A True and Faithful TESTIMONY CONCERNING John Samm, The Servant of the LORD, Who finished his Course, by laying down his life in NORTHAMPTON GOAL, FOR THE TRUTH of JESƲS, The 26th of the 1st. Month, 1664.

Written by John Crook, who had perfect knowledge of him from the beginning.

With an Exhortation unto all the Righteous, to be watchful, to take due notice of all the dealings of the Lord, especially of his taking away (of late) so many faithful La­bourers in his Work; and to you principally in the Coun­ties of Bedfordshire, (where his outward dwelling was) Bucks, Hertford, Cambridge, Huntington, Ely, and Northampton, is this Testimony sent, who have partaked of his Ministry, and been refreshed with the streams of Life, that often run through him among you, to whom my Soul sendeth Gree­ting, and wisheth unto you all Love, Life, Mercy, and Peace. Amen.

LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1664.

An Exhortation unto all the Righteous, espe­cially those that were partakers of John Samms Ministry.

DId Joseph seek a place where to weep over Benjamin his Brother, though yet alive? And can ye, Oh ye Sons and Daughters of Joseph, refrain from mourning for the loss of a Father to many children, whom he had begotten in the [Page 4] Lord? And is there a time when the true Embassador of Peace may weep bitterly? Oh can it be more seasonable at any time, then when the Lord takes away the Righteous from the evil to come? And hath he not done so to many Valiants of late, whose Trumpets Alarm'd the World, and made many dead to arise at the sound thereof? What was the cause, and where­fore the Lord hath done it, becomes every one to make en­quiery in their own hearts; and the rather, because there is need, yea great need, of Valiants in this day, the Harvest be­ing great, and the Labourers few. And why the Lord should lessen the number, seems to challenge a diligent enquiery, at every ones hand, to find out the cause thereof; And let me stir ye up, oh all ye that love the Lord, to search every own his own heart with the light of Jesus; And for this, let my Harp also be turned to mournings, and my Organ into the voice of them that weep; For indeed I will tell you, oh ye Children of my Father, my Soul hath deeply considered this matter; And I have this Answer, the Lord will do what pleaseth him, with the Instruments of his choosing, and who hath been his Counsellor? He will raise up, and lay a side at pleasure; for he will have no Idols of jealousie in this his day, least it come to pass, as when he made the brazen Serpent, a Nehushtan: Neither will he have his work neglected, nor his Servants slighted, whom he sends forth in Life and Power; He would have his People to wait upon him, in their own mea­sures, every one as they have received, in it to keep close unto him, that they all may be taught of him, and have the re­joycings in themselves, and not in another: And the Lord will yet raise up Instruments to fulfil his purpose, for his work shall prosper; and by all these wayes and dealings of his, he would have his Childrens Hearts made loose to all things un­der the Sun, with their Lamps burning, and lights shining, having the loyns of their minds girt about with the Girdle of Truth; keeping close unto the Lord with a pure heart, that he may yet further make known unto them his mind and will; for although you are now become the Sons of God, it doth not yet appear what ye shall be; but this know, the more and oftner ye see him, the liker to him ye shall be; and let this be [Page 5] your care, that he may be alwayes before you, that you may not be moved: And my dear friends, keep low in your minds, and delight to be often in the deeps with God: Oh watch, I even beseech you all as dear Brethren, that by the Lords taking away of his Servants of late, that have been blessed Instruments in his hands, you may come the nearer unto that Teacher, and hear his voice daily, which cannot be removed into a corner; that ye may all say in truth of heart, we are come unto that Ministry which cannot be taken away by rea­son of death; Oh that you may all feel more of this Ministry in your Assemblies daily, and keep in that seed of life, where you live with the spirits of those just men, whose bodies are remo­ved from you: Indeed I feel, I feel the Lord mightily at work in this his day, be but still, and you will see his wonders in the dayes past: Let love abound among you as at the begin­ning, and be pure and clean in heart, and you will see by all Gods dealings, what he aims at, which is certainly, to raise up his own life in you all, over all the world, unto his own praise, and your joy for ever: And all you that are sensible of the taking away of dear J. S. as being often refreshed by his life, and comforted through his Ministry, sink ye down, sink, ye down into the fountaine, from whence he hath all his supplies, and drink ye of the same, blessing the Lord that the fountaine is in Christ the promised Seed, unto whom feel your daily access: Oh ye beloved of the Lord, and say in your hearts with my soul, O God, it is enough that we have thy self to go unto, and that we can in thy life enjoy com­munion with the spirits of the just ones; And lift up your heads over all the world, and be not dismayed with any a­mazement, either inward or outward, for your Redeemer lives, and your Ransomer will not tarry; and you that are full of sorrow, by reason of your temptations and tryals, which are many, and that your own strength is so small; I say unto you all, lift up your heads: For you that cannot live without Christ, but feel your daily need of him, He will not, not, not, leave you nor forsake you, for thou art the true heir of him, that cannot live without him, to thee he will come, and will not tarry; and in the mean time, as a good Souldier en­dure [Page 6] the hardship: It is but yet a little while, and he will ap­pear without sin unto thy souls Salvation: For I [...]eel thee, and do travail for thee.

