The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-22
Dr.. Bablock's Death
Other Paragraphs

~ ~ ~
| THE, tragic death of Rev. Dr. Malt
| be ~. Babcock was II great shock
tn many people in this city. whore
| Dr. Rabcork was well known. He had
occupied the pulpit of the Second Pres
! lytnrian church on different occasions
when he had been the guest of Rev.
! br Robinson, who WAS one of his
closest friends. Or. Eobinson. in speak
ing Df the sad affair, yesterday SAID:
II am simply stunned by this terrible
| occurrence. lie was dear to me as Il
| son. have known him since his birth,
| ana can scarcely tell how strong was
the affection In, which held him.
had a letter from him but II short time
| ago from the Holy Land, in which he
| spoke Of the fine condition OF MS
health Another letter has been re-
reived from constantinople. but after
leaving that city he contracted Medi-
terranenn fever. which is almost IN
variably accompanied by dclirium. Ii
must have beer under such conditions
that the impulse to end his own lire
overcame lNm. 1t has been Woll said
that he was more like Henry Drum
mond aud Phillips Brooks than any
other
DR., Robinson was the clergyman VINO
delivered the charge to the cnnSre%a- :
ton when Dr.. Bnbcock was Installed
pastor at Brick church, New YORK. a
wear ago. The following testimonial
from the Baltimore sun expresses TO
some degree the feeling in which Dr.
Babcocli was held:
Among the many things difficult for those to
understand who believe that the affairs OF this
world are regulated by Divine ana bcheNoIent
intelligence is the loss Of such a man as the
Rev Matte u. Bahrock. whose pathetic dcat''
| after a brief illness at Naples has carried erlet
| into thousands Of households in TINS ciiN anu
| elsewhere. The doctrine of the survival "t inc
| Httrst finds its contradiction in a case like
| this. where u man of eight and leading "a
wide and increasing influence for good OF moral
purity and intellectual strength. is cut OH III
the meridian of his usefulness. with n'imhcrIcsS
| spheres of need requiring the services OF lust
| such heart and brain. while undiscriminatins
| death passes by "A thousand. weak ami vicious
| lives to strike him down Even the most rev.
ercnt find il hard to comprehend ON such o'ca-
,ions why the sanity and helpful spirits, who
are needed SO much more on earth than in
heaven, should often be precisely those VINO
are snatchrd away Just when the world wants
them most Such feelings and Qncstionin@s "a
these inevitably mnglc with the distress oc-
casioncd by a blow which has literally come
HON" to thousands OF people in Baltimore and
other sect ions Of the country. For DR.. R1bcock
like Phillips Brooks had the rare .iii of awah
ruinr love is well as admiration. u drawing
! To himself all sorts and conditions OF men and
women hv the magnetism of irIri and character
that never appeals in vain To sympathy and af
ieciOn.
With a hraadth of Christian charity that re-
cognizrd nothing as alien to hm that was fni-
man. that knew no religious north. south. east
nor west in his woik-no divergent points Of
| the compass. but only one central need OF a
higher lifr--it was natural that hc should num-
brr among his friends and admirers men of
| every creed and of no creed at all, and that the
| light Of his life should shine into all these
| lives with clear and hcncticcnt radiance. 1t
WAS another illustration OF the power of the
| grm,c and earnest teacher. who everywhere
| and in every age attracts general attention and
| commands general respect Eloqucncc and logic
| without this quality may he sounding brass
| and linkling cNmhals, hui when united with it,
| aS in Dr. l1ahuuc. case, they constitute one
| Of the supreme moral forces. 1t the in.
| .piration of this great carncstnCSs that made
| Dr. Babcock power among men and that en-
| ablcd him to speak with most miraculous vigor,
| not unlike the apostles at PcnrcoSt, TO The
| people OF every religious creed, and sect in a
| tongue they could understand, Of human ohliga'
| tionS and Divine goodness and authority.
| Manly. sound and healthy in mind and body,
| looking At the world through loving eyes and
with clear practical vision. with fresh strong,
original intellect. dcghtin@ in work and doing
! with all his might whatever his hands found to
| do. rs poet. preacher, pastor, friend. he touched
humanity at almost every noble point OF contact.
| and with an ideal type of Christian manhood.
| Such men are not born every day. and when
| they pass away their death is in sense, i
| public as well private loss Perhaps tho
| highest proof OF the u-cfulnc>s of the life that
has lust ended aS well a> the highest tribute
| that could hr paid to il, is To he found IN the
| fac, that its unexpected ending will he re
| grc,tcd almost H. deeply by those of other
| crecds as by the members OF his own drnomina-
| ion.