EDWARD PAYSON
SERMON 1.
THE BIBLE ABOVE ALL PRICE
SERMON 2.
GOD’S WAYS ABOVE MEN’S.
"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" (Isaiah 55:8, 9).
SERMON 3.
ALL THINGS CREATED FOR CHRIST.
"All things were created by him and for him" (Colossians 1:16).
SERMON 4.
THE OLD WAY WHICH WICKED MEN HAVE TRODDEN.
"Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overthrown with a flood; which said unto God, Depart from us; and what can the Almighty do for them?" (Job 22:15, 16, 17).
SERMON 5.
SINS ESTIMATED BY THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN.
"Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance" (Psalm 90:8).
SERMON 6.
MEN TRIED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE.
"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Daniel 5:27).
SERMON 7.
OUR SINS INFINITE IN NUMBER AND ENORMITY.
"Is not thy wickedness great? And thine iniquities infinite?" (Job 12:5).
SERMON 8.
THE WICKED THROUGH PRIDE REFUSE TO SEEK GOD.
"The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God" (Psalm 10:4).
SERMON 9.
RECOLLECTIONS OF GOD PAINFUL TO THE WICKED.
"I remembered God, and was troubled" (Psalm77:3).
SERMON 10.
SINNERS WILFUL AND PERVERSE.
"And the Lord said, Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and Saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children" (Luke 7:31-35).
SERMON 11.
AMIABLE INSTINCTS NOT HOLINESS.
"And the very God Of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
SERMON 12.
THE PROMISED FRUIT OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11).
SERMON 13.
MESSIAH'S VICTORY PREDICTED AND DESIRED.
"Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty; and in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meek. ness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies, whereby the people fall under thee" (Psalm 45:3, 4, 5).
SERMON 14.
SINNERS ENTREATED TO HEAR GOD'S VOICE.
"The Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7, 8).
SERMON 15.
THE DIFFICULTY OF ESCAPING THE DAMNATION OF HELL.
"How can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33).
SERMON 16.
THE DEAD IN SIN MADE ALIVE.
"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past, ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us. through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:1-7).
SERMON 17.
THE UNIVERSAL LAW OF FORGIVENESS.
"If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him" (Luke 17:3, 4).
SERMON 18.
FRAUD EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED.
"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth" (Proverbs 20:14).
SERMON 19.
THE MARK OF DELIVERANCE.
"And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in inv hearing, Go ye after him through the city and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay utterly old and young; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark" (Ezekiel 9:4, 5, 6).
SERMON 20.
THE CHRISTIAN MANNER OF EXPRESSING GRATITUDE.
"The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day" (2 Timothy 1:16, 17, 18).
SERMON 21.
THE TIMELY PRESENCE AND SALUTATION OF JESUS.
"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you" (Luke 24:36).
SERMON 22.
A FESTIVAL KEPT TO THE LORD.
"When ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord" (Leviticus 23:39).
SERMON 23.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
"Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him: even so. Amen" (Revelation 1:7).
SERMON 24.
EQUALITY OF MEN WITH ANGELS.
"For they are equal unto the angels" (Luke 20:36).
SERMON 25.
THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED DREADFUL AND INTERMINABLE.
"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44).
SERMON 26.
JEHOVAH, A KING.
"I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Malachi 1:14).
SERMON 27.
PRAYER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT Of CHRIST'S KINGDOM
"Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10).
SERMON 28.
THE FULNESS OF GOD DWELLING IN CHRIST.
"In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9)
SERMON 29.
CHRIST AND HIS HARBINGER COMPARED AND DISTINGUISHED.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I; whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; whose fail is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:11, 12).
SERMON 30.
MAN IN HIS ORIGINAL AND IN HIS LAPSED STATE.
"Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions" (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
SERMON 31.
KNOWLEDGE OF ONE'S SINS, A DIFFICULT ACQUISITION.
"Who can understand his errors?" (Psalm 29:12).
SERMON 32.
SINNERS IN ZION DESCRIBED AND DOOMED.
"Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).
SERMON 33.