Oh thou well beloved! how are my cries unto my God for thee, who laments in thy spirit for want of the Lord, and can hardly be perswaded of his love to thee; thou art so uncome­ly in thine own eyes, and thou lookest upon his dealings, both within, in thy Spirit, and without, in his taking away those instruments whom thou lovest, and by whom thou wast re­freshed, as being in wrath against thee, and for thy sake: Well I know thee, and am to testifie unto thee, in mine and thy Fathers Name, that he doth behold thee, and his eyes do pity thee, and he is waiting to be gratious unto thee, that in an acceptable time he may commend his love unto thee, and thy Salvation is sure; Oh thou traveling Soul, and I could even put my Soul in thy Souls stead to ease thee a little.

Well, my cries are for thee, and it is prayed that thy faith fail not; So unto our God give up, and when thou art sink­ing as to the bottome of sorrow, there is a hand to support thee, and thou wilt feel it in the lowest dungeon, and dark­est deep. Be thou still, and my God will be thy Interpreter, to let the see, know, and understand thy state and condition; with whom I leave thee, in that bosome where Lazarus dwels safely, and at rest, when Dives is tormented, and hath not one drop of that mercy with which thou art filled, to the praise of our God for ever. Amen.

The free flowings forth of my pure soul to J. S. whose Decease I do condole as followeth.

