The Urim of conscience to which the author has had recourse for plain answers, in his own particular case (as every man living ought to do in his) to four questions of great weight and importance, viz. 1. who and what art thou? 2. where hast thous been? 3. where art thou now going? 4. whither art thou going? : together with three select prayers for private families / by Sir Samuel Morland.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.

IT having pleased Almighty God, to deprive me of the Sight of both my Eyes, for above Three Years already past; and being there∣by disabled to do my King or Coun∣try any further Service, I thought it might not be amiss, to employ some part of my Time, during this Soli∣tude and Retirement, in Recolle∣cting some Observations and Re∣flections,

which I have heretofore made, from what I have seen or heard, either at Home or Abroad; as believing they might, at present, be profitable to my self, and hereaf∣ter useful to others.

And therefore I have at last dige∣sted them into a small Treatise, contain∣ing four Questions and Answers, which do, in truth, concern every one, who has the true use of that Reason with which he was born: But more especially profest Christians, who ought, every Day of their Lives, se∣riously to propose to themselves such Interrogatories, and require, at the same time, sincere and direct An∣swers from their own Consciences.

Now, if the Method of the fol∣lowing Discourse, be lookt upon as Particular and Unusual, I hope it may be the more grateful; foras∣much as new things, though of lit∣tle consequence, do usually find a tole∣rable acceptance.

If it be thought too Short and Concise for a Subject of such Weight and Importance; there will be this Convenience, that it will give less trouble to the Readers.

If it should be censured for Sharp and Satyrical Reflections, I de∣sire it may be considered, That those Reflections are either directed against profest Atheists, Libertines, and viti∣ous Livers, who make a Mock of Re∣ligion, and the Holy Scriptures; or

else, that they are made use of to les∣sen the Credit and Reputation of a certain Treatise called Leviathan, which has corrupted the Minds and Manners of so many hopeful Youths of this last Age, who by reason of the tenderness of their Years, and want of Solidity and Experience, could not easily discern the Fallacies and In∣consistences of those dangerous Do∣ctrines, that are so subtilly couched in that impious Discourse.

And lastly, if in this small Treatise there shall be found Errours, Mistakes, or useless Passages proceeding from the Author's Blindness, Old Age, or Weak∣ness, and his being forc'd to make use of other Men's Hands and Eyes, he begs the courteous and candid Per∣users, to put them all into a Paren∣thesis,

and to consider that since hu∣manum est errare, he had in the fol∣lowing Discourse a two fold end and Pur∣pose; the One to gratify his Readers, the other to benefit Himself: For while They either do, or may go away with what is of real Use and Practise in their Lives and Conversations, He comes after, to glean and gather up those Mistakes and Trivial Passages, for the Exercise of Self-mortification, and for the begetting and continuing a mean Opinion, and low Thoughts of his own Abilities.

And therefore flatters himself with hopes to find a favourable Interpreta∣tion of his hearty and sincere, though weak Endeavours (being already past the Seventieth Year of his Age)

to leave that behind him, which may at least help to turn some Souls to Righteousness, when he himself shall be turned to Dust and Ashes: