perverse sinners. He knew what accusation they had against him, namely, that on the Sabbath-day he had healed the impotent man who lay by the pool. With wonderful skill he unveiled their inconsistency in accusing him of breaking the Sabbath by performing a work of mercy; for he said that even they themselves performed the ceremonies of Moses' law on the Sabbath-day. How easy it is for Jesus to show men the deceitfulness of their pretenses! At the last day those who profess to have the best motives for doing the worst things, will be confounded and speechless in the presence of their Judge. What ignorance those people betrayed who said that Jesus could not be the promised Christ, because they knew whence he was. They imagined they knew whence he was; but they were mistaken; they did not know he came from God. So Jesus answered them by a question; for the words in verse 28 should be regarded as a question, "Do you both know me and do you know whence I am?" By this he meant to say, "You think you know whence I am, but you do not know." Then Jesus added these words respecting his Father, "I know him!" How happy are they who can truly say of the Father, "I know him;" for the world does not know him, and no man can know him, except Jesus reveal Himself to his soul. But the meek and lowly Savior is willing to teach all those who desire to know his Father. He came into the world "to bring us to God." Do we desire to know God? Is this our chief desire? It may appear that we can pass away our time, and enjoy ourselves without knowing God; but what should we do at the last day if God should say, "I never knew you, O you that work iniquity!"
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Favell Lee Mortimer (July 14, 1802 – August 22, 1878) was a British author and educator whose evangelical writings preached salvation and moral instruction to children across the 19th century. Born in London, England, to David Bevan, a Barclays bank co-founder, and Favell Bourke Lee, she was the third of eight children in a wealthy Quaker family that moved to Hale End, Walthamstow, when she was six. Raised under evangelical influences like Rev. George Collison, she oversaw religious education on her father’s estates in Wiltshire and East Barnet, deepening her faith after a conversion in 1827. Mortimer’s preaching career took shape through her pen after marrying Rev. Thomas Mortimer in 1841, a popular London preacher whose ministry she supported until his death in 1850. Her sermons emerged in best-selling books like The Peep of Day (1833), which sold over 500,000 copies and was translated into 37 languages, delivering simple gospel truths to young minds with a stern emphasis on sin and hell. Works like Line Upon Line and More About Jesus extended her reach, blending education with evangelistic zeal, while later geographic titles like Near Home reflected her moral worldview. Widowed, she adopted a son, Lethbridge Charles E. Moore, and died at age 76 in West Runton, Norfolk, England.