Mr. Black's Booklet

- - Concluding Ode - -

The Individual and the Institution
Make up the Whole of what we sometimes call
A Nation, a Society, and Age, a Dispensation - -
A Social Order, a Time wherein doth fall
The solemn responsibility of Man to Accept
Or to Reject God's Gift and Divine Intent
In His Creation! Mankind Are Free to Elect
Their Course! Oh, Accept the Christ From Heaven Sent!

Of all institutions, The Home Stands First!
Its Work is Short-lived ; Its Influence may be Forever!
The man and the woman have Different Roles; and cursed
ls the social order that deviates therefrom! So, Never
Turn to False Demands for Equality;
There's No Such Thing among the sons of men!
A man and his wife have responsibility
Well-known to each; deny this truth, then sin
Comes in to do its fatal work! The Team
Concept in its fullest honesty Proves
This point; and the success of Christian Homes behooves
Mankind to lay hold on this Bedrock Institution
And to guard against Sign or Act of its Diminution!

To You, the Literati of this our Day,
I have a Special Word: Your company is Various
And your Values for Good and Right now hang, Precarious,
Over a sea of Sinister Aims and Goals,
Often including the Lawless! - - Even those
Who Use America as a "Freedom isle'' to dispose
Their selfish and treacherous wares; at the same time
Claiming the Same rights of our Loyal Faithful Sons,
But preaching a Doctrine to Destroy these Rights! This line
Of Subtilty is Old in Satan's bag of tricks
And should at once be detected by every mind
Consistent with the Mind of Christ! So snuff the wicks
Of your dimming lamps, my Christian Friends,
And mark the Literati and the Trends!
(O Bobby Burns, the Gift was Yours! - -
The power to sense the Thrust
Of Song in twittering birds,
In chirping crickets, and other creatures
Of the night! In flowers that must
Awaken Song by Day; in features
That arouse the Soul to overflowing
With Light and Love and innate Knowing - -
Ah, such was yours; and glad are we
That in them you did find - - though
At great Cost and shame and hurt and loss - -
That They were Comforts of God - - And You
Confessed it So! His Wisdom and His Cross
You Exalt in a Pastoral home entire,

ln reference to Isaiah's Serraphic Fire!
The Family Scene in "The Cotter's Saturday Night''
Can bless one's soul and lead him to the Right!
Let the British Isles peruse your pages again
And Renew their Love for God and their hate for sinl)

Finally I look again to the winding Chattahoochee,
To the Friendly Environs of the quiet Bluff City,
And the loved ones there, and my many peers who knew me;
And the Flow of the Life and Time in Alabama's Eufaula!

Oh, I see the Arms stretched out in Love and pity
To the "poor and needy, the unfortunate left in the lurch
Of despair! On this gorgeous Sunday Evening l went to Church,
And there in the Comfort of the Methodist Meeting we Worshiped
God! The Choir was filled with the Old and the Young - -
With No Fear of the Mixture - - and the songs in rapture were sung
In Heart-felt Dedication to our Lord and Christ. The Ushers
Had few late-comers to seat, for most were On Time
And "together assembled'' and conscious of the Divine
Presence! The Impressive opening of the Service done,
The Minister rose to speak, and first he read
A portion of the Word of God; and then,
When God had sent His Spirit down,
Pervading all around, a Silence won
The Scene, and joy and Love did lead
Us to the Words of this dear man; pausing again,
And then he said, "My Theme is: 'America, The Moses
Nation of Our Day' '! Thus rising in Holy
Elevation and in detailed explanation
Of the Word and of the fast growing thrust
Of the world, he made the Awesome Comparison:
That it has pleased Almighty God for Us,
Our America, to be the Instrument
In His Hand to Bring the world to Christ, just
As Israel was His Instrument in His Hand
To bring Christ to the World! Oh, Calvary.
Echoing back into the centuries, Redemption
For all mankind, thus spanning Eternity
With the Divine and All-inclusive Intent!
He Wills that none should perish, that All Repent!

O Troubled, Bleeding World, Today you Languish!
And So Many Hearts are Anguished!
Shall we ask the Reason Why?

Some for want of Wealth?
Some for want of Health?
Some for want of Fame?
Other goals we Blush to name?
Treacherous goals of Treason and Shame!
Still Others high and lifted up?
And Others yet with Empty Cup
To Fill! Oh, how the Langour Haunts us Still!

To classify these Hungry States
Would wring Defiance from the Great,
And Mystify the Strong!
So Glad in Faith We'll Sing the Song
Of Him Who Knoweth All
And hears each Cry and Call - -
Our Saviour, Christ the Lord Who Died
To Take Away our sin! O let us hide
No Truth of How one First Finds Him!

Some saw a blinding Light and Fire!
Some saw Angelic Presence drawing Nigher!
Some heard His Still Strong voice
And, Joyous, made their Happy Choice!
Some felt an Urge pf Heart to Let Him in
And lost the Burden of their sin!

Oh, What A saviour, Mine!
I found Him While in fear of Death;
A child, I seemed to lose my breath;
I Cried to Him to save my Soul,
And, Praise His Name, He made me Whole!
Yet fears and doubts were loath to leave
And set my heart afresh to grieve
Until in reading God's Holy Word
I found My Rest within My Lord!

So great is the comfort of the Christian Home!
By fire-light and by lamp-light my Father read
The Holy Word; when he was absent, Mother instead
Did read in tender telling tones
Those Gracious Words of Holy Writ - -
How Great, how grand Their Benefit!

Let Peoples of the darkened Nations of the World
Hear These Endearing Words of hope and Light:
Home, Heart; Mother, Father, Brother,
Sister, Son - - All a Part of the Gift
Of God! Let No man or system claim the right

To tamper with this truth or hold another
Plan to aid or take Its place! Oh, Saviour, Lift
Us from such sinking sand of unbelief,
Of pride, and Humanistic thought!

Out of Humility - - sometimes Humiliation - -
Just men and Just Causes may rise to their highest Phase
Of accomplishment and Glory. Our Nation
Now has this opportunity! Let us raise
Our voices in praise to God and take our Place
As the Moses Nation In His Hand, (as the lowly
Minister declaired) then let us give thanks
For persons of science, technology, inventions, and all
Who in our Freedom stand within the ranks
Of the great servants of mankind, Remembering
That we are "THE Instrument In His Hand''
And that He is the Power and Strength of the Command!
O America, come Now into your Own
And Join in a paean of Praise and Holy Surrender
To this World-wide Work of our Redeemer and Saviour!

Holy, indeed, will be the Crowning Exultation
When the Saints of all kindreds, tribes, and Ages
And tongues shall lift their voices in adoration
To Our Lord, fullfilling all the pages
And Every "Jot and Tittle'' of His Law and Word!
Let us in Faith and Reverence, and in Joy Behold
The Descending City - - The Glory Of The "Great I Am'' - -
And Join in the New, New Song of Moses and of The Lamb!