The Last Dying Note of Stephen, Title page – Dedication
CANTICUM MORIENTIS CYGNI, OR, The laſt Dying NOTE of STEPHEN the firſt Goſpel-Martyr.
Opened and Improved in a SERMON PREACHED At ALHALLOWS BARKING London, 17. Septemb. 1658.
At the Funeral of Mr. ANDREW BASSANO, Gentleman; and ſince in ſome particulars enlarged.
By WILLIAM TUTTY, M. A. Miniſter of Totteridge in the County of HERTFORD.
LONDON, Printed for J. Rothwel, at the Fountain in Goldſmiths-Row, in Cheapſide, 1659.
TO THE Truly Religious Gentlewoman, AND His much endeared FRIEND, Miſtris ANNE BASSANO.
Much Honoured in Chriſt,
I Humbly here preſent you with the firſt-born of my Meditations, which were ever yet publiſhed to the eye of the World. I durſt never till now, adventure any thing out abroad; and therefore this firſt piece cannot but go from me, with a kind of Virgin bluſh. I never yet judged any of my weak labours worthy of a curious eye to look upon: Senſible I am, that my parts are as low as my perſon; and therefore hitherto it hath been mine only ambition, to do good among mine own people in mine own ſphere. But truly, the love, and reſpects in my Miniſterial work, which I alwayes met with from your dear yoke-fellow, now with Chriſt, while he ſojourned with us here below in this valley of tears, forces me to this thankfull retaliation, and makes me willing that the World ſhould know how much I was indebted to him. As I have loſt a very loving Neighbour; ſo have you a moſt dear and, tender Husband. But it is not my deſire, or deſign to renew or aggravate your ſorrow under this ſad ſtroke, but rather contrarily, to preſent you with ſomething (that through the ſtrength of Chriſt) might lighten your burden. I know you are like Hannah, a Woman of a troubled Spirit, at all times, but much more now, that you have more than ordinary to do and ſuffer; and your adverſary is moſt buſy, now he finds you at the weakeſt: And therefore, the good Lord forbid, that by this Sermon I ſhould add to your Affliction, in which already your cup runneth over: I only beg of you, that you would ſeriouſly read, and remember this Sermon, but ſtrive to forget the ſad occaſion of it. Oh do not with Rachel refuſe to be comforted; Confident I am you are dear to Chiſt though too too cruel to your ſelf; and that your Spirit is clean, though very cloudy; and that you are a child of light though you ſo often ſit in darkneſs. The dead never complain as you do (I fear too much) and darkneſs could never reveal ſo much darkneſs as you dayly mourn under. Black thoughts which we continually reſiſt, and pray againſt, are but the ſmoak of the bottomleſs Pitt; they flow from Satans envy againſt us, not our enmity againſt God. We muſt with thankfulneſs take comfort in the grace of Chriſt in us, as well as allways be poring on our own wants and weakneſſes: Our Father expects we ſhould walk thankfully, as well as humbly, and that we ſhould melt under his goodneſs, as well as our own unworthineſs. Our dear Saviour a little before his death, begins his laſt Sermon to his Diſciples, John 14.1. with this, not only Counſel, but Command, Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe alſo in me: intimating, that we may be guilty of Goſpel-diſobedience and unbelief, by being too much troubled, as well as by being too much defective herein. Our infinitely gracious God hath made large and ſtrong proviſion in his Word, as well for the conſolation of his ſervants here, as for their ſalvation hereafter: he hath given us not only his Word, but his Oath, That by too immutable things, in which it is impoſſible for God to lye, we might have a*foreign., ſtrong conſolation, Heb. 6.18. even a formidable, giant-like conſolation as the word ſignifyeth; and indeed ſtrong food calls for ſtrong labour; as we ſhould be ſtrong in the Lord in point of duty, ſo in point of comfort, ſeeing he hath given us ſuch ſtrong encouragement, even the higheſt ſecurity in the World, his own Word, and Oath to feed upon. Oh when ſhall I ſee you come up to a full aſſurance of faith; unto which all believers ſhould give all diligence: I know you dare not allow your ſelf in any one ſin willingly; do not do it in this, in Fathering a ſpiritual untruth upon your ſelf, that you are an Hypocrite. How angry was God with Jobs friends for this untrue, and uncharitable cenſure concerning him? nothing but a ſacrifice from Job himſelf for them would appeaſe him: and it is worth the minding, the nature of Gods enditement against them, Job 42.7. Ye have not ſpoken of Me, the thing that is right, why, their Doctrine was true, though not Application; the Premiſes they laid down were ſound, though the Concluſion were rotten, concerning Jobs rottenneſs. Now God interprets this as falſe doctrine, as ſpeaking an untruth concerning himſelf, Paul, while Saul; perſecuted Chriſt the head, in the members; ſo do we when we perſecute our own graces (the beſt part of Chriſt in us) and father ſpiritual untruths upon our ſelves, to gratify the Father of lies. Stephens prayer immediately after the Text, for his enemies, ſhall be mine, though in a different ſenſe for you; The Lord lay not this ſin to your charge, that you even ſtone to death your own graces, not giving God the glory of them; but ſin againſt him, by ſinning againſt your own grace and peace. I now leave this weak piece with you, and leave you in the arms of Jeſus Chriſt, who loves you, and hath dyed for you; And in him remain,
Your unworthy Paſtour W. Tutty. From my ſtudy in Totteridge the 4th. day of October 1658.