OH thou Valiant, was thy time so bounded,
That death had no power (till thou had sounded▪)
To stop thy voice, or hinder thy sweet life,
From throughly conquering black envyes strife:
Well, well, It is enough what thou hast done,
Who in thy day with patience did runne
[Page 7] The race of the nobly descended,
And would not be stopt till life was ended:
What? Shall I speak thy commendation,
Or tell thy loss by lamentation;
To neglect the first, seems to injure thee,
And to pass by the last is so to me,
As well as to many brethren more,
Who for thee can scarse refraine to weep sore;
So then I must speak something to thy fame,
Who as a Minister wast made a flame,
To kindle the sparke that in Ember lay
Rak't up all night, in dark until the day;
Whose light shin'd clearly in thy holy brest,
As all that knew thee well must needs attest,
As I my self (for one) can truly say,
That light in thee shin'd clear as perfect day,
To the enlightning many with thy sunne,
Whose feet before in darkness fast had runne;
For who could withstand thy life, Oh dear John!
And not to thy words bow, or else be gone;
So powerful at times was thy sweet voice,
That to be in thy presence was my choice;
And besides thy comforting of them that mourn'd,
Many from darkness, to day-light was turn'd;
All sorts of men by thee received good,
For thou wast wash't from sinne, with Jesus blood;
Which made thy Journy Peace, and thy end gaine,
In despight of death, and all outward paine,
Which was not a little in that noysome place,
But that life over all did thee embrace;
While thou liv'd, thy life made many tremble,
And in thy death, who can thee resemble?
Both for the patience which in thee dwelt,
As also for those sounds which many felt,
[Page 8] Flow from thee, like sweet streams of quickning life,
Which often in others have ceased strife;
And made great Babylon to tremble sore,
As well as the Scarlet and painted Whore,
Against whom he warr'd as a valiant man,
And did not cease till his strength was gone;
Which lasted till his breath began to faile,
For while he had any, he would not vaile,
But kept his ground, and stoutly made it good,
And seal'd at last, the conquest with his blood;
In that prison, where he at first was cast
For the same cause, for which he breath'd his last:
Oh dear John, while I'm speaking of thy praise,
I am as one dazled with the bright rayes
Of that heavenly glory which Crowns thy soul,
From whence I cannot get thee to condole,
But a voice within me cryes, Be thou gone
Out of thy vessel, and wear the same Crowne;
Well I come, O God, with what speed I may,
Help me to finish the work of my day;
For haste I do, with all my strength and might,
Out of this house of clay to take my flight:
I come, I come, my work is almost done,
It's finisht so soon as this storm is gone;
Let the winds blow loud, and rain fall hard,
And the Seas roar, and waters swell a pace,
But thy great works O God do not retard,
Till thou become thy peoples dwelling place;
Let Judas do with speed, what he's to doe,
That true friends may be known from deadly foe;
And thy Jewels made up in sight of all,
And that they which four thee, no more may fall;
But that the holy, may be holy still,
And no destroyer on all thy holy Hill:
[Page 9] But whither am I going in such haste?
Is th' blessed day at hand for this great feast?
Methinks my heart is silled with great joy
To behold this good day so very nigh.
While many like the Prophets servant say,
With us it's night, but with the enemies day;
That's because, the eyes not opened to see
Jehovahs strength, which is greater for me
Then all the world, or death and hell beside,
Which to them is known that in light abide;
Times and seasons are in the Fathers hand,
And let them fear who build upon the sand:
But my soul sees the work already done,
Which is the throwing down of Babylon
The great, into woe, grief, and constant paine,
There to lye, and never to rise again;
How can I now any longer withhold,
From condoling for him, that was so bold
To bear his testimony for the Lord
Against Babylons wayes, by him abhorr'd;
Who like Davids worthies, brake through the host
To refresh the thirsty, and find the lost,
And such a one was he of whom I speak,
Let the sence of Truths great loss, your hearts break;
For many such Souldiers are not behind,
Whose ease, estate, and life, could not him bind
From ventring all in Gods righteous cause,
Ʋnto the end for which he valiant was,
In liberty, in bonds, in life, in death:
Oh how faithful was he until last breath;
He stood fast 'gainst all that did gainsay,
None being able to turn his mind away;
Saying often from his heart, in true love,
And zeal unto Gods wayes, and pretious dove;
[Page 10] (Meaning the Seed alone without a mate,)
Mind the poor and needy in all your brests,
Which mourns alone, while crafty souls have nests;
And foxes have their holes to hide their heads,
It often wak't when others slept in beds;
His care was still, that it might live and raign,
That nothing might it's Fathers love restrain;
Was not this that love the Lambs ought to have
From true Pastors, who seek their sheep to save;
Yes, yes, and such are after Gods own heart,
That to save the sheep, they would feel the smart;
Methinks I feel his life, and hear his hymne;
Heark, heark, doth it not make the babe to singe,
In those that remember his dwelling place?
Wast not in great peace over all disgrace?
Heeding nothing more then to be with God,
As his dwelling place from all stroke and rod;
Well, hast ye thither, all ye chosen Flock,
That ye may dwell with him on Sions Rock;
In the dear Seed, where still he lives with you
In that union, where they are no more two,
But one with him, and me, and all in life,
And so your loss is gain, and end of strife;
Ʋnto which life with him, God bring us all,
Where the loss is repair'd to great and small.
Well dear John, with thee is my soul at rest,
For now I feel thou dwellest within my brest;
Feel ye the same, ye dearest Lambs of love,
For he's a mate to thee thou loansome Dove;
And ye sweet children of your father dear,
Both inward and outward be of good chear;
Your Father lives, and so shall do for aye,
Let his Counsel be embrac't, and obey;
[Page 11] So shall all be made up in safety and peace,
With sweet gaine to your souls, and good encrease,
Where our home is, who dwell and rest in life
Far from all sorrow, out of all bate and strife
In one house, where we all have our bread sure;
Feed, seed ye babes, for it will still endure:
Farewel dear babes, and with our Father dwell
At home in God, with us, in spight of hell.
And thus to him, and you, I have paid my debt,
And to all the upright that with us met;
I take my leave, and rest in that, Amen,
After whom, the just cryes, how long? when, when?
By John Crook, now Prisoner in Ipswich Town-Goal for the same cause, for which dear J. S. layed down his life▪
written the 7th of the 2d. Month, 1664.

