Elizabeth Melville

A Call to Come to Christ

Contributor: Associate Professor Sarah Ross

Material: MSS

Description: From the manuscript miscellany of Elizabeth Bruce Boswell. Other MS contents: this MS is an early eighteenth-century miscellany of devotional papers in the hand of Elizabeth Bruce Boswell (1673-1734), the grandmother of Samuel Johnson's biographer. Boswell's father knew / knew of Elizabeth Melville. The MS also includes a poem that Boswell attributes to Margaret More Roper; an extract from Henry Jessey's life of Sarah Wight; and a number of items with a connection to Culross.

Source: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, Boswell Collection, Gen MSS 89, Series XV, Box 105, Folder 1925, item 5

Permissions: Not required

Images Transcription

Page of Melville manuscript.

The following detached pieces wrote

by the hand of Lady Elizabeth Boswel

of Auchinleak are here bound up together

1 A Poem by a Young Lady to her Brother a Youth at a

distance

2 A Poem by a Freind to a religious Lady

3 Coppy of a Letter by the Bp of Dumblane to George

  Bruce of Carnock as to ye settlement of a Man in the

  Parish of Culross. 1631.

4 Observations upon effectual Calling.

5 A Call to come to Christ a Poem by ye Lady Culross.

6 Coppy of a Devout Letter

7 Coppy of part of a Letter to a Lady under affliction

  for the loss of her Husband.

8 Some of ye Articles of the Church of England concerning

  Free Will.

9 Coppy of a devout Letter.

10 Cantique spirituelle de Monsr Poiret.

11 Anothr coppy of the same.

12 Moral reflections upon the Mysteries of Jesus Christ.

13 An exercise of Love.

14 A Consolatory Letter to a person under trouble

15 Confession of Christian Faith made at Constantinople 1585

16 Verses made by Sir Thomas Mores Dauttr when her

  ffather was in Prison in Henry 8 time.

Page of Melville manuscript.

17 A few devout resolutions well expresst

18 Some of Lady Bettys own occurrences in two short papers

19 Account of ye Manner of Miss Mary Cochranes death.

20 Verses on ye death of Miss Mary Cochrane by Dr Cuthbert

^20 A Devout Letter^

21 Notes of Some of ye Revd Mr George Mairs Sermons He

  was Minr of Culross

22 A poem by a Christian under desertion & distress of mind.

23 A Letter by James Nisbet Serjant in ye Castle of

  Edr to a Young Lady, Extreamly devout

24

Page of Melville manuscript.

A call to come to Christ

^wrote by My Lady Culross^

Come live [with me] and be my love

And all these pleasurs thou shalt prove

That in my word hath warned thee

O loath this life and live with me

This life is but a blast of breath

Nothing so sure as dreadfull death

And since the time no man can know

Sett not thy love on things below

For things below will wear away

And beutie brave will soon decay

Look to that life that last for ever

And love the love that failes the[e] never

I never failed the[e] in thy need

I call I cry ye come with speed

Come near and gain a crown of Glore

Give me thy heart I seek no more

Thy heart is mine I bought it deir

Then send it not a whooring here

This lawless lust and love prophane

Such pleasures false shall end in pain

Should pleasures false pocesse thy heart

Since thou and they with pain must part

Then think upon these pleasures pure

That shall for ever more endure

For

Page of Melville manuscript.

For ever more a word of weight

Stand still and strive faint not to fight

And thou shall have that rich reward

That for the pure is now prepar’d

It is prepar’d in heaven above

By me thy King thy Lord and love

That for thy love tholl’d torments sore

Syne vanquished death and Reigns in Glore

And though I Reing in Glore for ever

Thy faithfull friend forgets the[e] never

But hath prepared a place for thee

Wher thou may reing in joy with me

In endless joy with me and lasting light

To sing amongst the Saints so bright

Wher thou may sitt and sweetly sing

A song of love to Christ thy King

Then Christ thy King shall thee embrace

Then thou shall see my blessed face

Then thou shall hear such harmonie

Which shall for sweetness ravish thee

Thow ravished with grace and Glore

Shall soon forget thy labours sore

Then thou shall see such heavenly sights

And feed upon such dear delights

Such dear delights cannot be told

As to thy eyes thou shalt behold

Th

 

Page of Melville manuscript.

Then thou shall drink that living well

Which shall thy dwining drowth* expell

No ear hath heard, no heart can think

The sweetness that thy soul shall drink

Then thou shall feed on dainties dear

And fill thy soul with Angles chear

Then thou shall hear those pleasant songs

That to thy Lord and love belongs

 

dwining pining, wasting away; drowth drouth: thirst