Sermons & Devotionals by Edward Payson

"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God" Psalm 10:4 In this psalm we have a full length portrait of a careless, unawakened sinner, drawn by the unerring pencil of truth; and so perfect is the resemblance, that were it not for the blinding influence of sin, every su... Read More

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isa. 55:8 & 9 In the preceding verses God commands and invites sinners to repent and embrace ... Read More

"In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" Colossians 2:9 This is asserted of Jesus Christ. It appears, at the first glance, to contain most important truth; truth which cannot but be interesting to all who wish to form just conceptions of our God and our Redeemer. Indeed, there are fe... Read More

"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord; and the pots in the Lord's house shall he like the howls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of Hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and... Read More

"Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come before him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." 1 Chronicles 16:28, 29 A Thanksgiving Sermon. The sacred song, from which these ... Read More

"I remembered God, and was troub1ed" Psalm 77:3 God is a being, whom it is impossible to contemplate with indifference. His character is so interesting, our dependence on him is so complete, and his favor is so indispensably necessary to our happiness, that a distinct recollection of him must always... Read More

"Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end" Isaiah 9:6, 7 In the pr... Read More

"How can I--sin against God?" Genesis 39:9 This, my hearers, is the genuine language of a pious heart. It ought to be the language of every heart. To every tempter, to every temptation, our invariable reply should be, How can I sin against God! To persuade you to make this reply, whenever you are te... Read More

"But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." Matthew 10:14 In the passage of which these words are a part, we have a beautiful instance of the fulfillment of an ancient predictio... Read More

"The glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" 1 Timothy 1:11 Among the numerous burning and shining lights which our blessed Saviour has, at different periods; placed in his golden candlesticks to enlighten the church, during the long and gloomy night of his absence from ... Read More

"All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." Joshua 14:14 These are the words of Job. The resolution which they express was formed by him when he was in the most wretched state, to which a good man can be reduced. The overwhelming weight of his afflictions, combined with the... Read More

"For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full" Genesis 15:16 These words were addressed by Jehovah to Abraham, when he first promised to give his posterity the land of Canaan. While giving him this promise God informed him, that it would not be fulfilled till after the lapse of a considerable nu... Read More

"For I have told him, that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth: because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.... Read More

"And when it was day he departed, and went into a desert place; and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them" Luke 4:42 Our blessed Saviour, while on earth, met with a very different reception in different places. In one place we see all the inhab... Read More

"The Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your Hearts" Hebrews 3:7, 8 My brethren, I can think of no introduction to a discourse on this awakening passage more suitable, than that often repeated command of our Savior, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith. ... Read More

"Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants, that heard all these words" Jeremiah 22:24 When the events recorded in this chapter took place, Jeremiah had been employed for more than twenty years in discharging the duties of his prophetical office. Du... Read More

"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" Amos 6:1 The inspired writers, my friends, do not scatter either blessings or curses arbitrarily and indiscriminately without informing us on whom they will fall. They never pronounce a blessing, without specifying the character to whom it belongs. And they nev... Read More

"I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts" Malachi 1:14 When God would inform his creatures what he is, he must employ language suited to their capacities; language, which they can understand. What he is himself indeed, or what constitutes his essence, no language can describe; and therefore even ... Read More

"Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:7 In this passage we have a part of the name of Jehovah, as proclaimed by himself. In the preceding chapter we find Moses praying for a manifestation of those a... Read More

"And the Lord said, whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the market place, and calling one to another, and saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For J... Read More