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.

AN EVENING-PRAYER FOR Every Day in the Week.

MOST Glorious LORD GOD, and merciful Father in Christ Je∣sus, who inhabitest the highest Heavens, and yet art pleased to dwell in the lowest Hearts; and hast graciously promised, That where-ever Two or Three are gathered together in thy Name and Fear, Thou wilt be there in the midst of them.

Look down in mercy upon us, who are now before Thee, and dare not give sleep to our Eyes, or slumber to our Eye∣lids, till we have renewed our Covenant with the GOD and FATHER of Mer∣cies, and have humbly offered unto Him,

our Selves, our Souls, and Bodies, as a reasonable service.

Be therefore pleased, O Lord, to for∣give all the Sins of our past Lives, parti∣cularly the Omissions and Commissions of this Day, for which alone, shouldst Thou enter into Judgment with us, Thou mightst justly condemn us to the lowest Hell, and give ns our portion with Hypo∣crites in utter Darkness.

Blessed LORD, we desire, from the bottom of our Hearts, to be sensible of our manifold Frailties and Infirmities, and of that Law in our Members, that is al∣ways Warring against the Law of our Minds; so that whenever we would do Good, Evil is present with us, and inter∣mingles with our very Prayers, and di∣sturbs our most religious Duties and Per∣formances.

And therefore it is, that utterly renoun∣cing our own Righteousness, as Dung ••nd Dross, we fly to Him, who is our Advo∣cate: with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, to wash away our Sins with his own precious Blood, and to present

us unto Thee, our GOD pure and spotless.

And for his sake, we humbly beseech Thee, O LORD, to lighten our Dark∣ness, and by thy great mercy; to defend us from all perils and dangers this Night, giving us a moderate and refreshing Rest▪ free from frightful Dreams, and sinful Imaginations, which are the evil Effects of our corrupt Natures.

When we awake, let our Souls be filled with heavenly Thoughts, and pious Me∣ditations, always remembring, That we are in the presence of a God, who knows our down-sitting and our up-rising, who understands our Thoughts a farr off, and is acquainted with all our ways.

If we should be so vain and foolish, to believe that the Darkness would cover us, the Night shall be light about us, the Darkness hideth not from Thee, but the Night shineth as the Day▪ The Darkness and the Night are both alike to Thee.

And forasmuch as the closing of our Eyes to Rest, so nearly resembles Death,

and our Beds are but models of our Graves, out of which we must one Day be called, by the sound of the last Trump, to Arise and come to Judgment: Let this, and every Evening, and every Morning of our Lives, put us in mind of our dy∣ing Hours.

And let no worldly Affairs hinder us, from being always in a readiness, for our last and final Conflict with the Prince and Powers of Darkness, who knowing their time is but short, will be sure to make their fiercest Assaults upon Departing-Souls, when they find them struggling with Bodily pains, and sharp Diseases, and drawing nigh to their last Agonies. And sometimes, to terrify them with frightful Dreams and Visions, to make them, if possible, utterly to despair of God's Mer∣cies, and to let go their hold, and quit their Hopes of Eternal Life and Happiness.

Make us therefore sensible, how highly it concerns us, while we have Health of Body, and soundness of Mind, to arm our selves, like good Souldiers, with Chri∣stian Courage and Resolution, for those Death-bed Combats, and critical Hours, Minutes, and Moments of our Lives.

And because we are to wrestle with invisible Enemies, of mighty Power and wonderful Knowledge, great Subtilty and long Experience, who know too well our Tempers, Inclinations, and Infirmities, and where, and how to set upon us with the greatest Advantage: Be pleased to send thy blessed Angels, and Ministring-Spirits, to comfort and assist us, in all those siery Tryals and Temptations.

That so Death, which is to so many others, the King of Terrors, may be to us a kind Friend, and a welcome Guest; and we may, with all cheerfulness, quit these Houses of Clay, and fleshy Tabernacles, and exchange the Troubles and Sorrows of a painful Pilgrimage, in a Valley of Tears, for the Joys of Heaven, and Ever∣lasting Happiness, with blessed Saints and Angels in the highest Heavens.

All which, with whatever else Thou knowest to be needful, either for us, or for any of ours, or for any of Thine, we humbly beg in the Name, and for the sake of the blessed Jesus, who, in compas∣sion to our Infirmities, has taught us thus to pray.

Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy NAME, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven: Give us this Day our daily Bread, and for∣give us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, and lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever,

Amen.