The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-16
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.

THE LOVE OF THE DIVINE SHEPHERD FOR HIS
FLocK-sERMoN BY THE REV. FATHER
McREADY.
At 81. Stephens Church. East Tw ent y-eighth street.
yesterday morning. the high mass was celebrated by
the Row. Father McCaulcy and the sermon
preached by the Rev. Father McCready. large con-
gregation attended the service II evident from
the brilliant array OF fashion and OF the spring
tire which was displayed that there sunshine out
OF doors and that the balmy air had succeeded The dust
mpregnatcd wind OF tho lew previous days The music
was unusually fine.
Father McCready the text Of his discourse from
the gospel Of ST. John, X, H. IT, Tho pastoral figure,
he said which carried throughout the gospel of to-
day extremely significant The title Of pastor or
shepherd, from tho duties which II involved toward
the flock, precautionary appropriate to the King and
Pastor OF our souls. There was, perhaps, depart
ment or avocalion in lie SO emblematic Of simplicity,
OF guilecss innocence and purity as that OF
the shepherd tending his flock The ancient palrarchs
Abraham, Isaac, jacob and Moses, tyres OF Christ,
were each them simple shepherds. David His more
Immediate type, transferred from his tumble pas
toral charge 10 the sovereignty Vi mighty Kingdom
while the glad tdings Of redemption we're first made
known by Heavens own messengers to the owy shep.
herds who were keeping tho night watch over their
hocks in the vicinity OF Bethlehem. Our divine Lord
could have used other very appropriate figures TO ex-
press His relations toward HIS people, Ho could have
said, IL am your king demand your allegiance and
earthly king could lay claim. But though He was Lord
and Master OF the universe, though II was through Him
kings ruled and under the shadow OF HIS authority
that princes swayed the sccptre, He was content to
assume the more humble, but more appropriate
designation Of the shepherd toward his sheep. He
who fled into the mountains when II seemed probable
that the nckie populace would by aoclanation have
bestowed upon Him the regal dignity, would not
Himself up for king Yet, apart from HIS eternal
generation IRON the King OF kings, and regarding
only HIS earthly lineage, He was truly king; and
had He been raised 10 the throne oil His ancestors,
wearing the crown Of the Jewish kings and welding
tho sceptro Of HIS father David, Ho would have
rivalled The glory and the magnihcence and The Wis
dom OF Solomon, and would have challenged our
spect and admiration. such, however, was not His
ambition. He sought not glory, but humiliation, and,
.naving joy set before Him. embraced the crOssn He
sought not our admiration, but our love. Therefore He
would not repeI us BY proud bearing or ny ibe awe
and tho cold formalitics OF the k.ngy Office,
but He would attract by His mildncss and His
gentieness by the unassuminR relation OF tho humble,
lowly shepherd. And nevertheless lie was u king, and
He did reign; and His reign, though short WINS very
decisive and effective. Raised on His throne, estab-
lishcd on the luggcd heights OF Calvary, bearing still
the OF thorns wherewith tho soldiers crowned
Him in the Pratorum, clad still IN that purple gar
ment which HIS own subjects In derslon put upon
HIM; with golden scepre in his hand. but fastened
to the hard wood OF the cross, He achieved greater
victories all kings OF the earth. He extended
His kingdom the uttermost limits oil this world. In
reign OF three short hours Ho overthrow the empire
OF sim which had lasted for thousands OF years. He
conquered tho Prince Of darkness and was victorious
over death ITSELF