FRiends in the Counties before-mentioned, or where this may come, This is my Testimony which I had in my heart to bear for that faithful man John Samm, who was a Minister and sufferer for the Truth of Jesus, who hath now finished his Testimony in faithfulness, a prisoner in Northamp­ton; by me who for some years have had a right knowledge of him, and his integrity and faithfulness to Gods eternal Truth, of which he was made partaker: He was a man of a sound mind, and of an upright heart, a lover of righteous­ness, and hating iniquity; Him the Lord was pleased to choose, with the first in the County of Bedford, who made him sensi­ble of the living word in his heart, by which the Lord brought him to know the work of Redemption, who Redeemed him [Page 12] out of the worlds wayes and worships, and brought him to Truth in the inward parts, which truth he knew to be power­ful, which set him free from much which did entangle him, and feeling the power of it, the Lord chose him to bear testi­mony in words unto it, which he received not of man, nor by man, but of the free gift from the Lord, and when he had received it, to wit, the Truth in the inward parts, and his mind to it turned, then did he feel the sweet streams of the Lords love to his thirsty soul, by which his heart was often filled with joy and great rejoycing; and also the Lord in the strength of his Love, and in the sense of the living vertue of his life, did open his mouth in praises to the Lord, to the great refreshment and comfort of his children, who were be­gotten by the same word of power unto the feeling of the life by which he was filled; many times as a Cup that over­flowes: and a good understanding had the Lord given him of the mysteries of his Kingdom, and of those things which he had heard, learned, and received of the Lord in the light of his Son, that did he faithfully communicate unto others, in the demonstration of the Spi [...]it of God, in season, and out of season, without respect of time, place, or person; yea, pro­sperous was he made in the hand of the Lord, to the convin­cing of many in the Counties where he travel [...]ed, and to the turning of many from darkness to light, from Sathans power to God; and a good instrument (he was) of comfort to the temp­ted ones, and a refresher of the weak ones, and a confirmer of the tender hearted in that present Truth which they had received; and these words would run through him often, saying on this wise, As every one hath received Christ the Light, so let him walk in it: And he was also a man full of love, and very zealous for the Lord, but not without know­ledge; for a living sense he had of the heavenly power of God, by which he was filled many times, as with new Wine; and would often say, Who is able to containe of this heavenly Ver­tue, and not praise the Name of the Lord: And the Lord, his Truth and People, was dear unto him, for whose sakes he often suffered Imprisonment, and spoyling of his goods; and did rather choose to suffer affliction upon Truths account, [Page 13] with the people of the Lord, then to enjoy the pleasures of this life for a season; or sinne against the light of Christ Jesus, which did shine in his heart, and give him the knowledge of the Glory that's Eternal; for the enjoyment of which, this world and it's glory, was of little value to him; and both in prison, and out of prison, the Lord did accompany him with his heavenly presence, and many times fill him with the ver­tue of his life, by which his heart was engaged to the Lord. These things I can boldly speak of him, having a right know­ledge of him, being once cast into prison with him, because we could not break the command of Christ, in sinning against his Ligat, which sayed in us, Swear not at all, according as is recorded in the Scriptures of Truth; for which at that time we suffered eighteen weeks Imprisonment, with many more of the servants of the Lord, who kept the Commandments of God, and had the Testimony of Jesus; and our hearts was knit together, even as Jonathans was to David; and as Iron sharpeneth Iron, so did the Lord by the manifestation of his love and life in our hearts, cause us often to refresh each other. Well, what might I speak my Friends, in Truth, of our deceas­ed Brother, who fainted not unto the end, who hath now fi­nished his Course, and made not Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience, but hath kept the Faith, and in it is fallen asleep; and now his bodily presence we here no more shall see, bu [...] his life is amongst us, and is felt with the faithful; for while it was conteined in that narrow compass, he would often say, There's no straitness in the Lord, but the straitness is of man: And he would say, How doth one drop from the pre­sence of the Lord, cause the Cup to overflow; saying, Who is able to containe of the exellent streams of Life, and not praise the living God. On Friends, amongst whom he tra­veled, feel his life among you, and remember his labour of love, for the labour of the Righteous tendeth to life; and for this end did he travail, labour, and suffer to death, as a vali­ant in Israel, that many might be made partakers of the like precious faith, which he knew to overcome and to give victo­ry, and to preserve him to the Lord, that so being made par­take [...]s of the riches of Gods grace, rejoycing in themselves, they might witness this was the earnest desire of his Soul; [Page 14] surely the memorial of the Righteous shall be had in everlast­ing remembrance, but the name of the wicked shall [...]ot: So this is my testimony on the behalf of that valiant man, who counted not his life dear to himself, that he might finish his course with joy.

And now dear Friends and Brethren, whom the Lord hath called in this the day of his mighty Power, and hath made you partakers of his Divine nature, and hath caused the win­dowes of Heaven to open, and hath shoured down of the [...]er­tue of his life upon you, and ye who have often se [...]t the [...]weet influences of the Fathers love unto your souls; be not over much troubled at this our loss, but feel his life among you, for affliction cometh not out of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground, yet man is born to trouble, as the spark fly upward, as saith Job, but the Lord is the support and deliverer of the Righteous; and he is their present help in the needful time, who brings them to their expected end in peace, as he hath this our friend, in a good age, like as a shock of Corn cometh in, in it's sea on.

And now ye children of the Lord, born of the same birth, wait ye for the streamings forth of the Lords love into all your souls, that you may be as channels, or as water courses, through which the Lord causeth the water of life to run, that you may not only be comforted in your selves, but may have where­withal to comfort others; keep in the tenderness and love one to another, as children of one Father; all sucking at the same brests of Consolation, by which the Lords people in all a [...]e were consolated, that ye may grow up together as trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that a blessing in his hand ye may be, and by his living power, to the end ye may be preserved, to the glory and to the praise of the Lord: This as a testimony for that servant of the Lord J. S. whom I dearly loved, with a short Salutation of love, to the children of the first born,

The 7th of the 2d. Month, 1664.
By one who suffers for the same Testimony, for which our Brother layed down his life; P [...]is [...]ner in the Town Goal of Ipswich in Suffolk, your Friend
THOMAS GREEN.
FINIS.

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