Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-27
ADDRESS OF DIR. B. D. GRAY,

DELIVERED AT THE BROADUS MEMORIAL
 SERVICES, SUNDAY, MARCH 24.
 On an occasion of this kind, with the sub- ject we have, it seems, extravaganza when the plain truth is spoken. Those who have preceded me have spoken of Dr. Broadus a scholar, teacher. an author and a preacher. Let me speak of bin, asa Inan :, for he was true man. His greatness in all the phases of his life rested rpon his great character. He was of noble birth, and had the good fortune to be born and educated inVirginia-no mean advantage. Some elements of his character were:
 Honesty He was sincere and honest. He could be relied upon. It was impossi- ble for him to do a mean thing, and traps- parent honesty was the basis on which he worked. It was evidentin all he did. This, with bis broad, accurate sci olarship, made him a great interpreter of lhe Bible. He let the Bible mean what it said.
 Falrness.-Out of his honesty came his fairness. He could not knowingly misrep- resent thing or person., He told things as they were. In an argument the oppo- nents of Dr. Broadus would have been will ing for him to state their side, whilst those agreeing with him knew. he would state their view better than any of their num-
 Der. He was perfectly fair and courteous to those from whom he differed. Dr. B. R. Tyler said Dr. Broadu3 would in m argument grant more 10 his opponent than any one he ever saw. And this trait was characteristic of him in everything.
 Thoroughness.-He had a passion for thoroughness. His lectures, sermons, ad : dresses and books all bore the marks of completeness. He could not bear with the slipshod.
 Industry. Though 6S years old, he was as industrious and enth usiastic he was | at 40. He knew not how to be idle. His honesty and thoroughness were goads to his industry. With a great burst of en- thusiasm he once closed lecture by say ing; Young gentIemen-brethren-fear | God and work!'' ss' His Wisdom and Common Sense.-Dr, Broadus was the wisest man l ever saw knew what to say or do, when to say it and how to say it. He was master of great un- | derlying principles, and knew how 10 ap- | ply them in specific cases. When he spoke all were willing to listen. His vast learn l ing was the servant to his common sense l and practical wisdom. As a teacher of New l Testament Greek he was the Erasmus of l America; since the death of Ezra Abbott he | was foremost of American text critics of
 the New Testament, being worthy of men,
 ton along with Iischendorf, Tregelles, l Westcott and Hart, and he came nearer 1 than any one to being the Shakespeare of
 preachers. And yet all these great achieve | ments were under the control of his com
 mon sense. Anusion has been made ai- l ready to his great speech on the platform
 four years ago before the Southern Baptist
 convention, when the most ex-
 citing question ever before the body | was up-whether the convention
 should establish Sunday school board.
 That was the greatest exhibition of per-
 sonal power and persuasive speech I ever | witnessed. A great man from Mississippi
 said of Dr. BroA6u, as he sat down, the question having been carried unanimously
 his way: ''He is bishop without the
 name.o Indeed it was a marvellous exbi-
 bition of power and skill. An avalanche | was ready to hurl everything before it; ho | stayed 1t with his breath. It was as g
 sea agitated by tile winds, and he spoke it | into peace; volcano in a state of eruption , l and he extinguished 1t with word.
 Another occasion illustrative of his great
 wisdom was in Louisville, Ky. in 1881
 just before the publication of the revised
 New Testament, known as the Anglo.
 American revision. There was great un-
 easiness among the people at large and J among not . few of the preachers and