A CLASS OF SINNERS EXCLUDED FROM MERCY.
"It is a people of no understanding; therefore he that made them Will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no favor" (Isaiah 27:11).
SERMON 34.
PUNISHMENT OF THE IMPENITENT INEVITABLE AND JUSTIFIABLE.
"As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence" (Jeremiah 22:24).
SERMON 35.
THE GUILT OF INDIFFERENCE TO DIVINE THREATENINGS.
"Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words" (Jeremiah 36:24).
SERMON 36.
THE SIN, DANGER, AND UNREASONABLENESS OF DESPAIR.
"And they said, There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart" (Jeremiah 18:12).
SERMON 37.
THE STUBBORN SINNER SUBMITTING TO GOD.
"I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me and f was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely, after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: Therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:18, 19, 20).
SERMON 38.
CHRIST REJECTS NONE WHO COME UNTO HIM.
"Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
SERMON 39.
GOD HEARD IN THE STILL SMALL VOICE.
"And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind, an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake, a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice. And it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave; and, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, what dost thou here, Elijah?" (l Kings 29:11, 12, 13).
SERMON 40.
THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS NOT TO BE DESPISED.
"Who hath despised the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10).
SERMON 41.
GOD'S SPECIAL PRESENCE DISTINGUISHES HIS OWN PEOPLE.
"If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here, that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth" (Exodus 33:15, 16).
SERMON 42.
HOW TO PROLONG THE GRACIOUS VISITS OF CHRIST.
"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).
SERMON 43.
THE CHURCHES INCREASED.
"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied" (Acts 9:31).
SERMON 44.
AN UNJUST IMPUTATION REPELLED BY JEHOVAH.
"Have I been a wilderness to Israel? A land of darkness?" (Jeremiah 2:31).
SERMON 45.
DEMONSTRATION OF CHRIST'S LOVE.
"Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!" (John 9:36).
SERMON 46.
CHRIST'S SPECIAL TENDERNESS TOWARDS PENITENT DISCIPLES.
"Go your way, tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto you" (Mark 16:7).
SERMON 47.
THE END OF TIME.
"And the angel whom I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his head to heaven; and sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:5, 6, 7).
SERMON 48.
THE FEELINGS AND EMPLOYMENTS OF SAINTS IN HEAVEN.
"And cast their crowns before the throne" (Revelation 4:10).
SERMON 49.
THE ORACLES OF GOD.
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:1, 2).
SERMON 50.
THE GOSPEL, GLAD TIDINGS.
"The glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" (1 Timothy 1:11).
SERMON 51.
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.
Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
SERMON 52.
TITLES OF CHRIST.
"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, Counselor, 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).
SERMON 53.
CHRIST'S JOY IN THE CHURCH BEFORE HIS INCARNATION.
"Rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men" (Proverbs 8:31).
SERMON 54.
CHRIST'S PRIESTLY OFFICE.
"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum ; We have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices ; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have some what also to offer" (Hebrews 8:1-3).
SERMON 55.
CHRIST A MAN OF SORROWS.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and ass sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:3-7).
SERMON 56.
CHRIST A KING.
"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power; for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:24, 25).
SERMON 57.
CHRIST'S ASCENSION.
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-11).
SERMON 58.
CHRIST'S VICTORY OVER SATAN.
When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils" (Luke 11:21, 22).
SERMON 59.
CHRIST'S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH.
"Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
SERMON 60.
CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR OF THE LOST.
"The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
SERMON 61.
CHRIST, GODS BEST GIFT TO MAN.
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
SERMON 62.
MANS TREATMENT OF CHRIST.
"Having yet therefore one Son, his well-beloved, he sent him also, last unto them, saying, They will reverence my Son" (Mark 12:6).
SERMON 63.
AN ASSEMBLY CONVOKED AGAINST SINNERS.
"And I set a great assembly against them" (Nehemiah 5:7).
SERMON 64.
WHY THE WICKED ARE SPARED FOR A SEASON.
"For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full" (Genesis 15:16).
SERMON 65.
LOVERS OF PLEASURE DESCRIBED AND WARNED.
"Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:4).
SERMON 66.
THE SINNERS MISTAKES EXPOSED AND REPROVED.
"These things bast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself; but I will reprove tires, and set them in order before thins eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver" (Psalm 50:21, 22).
SERMON 67.
THE SLEEPER AWAKENED.
What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God; if so be God will think upon us, that we perish not" (Jonah 1:6).
SERMON 68.
JOY IN HEAVEN OVER REPENTING SINNERS.
"There is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10).
SERMON 69.
THE OPPRESSED SOUL SEEKING DIVINE INTERPOSITION.
"O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for Me" (Isaiah 38:14).
SERMON 70.
FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER AND WITH THE SON.
"Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).
SERMON 71.
THE BLAMELESS PAIR.
"And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6).
SERMON 72.
CHILDREN TO BE EDUCATED FOR GOD.
"Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages" (Exodus 2:9).
SERMON 73.
HOW LITTLE CHILDREN ARE PREVENTED FROM COMING TO CHRIST.
"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" (Mark 10:14).
SERMON 74.
THE CHILDREN OF THE COVENANT, THE SAVIOURS FIRST CARE.
"Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:25, 26).
SERMON 75.
DUTY OF THE PRESENT TO THE COMING GENERATION.
"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts" (Psalm 145:1).
SERMON 76.
ANGUISH OF PARENTS AT THE PERVERSENESS OF CHILDREN.
"And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went thus he said, O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33).
SERMON 77
THE GUILT AND CONSEQUENCES OF PARENTAL UNFAITHFULNESS.
"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" (1 Samuel 3:13, 14).
SERMON 78
THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS VISITED UPON THEIR CHILDREN.
"Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7).
SERMON 79.
AN EARLY INTEREST IN GODS MERCY ESSENTIAL TO A HAPPY LIFE.
"O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14).
SERMON 80.
SIN AVOIDED BY CONSIDERATIONS OF GOD.
"How can I sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9).
SERMON 81.
SOLOMON'S CHOICE.
"And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing" (1 Kings 3:10).
SERMON 82.
CHARACTER AFFECTED BY INTERCOURSE.
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed" (Proverbs 13:20).
SERMON 83.
CHARACTER OF DANIEL.
"O Daniel, a man greatly beloved" (Daniel 10:11).
SERMON 84.
OUR OBLIGATIONS TO GOD AND MEN.
"Render unto Cesar the things that are Caesar; and to God, the things that are God’s" (Mark 12:17).
SERMON 85.
PARTICIPATION IN OTHER MEN'S SINS.
"Neither be partaker of other men’s sins" (1 Timothy 5:22).
SERMON 86.
PRAYER FOR RULERS.
"I exhort, therefore, that. first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 1:1,2).
SERMON 87.
LOVE TO CHRIST INDISPENSABLE.
"Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these ? He saith unto him, Yea Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs" (John 21:15).
SERMON 88.
THE CHARACTERS WHOM CHRIST LOVES.
"I love them that love me" (Proverbs 8:17).
SERMON 89.
THE SAFETY OF RELIGION.
"He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely" (Proverbs 10:9).
SERMON 90.
A DISSUASIVE FROM AMBITION.
"Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not; for behold I will raring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey" (Jeremiah 45:5).
SERMON 91.
CHRIST'S MISSION AND RETURN.
"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: Again, I leave the world and go to the Father" (John 16:28).
SERMON 92
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
"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 be like the bowls 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 seethe therein; and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts" (Zechariah 14:20, 21)
SERMON 93
THE GLORY WHICH IS DUE TO JEHOVAH.
"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).
SERMON 94.
GOD'S PRAISES SUNG; HIS WORKS FORGOTTEN.
"They sang his praise; they soon forgat his works" (Psalm 106:12, 13).
SERMON 95.
THE CONDITION OF MEN WITHOUT THE BIBLE.
"If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised ; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished" (1 Corinthians 15:16-18).
SERMON 96.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
SERMON 97.
WAITING FOR DEATH.
"All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." Joshua 14:14
