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I Laid me down and slept, and rose up again, and the Lord sustained me, Psal. 3. 5.
I. As soon as you open your eyes,* 1.1 lift them up unto the Hills from whence cometh your help, and begin the work of the day with thanksgiving to God, who hath delivered you from the dangers of the forepassed night, refreshed your weary body with quiet sleep, and brought you safely to the be∣ginning of another day.
II. Consider, That perhaps many others, no worse than you, have
this night been hurried from their beds to the bar of Judgment, and there received a sad sentence of eternal woe; yet God of his in∣finite and undeserved goodness hath spared you until now, to re∣pent and prepare your accounts.
III. Return him all possible thanks and praise for this inestimable mercy: and commend your self to his Grace and protection for the following day, and the rest of your life; humbly beseeching him to continue his mercy and good∣ness to you, in preserving you from all evils, and supplying you with all neccssaries spiritual and temporal; and implore his Grace to guide and direct you in all your undertakings and actions, as may most conduce to the glory of his great Name, and the good of your own soul.
IV. Consider what sin or sins you
have more especially been guilty of yesterday, or since the last time of your solemn repentance; and resolve by the grace of God assist∣ing you, to avoid those sins, and all occasions of them.
V. Consider what you have to do this day: Resolve, not to spend it in idleness or evil imployments; and be careful to undertake no∣thing, in which you cannot with confidence and a good conscience desire the gracious assistance of God, without which all endea∣vour and industry, all toil and travel is vain and fruitless.
Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss, Ecclus. 7. 36.
VI. Keep diligent watch over your self in all your ways: and where you find you have gone awry, de∣lay not to return presently: for the longer you go forward, the
farther you have back again, and the less time left for that and the rest of your Journey.
VII. Be careful of your precious Time, that you do not lose it in doing nothing, or cast it away on that which is worse: for you know not how soon you may be called to account for every idle and ill-spent minute.
Resolve to spend this day as that which, for ought you know, may be your last: and remember, that as the Night, so Death draws on every hour, and may perhaps overtake you before Mid-day.
Morning Prayer.
O Let me hear thy Loving kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust. Shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my
Soul unto thee, Psal. 143. 8.
O hearken unto the voice of my calling, my King and my God; for utto the will I make my Prayer.
My voice shalt thou hear be∣times, O Lord: early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee, and will look up.
But make me to remember that thou art God, and hast no plea∣sure in wickedness, neither shall any evil dwell with thee, Psal. 5. 2, 3, 4.
OUR Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name; thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven: Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive 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.
O Lord, open thou my lips.
And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
Psal. 19.THE Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Fir∣mament sheweth his handy work.
One day telleth another, and one night certifieth another.
There is neither speech nor language, but their voices are heard among them.
Their sound is gone out into all Lands, and their words into the ends of the world.
In them hath he set a Taber∣nacle for the Sun, which cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a Gi∣ant to run his course.
It goeth forth from the utter∣most part of the Heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again; and there is nothing hid from the Heat thereof.
The Law of the Lord is an un∣defiled Law, converting the Soul: the Testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
The Statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoyce the Heart; the Commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
The Fear of the Lord is clean, and indureth for ever: the judg∣ments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than Gold, yea than much fine
Gold: sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb.
Moreover, by them is thy ser∣vant taught: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Who can tell how oft he offend∣eth! O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
Keep thy servant also from pre∣sumtuous sins, left they get the dominion over me: so shall I be undefiled and innocent from the great offence.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Re∣deemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
The Song of Zachary.
BLessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people: Luke 1. 68.
And hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the House of his Servant David.
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began.
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us.
To perform the mercy promi∣sed to our Forefathers, and to re∣member his holy Covenant.
To perform the Oath which he sware to our Forefather Abraham, that he would give us.
That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear;
In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
And thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
To give knowledge of Salvati∣on to his people for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
BLessed be thy holy Name, O Lord, who hast shewed me the light of thy countenance, and
hast delivered me from the dark∣ness and dangers of this night, and refreshed me with quiet sleep; and raised me up again as it were from the grave, and restored me to life, and the joyful light of another day.
Give me grace to make it a re∣surrection to newness of life also, that I may spend this day, and all that thou shalt yet be pleased to add to it, in thy Service, to the Glory of thy Name, and the Good of my own Soul.
O Lord, blot out as a night∣mist mine iniquities, and scatter my sins as a morning cloud, Isai. 44. 22.
Grant that I may become a Child of the Light and of the Day;* 1.2 that I may walk soberly,* 1.3 chastly, and honestly as in the day.
Open thou mine eyes that I may see,* 1.4 incline my heart that I may affect, and order my steps that I may walk and run in the way of thy Commandements.
Hold me fast, and keep me close by thee. Guide me with thy Hand. Uphold me when I am falling: lift me up when I am down. Reduce me when I go astray, and hedge in my way, that I find not the path to follow after vanity.
Keep me in all my ways,* 1.5 and de∣fend me from all the dangers and evils of this day,* 1.6 O Lord, preserve my going out and coming in, from this time for evermore.
And now, O Lord, I offer up my self a living Sacrifice unto thee, beseeching thee mercifully
and graciously to receive me. Cleanse me from all my Polluti∣ons; heal all my infirmities, and sanctifie all the Powers and Facul∣ties of my Soul and Body to thy service this day; that in all my thoughts, words, and works, I may always have an eye to that Supreme end of my Creation; and so order the whole course of my life, that I may be always ready and prepared for death, and that severe account which I must one day make unto thee, that so I may do it with joy and not with sorrow, and receive that Crown which thou hast promised to them that persevere unto the end, Heb. 13. 17.
And with my self I commend unto thee all whom any bond of Nature, or Freindship, or Reli∣gion, commands me to pray for; especially—
—and all that
have at any time done good to me, thou, O Lord, do good to them, and reward them seven-fold into their bosom.
Preserve us, O Lord,* 1.7 from all evil: O Lord I beseech thee,* 1.8 keep our Souls; keep us from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of thy Glory at that day.
And the Peace of God,* 1.9 which passeth all understanding,* 1.10 keep our hearts and minds in the Knowledge and Love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
And the Blessing of God Al∣mighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with us this day, the rest of our lives, and for evermore. Amen.
Psal. 121. 1.
1 Thes. 5. 5. 8.
Rom. 13. 13.
Psal. 119. 18, 36, 133.
Psal. 91. 2.
Psal. 121. 8.
Psal. 121. 7.
Jude 24.
Phil. 4. 7.
Com. Pr.