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cause_n	great_a	let_v	lord_n	2,934	5	3.6705	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35134	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 Jesus, the 26th of the 1st month, 1664 ... / written by John Crook.	Crook, John, 1617-1699.; Greene, Thomas, 1634?-1699.	1664 (1664)	Wing C7215; ESTC R27612	10,327	18

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 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 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 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 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 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 Vnto 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 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 Vnto 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 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

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 JESVS 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. 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 Jesus the 26. of the 1st Month 1664. DEarly Beloved of the Lord although many of you are not ignorant of the departure of John Samm out of the body and for what cause he was in outward bonds which was for meeting with the servants of the Lord and what his Life and Conversation was together with the Ministry committed to him by the Lord as well as his faithful discharge thereof is well known unto you and I might be silent if this were the only end to tell you of these things for is there such a stranger in Israel among you all as knows them not But notwithstanding I have a Testimony in my heart from the Lord on this behalf and do desire it may find acceptance with you to stirre up your pure minds to be sensible of all the Lords dealings with you in your own particulars and also of his providences and disposings of those that are near and dear unto you all as I know this Servant of the Lord J. S. was unto all that throughly knew him and had inward acquaintance with him For his Education it is well known in Bedfordshire where he dwelt as also his Conversation which was just and honest among men before he was convinced of the Truth for the sake of which he suffered five or six times Imprisonment several times together for bearing testimony to the same Truth which at last he sealed with his life in Northampton Goal where he first suffered Imprisonment about the year 1656. in which prison he ended his dayes as he foretold saying Northampton was the first and will be the last For his Life and Conversation I can speak to it for I was perfectly acquainted with him both outwardly as a man and inwardly as a Christian as a man he was endowed with a competent measure of understanding and did improve it unto that end in the managing of the Creation for which it was given him being discrete sober and of good report among men and his carriage courteous and loving unto all much more might be said of this nature which I omit And as a Christian he was holy and harmless patient and meek valiant and bold contending earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints and in which he himself as a Saint did walk live and dye Christianity to him was not a talk but a life for rather then he would deny it he suffered loss of Estate Liberty and Life it self as he did Witness his often Imprisonment and his laying down his life at last for the same Cause As a Minister he had a dispensation of the Gospel committed unto him in which he was a faithful labourer in the work thereof with great zeal and fervency of Spirit taking all opportunities and occasions in the wisdom of the Lord as moved by him to deliver his message unto all people of all estates and degrees that he might be free from the blood of all men His gift was large his utterance plain to be understood his words savoury and powerful not painted with mans wisdom but as given him of the Lord being often spoken with great Majesty and in much Authority cutting deep to the wounding of the wicked one in man and easing of the poor and needy prisoner being often mindful of the Captive Daughter of Sion as of the pure Seed in deep Captivity that he might reach it help and when his words began to reach it he was as one transported with joy and when it was once raised and come forth of the prison house the Song of Moses and of the Lamb was in his mouth with much joy and great gladness of heart unto the astonishment of the wicked and filling the hearts of the righteous with great joy through the overflowings of his Cup and superaboundings of Gods love in his heart sometimes as one taken out of the body in which state his eyes would sparkle and his face be full of dread as one having authority and not as the Scribes Besides the melody of his voice sometimes sounding out the high praises of the God of Isr●el and at other times the blessed state of the righteous as they stood in Union with the living God and one with another Oh how have I seen him make the earth to tremble and the hearts of the upright to overflow with joy and gladness through that abundance of life that hath run through his Vessel unto the forcing of water out of the Rocks and tears out of the eyes of the Saints unto great abundance His Hymnes and Sounds sometimes were as flames of fire consuming the drossy matter and at other times as Swords and Spears cutting down and thrusting through the tall Cedars and lofty Oaks and wild Beasts of the wilderness Procuring an Eccho to the true Seed in the living babes which often made sweet melody in their Assemblies when but few words were spoken by him Methinks I hear his Instrument still sound Making the hearts of the just to abound With living praises to the God of Heaven Without one jarring string or voice un-even Though this seems strange to those that dwell below Yet what I speak I feel and well do know And look for more to be brought forth ere long In those that yet are learning the Lambs song 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 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