06/16/2018
With Father's Day upon us,
***
Father’s Legacy
~ Bertron J. Hamill
“For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee…”
Deut. 4:32a
~
Often it is, that a man knows not his history
Another son, forsakes his father’s story
Memories of generations lost
And the negligence of a son, is tomorrow’s cost
5 Another generation raised, and he knows not the Lord
Light is the children’s respect
Honour they do neglect
All alas, for they forsake the Word
As Esau’s birthright he sold
10 A father’s wisdom, is never told
All the things not passed on
No Rechabites to go on
Who remembered Jonadab their father
For today it’s a ‘no bother’
15 No gift of inheritance to look to
Not even an heirloom
Praise the Lord! That I’ve been raised
To know the Lord, throughout my days
And my family’s history surrounds me
20 I am reminded of it thoroughly
In Erin of old, Hamill were we
With Irish green under England’s tyranny
“Scarred One” was he, my ancestor
Then Ireland’s immigrants, first one then another
25 For famine’s great fight
‘Twas many caused in flight
Alas! In 1765, came James Hamill
As the Britana’s voyage, carried Robert Hamill
So settled they did, in America
30 As Robert grew, in his length of days
Then at last did he, he migrated to Mississippi
In Winston County
A green place of hills, the hills of Erinim
Irish like, indeed it seemed to him
35 And along was James
As then was born Robert Greer, of the Civil War and fierce
And then Andrew James
A watch he had, full of gears
As which I see today, my eye brings a tear
40 I.D. Hamill, was named Morris Hamill
Who worked at State, strict to the plate
Life of simplicity, lived Bertron Lee
The Seabee of New Guinea
I remember his kindness
45 In spite of my young blindness
Then came alas, that Barry Hamill
Inclined did move back to the hill
For so it was to him
Fair in Erinim
50 How much I praise the Lord
That he prepared his heart to seek the Lord
He left those stray words he heard
That he might seek in the Word
By grace he was seeking
55 The Holy Spirit gave him understanding
The World may count him low
But in the Word, he did grow
Now I am here
Knowing the Lord’s love, I am in tears
60 In Erinim I live
On the land of inheritance, which my grandmother did give
There is not a place that I walk, that has not been touched by family history
I only lack, just their story
On Hamill hill
65 I visit the old spring still
Where Old Robert dwelt
The grounds, I have touched and felt
And now enshrined for tourists
All the more and curious
70 On which road back, is Pleasant Hill Church
With oak and birch
By which I sigh
Each time I pass by
For there in the old cemetery
75 My ancestors are buried
Generations of four
Robert through Andrew, could one ask more
All but Morris and Bertron
Though once they dwelt, they had moved on
80 Whose houses were next door
Which I have seen standing, with every old board
But such as is now
All is torn down
For such was the way
85 The number of their days
For the Lord directs a man’s steps
Though he plans his way
Still is the old watch, on the piano’s mantle
Not yet it ticks, beside the still candle
90 I hold it in the light’s gloom
And behold our heirloom
Bertron James is me
After my grandfather, my legacy
Irish am I
95 Though my blood mix is high
For a Hamill am I
I am an heir of the Scarred One
I bear his name, his name which he won
Ancestors I have of many kind
100 But of the inheritance of name, I have only one line
Just as I am a child of God
I am an heir of the kingdom of God
I am a Hamill by blood
Which to change, nothing could
105 An inheritance unearned
Which one might yearn
For how can a promise be earned?
How can a gift be bought?
Such as our blessing, when our inheritance is given
110 As kings and priests before our Lord are living
As much as I wait for my inheritance of this place in yearning
How much more do I wait, and walk in love of our Lord’s appearing
As great as it be
Such is my Father’s legacy
~
Index of lines:
5 – Jud.2:10 “… and there arose another generation after them, who knew not the Lord,”
7 – Ex. 20:12 “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
8 – Ps.119:9 & Deut. 4:9 – “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” and “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;”
9 – Gen.25:27-34 – Esau sells his birthright
10 – Prov.13:1 “A Wise son heareth his father’s instruction, but a scoffer heareth not rebuke.”
11 – 2Tim.2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
12-13 – Jer.35 and read also 2Ki. 10:13-16 – Here many years and generations were passed since the days of Jonadab the son of Rechab and his descendants, the Rechabites, still honored his commands, and the Lord blessed them for it.
17-18 – Jud.2:10 – repeated
19-20 – Deut.4:9 – repeated, and 2Pet.1:12 “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”
28 – The HMS Britana was the ship that James Hamill migrated on, and on that voyage was his son, Robert, born.
29 – For clarification, this line rhymes in the manner as how the Irish pronounce America, for in this manner, America is pronounced in that the final “a” is long, so that America rhymes with days.
33-34 – “Irish like” is the translation of the name ‘Erinim’, by my own calling
36 – Robert Greer Hamill served in the Civil War under General Barksdale. He was the last Hamill to live on the land of Hamill Hill, which later his daughter and son-in-law did run a sawmill until they sold it to Mississippi State University.
40 – Morris Hamill was a security guard at Mississippi State University, he was nick named ‘I.D. Hamill’ because he would always take the student’s I.D.’s as he would give them tickets to ensure that they would come to be addressed on the ticket.
42-45 – Bertron Lee Hamill was my grandfather, we, the grand kids, always called him ‘Daddy Bert’. He always lived a simple life and sought and served the Lord. In World War II, he was a U.S. Navy Seabee, stationed on New Guinea, and he saw a ‘touch’ of action. With people he had all of the patience in the world, sometimes, maybe too much.
52 – 1Tim. 4:7 “But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” and 2Tim. 2:16 “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”
53 – 2Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
54-55 – Jn.14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” and Ps.119:34 “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”
56 – 1Pet.4:4 “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:” and 1Jn.2:15-16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
57 – 1Pet.2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
61 – Our land on which we now live, The Hamill Hilltop Ranch, was given to us by my grandmother Sarah Clytee Cook Hamill, from her mother, Ally Hames Cook, given to her from her father, Jefferson Davis Hames who bought it from the original settler, James M. Brown whose father was a Revolutionary War hero.
65 – Hamill Spring
68-69 – People from as far as two hours come to haul water from the spring, and all of them have somewhat of curiosity of its history.
78 – Morris Franklin Hamill is buried in Sturgis town, and Bertron Lee Hamill (Daddy Bert) is buried in Vicksburg.
79 – Morris once dwelt in the old house with Andrew next to the Pleasant Hill Church, there was Bertron Lee born.
83-84 – Today, some young boys who presently own that house sight, have turned it into a hunting club and have torn down the old houses, but save one near the road.
86-87 – Prov.16:9 “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
101 – Jn.1:12-13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
102 – Matt. 25:34 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” and 1Pet.1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”
103-104 – Jn.1:12-13 – again, and Rom.8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
105, 107 – Gal.3:18 “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
110 – Rev.5:9-10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
112 – 2Tim.4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” and 1Cor.15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” and 2Pet.3:10-11, 14 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, … Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”
