[WILLIAM SEMPLE of Fulwood, in the parish of Houston, near
Kilmalcolm, in Renfrewshire, was probably connected with Semple
of Beltrees, in the parish of Lochwinnoch.]
(_VANITY OF THE WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF DEATH AND CHRIST--THE PRESENT
TRUTH--CHRIST'S COMING._)
MUCH HONOURED SIR,--Grace, mercy, and peace be to you.--Upon the
report of this worthy bearer concerning you, I thought good to speak a
word to you. It is enough for acquaintance that we are one in Christ.
My earnest desire to you is, that ye would, in the fear of God,
compare your inch and hand-breadth of time with vast eternity, and
your thoughts of this now fair, blooming, and green world, with the
thoughts which ye will have of it when corruption and worms will make
their house in your eye-holes, and eat your flesh, and make that body
dry bones. If ye so do, I know then that your light of this world's
vanity shall be more clear than now it is; and I am persuaded ye will
then think that men's labours for this clay idol are to be laughed at.
Therefore, come near, and take a view of that transparent beauty that
is in Christ, which would busy the love of ten thousand millions of
worlds and angels, and hold them all at work. Surely I am grieved,
that men will not spend their whole love upon that royal and princely
Well-beloved, that high and lofty One; for it is cursed love that
runneth another way than upon Him. As for myself, if I had ten loves
and ten souls, oh, how glad would I be, if He would break in upon me
and take possession of them all! Wo, wo is me, that He and I are so
far asunder! I hope we shall be in one country and one house together.
Truly pain of love-sickness for Jesus maketh me to think it long,
long, long to the dawning of that day. Oh that He would cut short
years and months and hours, and over-leap time, that we might meet!
And for this truth, Sir, that ye profess, I avow before the world of
men and angels, that it is the way, and the only way to our country;
the rest are by-ways; and, that what I suffer for is the apple of
Christ's eye, even His honour as Lawgiver and King of His church. I
think death too little ere I forsook it.[338] Do not, Sir, I beseech
you in the Lord, make Christ's court thinner by drawing back from Him
(it is too thin already); for I dare pledge my heaven upon it, that He
will win His plea, and that the fools who plea against Him shall lose
the wager, which is their part of salvation, except they take better
heed to their ways. Sir, free grace, that we give no hire for, is a
jewel that our Lord giveth to few. Stand fast in the hope that you are
called unto. Our Master will rend the clouds, and will be upon us
quickly, and clear our cause, and bring us all out in our blacks and
whites. Clean, clean garments, in the Bridegroom's eye, are of great
worth. Step over this hand-breadth of world's glory into our Lord's
new world of grace, and ye will laugh at the feathers that children
are chasing in the air. I verily judge, that this inn, which men are
building their nest in, is not worth a drink of cold water. It is a
rainy and smoky house: best we come out of it, lest we be choked with
the smoke thereof. Oh that my adversaries knew how sweet my sighs for
Christ are, and what it is for a sinner to lay his head between
Christ's breasts, and to be over head and ears in Christ's love! Alas,
I cannot cause paper to speak the height, and breadth, and depth of
it! I have not a balance to weigh the worth of my Lord Jesus. Heaven,
ten heavens, would not be the beam of a balance to weigh Him in. I
must give over praising Him. Angels see but little of Him. Oh, if that
fair one would take the mask off His fair face, that I might see Him!
A kiss of Him through His mask is half a heaven. O day, dawn! O time,
run fast! O Bridegroom, post, post fast, that we may meet! O heavens,
cleave in two, that that bright face and head may set itself through
the clouds! Oh that the corn were ripe, and this world prepared for
His hook! Sir, be pleased to remember a prisoner's bonds. Grace be
with you.
[338] "Ere I could be induced to forsake what concerns His honour, I
must be made to suffer something far more and worse than death."
Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,