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- Matt. 16:13 20. He Pronounces A Blessing Upon Peter.
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 delves into a sacred moment of Jesus and His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus commends Peter for his bold confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Mortimer emphasizes that true faith in Christ comes from God alone and is the foundation of salvation. The sermon explores the significance of Christ as the eternal rock on which the church is built, protected from the powers of darkness. It also highlights how Jesus entrusted His apostles, including Peter, with the keys of the kingdom of heaven, symbolizing their authority to proclaim the Gospel and forgive sins.
Matt. 16:13-20. He Pronounces a Blessing Upon Peter.
In this passage we are permitted to behold Jesus and his disciples in sacred retirement. The towns of Caesarea Philippi were situated at the northern part of the land, where the Lord was in some degree relieved from the pressure of the multitude. Such seasons he devoted to the instruction of his beloved apostles. With them he joined in holy exercises. We never hear of his praying with the multitude; but we know that he often prayed alone with his chosen flock. After his prayer, he conversed with them upon sacred subjects. He asked them, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" It appears from their answer, that the multitude did not believe him to be the Son of God. But when he asked his disciples who he was, Simon Peter answered for the rest—"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Lord was pleased with this bold confession of faith, and he said, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona." When Peter first came to Jesus, Simon was his name, but Christ gave him the name of Peter which means a stone. Who was it had taught Peter that Jesus was the Son of God? Flesh and blood had not taught him; that is, no man had taught him; but the Father himself. Men can never make us believe in Christ; they cannot give us faith. It comes from God alone. Those who have not been taught by God, may appear to be religious; but they will forsake Christ in times of persecution. But Peter would in the end (though not at first) prove firm as a stone. Christ knew this when he said, "You are Peter." But was Peter the rock on which Christ would build his church? No. There is only one rock, that is Christ himself. Peter had just declared, "You are the Christ." By believing this truth, sinners are saved. Peter, after his Lord's ascension, often proclaimed this truth. On one occasion, he said before the enemies of his crucified Master, "This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which is become the head of the corner; neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:11, 12.) Have we believed in this name? Unless we do believe, we must perish. True believers are called the church. It was of this church that Christ spoke when he said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." By the gates of hell he meant the powers of darkness, or Satan and his angels, who are now trying to destroy the church of Christ; but they never can succeed, because it is built upon the eternal rock. Christ showed great favor to Peter, when he said, "I give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Power belongs to God alone. He shuts, and no man opens, and opens and no man shuts; but Christ communicated some of his own power to his apostles. Before he ascended to heaven, he breathed on them and said, "Receive you the Holy Spirit. Whoever's sins you remit, they are remitted to them, and whoever's sins you retain, they are retained." The apostles proved their authority by the miracles they wrought. It was not to Peter alone that power was given, but to all the apostles. We find from reading the book of Acts, that Peter possessed no authority over his brethren. Why then did Jesus on this occasion say to him especially, "I give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." The reason seems to be, that as it was Peter who had made the declaration, "You are the Christ," it was to him that Jesus replied. After the Lord had ascended, Paul became an apostle, and though he called himself the least of the apostles, he was in nothing behind the very chief of them; and he proved his apostleship by the signs and wonders which he wrought. The apostles were stewards of the mysteries of God. They had the keys in their hands, and they unlocked their Lord's treasury, and distributed among men his unsearchable riches. While many trample these pearls under their feet, may we count all things but dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.
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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.