The New York herald., 1874-12-14
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.

Sermon by the Rev. DIR. McGlynn-The
Sanctity OF tho Bapttst-His Great
Humility.
large and respectable congregation was pres.
ent yesterday morning at the high mass in st.
Stephens which was celebrated by the Rev.
Father Byron Minis splendid mass in minor
gave the choir ample opportunities to display their
talents and training This mass abounds In solos,
the most notable in performance being the "Bene-
dctus, - In A minor. At the vespers in the after
noon the attendance was unusually large, very
many Of those present being nOn-Catholics, at
;rac.ed no doubt by the reputation OF the mu Sic
at this servlcs. Mercadante's vespers, Day's
'Alma Redemptors 81 and Frasi's .sTantum Ergo,
were given by the choir in pleasing and credlta-
bic manner.
Be ore commencing the sermon the Rev. DR..
McGlynn announced that q bazaar In aid OF
the Industrial Home, East Thirty first street,
would open In Trenors Hall, Broadway,
between Thirty-nrst and Thirty second streets,
on next Friday evening. He commended
that institution to the charitable consider
alton OF hi hearers. and stated that
within the lasefew years 1t had Afforded shelter to
hundreds OF frleudless young women and saved
many from = life OF shame aud pauper graves in
He tnen read the gospel OF the sunday. John l.
is in wnen t y ,r sIn hs M o. 81 'onG
delivered an eloquent panegyric on
'THE HERALD or GOD'
VINO was specially chosen to announce the i'm
mediate coming, and point out the person. OF the
Messiah. OF him the angel said to Zachary He
Shall oe filed with the Holy Ghost even from his
mothers wonb;n and our Lord declared, HE was
burning and shining light" No saint excelled
the Baptist in holiness OF life. In heaven nc Is
pe has on sps o. ns
being next to the Bleased virgin. in the litany Of
the saints and IN the general confession.
THIS days Gospel contains an admirable lesson
on the virtue OF humility. "Who art thoug, said
John. And he confessed ana ala not deny, and he
confessed, .i am not the Christ" In reply 10 the
a them .a ws m
beautiful language OF the truly humble:-"l am
sne 81 91s IN ne IL ~ Make ks
nothing more than mere voice proclaiming
mans DUTY toward Cod But according to our
aIredu and "the last shall be rst,n and therefore
the greater Jonns decentralization the greater his
exaltatlon. The Pnarisess we're seeking the
Christ. they had heard thirty years before that
strange sights were seen and strange sounds
taken place in Bethlehem, ..tbe city from which
the ruler OF his people was to come" They even
remembered the commotion caused by the arrival
OF the wise men, who had come to adore Him who
was born King OF the Jews. They had heard OF
THE BRUTAL SLAUGHTER
OF the innoce ats, and yet they asked John if he
was the Christ. The Baptist says, reproach-
fully, There standeth one you whom We
know not.n He repeats again tie lesson or hu-
NIFTY which is not inaptly called rhe foundation
OF ali the o.her virtues, without which the edfce
OF holiness. no matter how lofty. inevitably tum-
blcs over and becomes q saddcnlng ruin He tells
them that this greatest OF men was in their midst
and they knew Him not. II such reproach OF ignor-
ance was just with how much more force should 1t
strike uss Nsy It not be as truly said to-day
as II was IN the nrst century, "He came
unto MS own and his own received him nou?u
Let Us, while feeling just confusion at our indif
ference TO Him, Who has stood so long In our
midst, resolve TO know Him rightly by practt-
ca!ly acknowledging HIM as our lord and master.
that He may not be forced TO say to us on the
day or wrath, IL know you not" And, as ''the
fear OF the Lord is the beginning OF WISDOM" we
cannot do better tnan mediate the terrors OF
the '.dread Judgment" We may rest assured
that II we prepare ourselves as we should Tor the
no reason 10 dread HIS final coming as "a judge Of
tremendous majesty"