Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

SO soon as thou art up, go into thy Closet, or into some private place, and there offer up unto God a Morning Sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, let any thing be omitted rather than that; if thy business be urgent and great, rise the sooner, dare not to attempt any thing, till thou hast commended thy self, and thine affairs unto God by prayer; if thou take any little liberty to omit this duty, the Devil will so work upon thee, that by little and little thou wilt wax weary of it, if Gods grace be not the more powerful in thee. And truly the morning is the fittest time for this duty of secret prayer, men being then freshest and freest from worldly businesses and distractions. We have a saying amongst us,¹ that the morning is a friend to the Muses, as being the best time for study. I am sure it is as true, that the morning is a friend to the Graces, as being the best time for any holy service.

SO soon as thou art up, goe into thy Closet, or into some private place, and there offer up unto God a Morning Sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, let any thing be omitted rather than that; if thy business be urgent and great, rise the sooner, dare not to attempt any thing, till thou hast commended thy self, and thine affairs unto God by prayer; if thou take any little liberty to omit this duty, the Devil will so work upon thee, that by little and little thou wilt wax weary of it, if Gods grace bee not the more powerful in thee. And truly the morning is the fittest time for this duty of secret prayer, men being then freshest and freest from worldly businesses and distractions. Wee have a saying amongst us,¹ that the morning is a friend to the Muses, as being the best time for study. I am sure it is as true, that the morning is a friend to the Graces, as being the best time for any holy service.

1. 1Aurora Musis amica.

For reason and experience do teach us, that in the morning our memories and senses are the quickest, and all the faculties of our souls at their best, having recovered fresh strength through the sweet sleep, and comfortable rest we had the night past; and in the morning the sooner the better, for if thou shalt enter upon any worldly business, or discourse, before thou hast offered up thy morning Sacrifice, thou shalt find it much harder to keep the world out of thine head, and thine heart close unto the duty. But if some extraordinary business have occasioned thee to delay it, do not thereupon wholly omit it, but be careful to take the first opportunity of retiring into thy Closet, there to offer up thy morning sacrifice unto God.