Morning Exercises refers to a religious observance by Puritans in London which started at the beginning of the English Civil War.
As most of the citizens of London had either a near relation or friend in the army of the Earl of Essex, clergymen were getting overwhelmed with requests to include prayers for these soldiers in their Sunday services.
Shortly after Westminster Abbey also started to host religious lectures between 6 - 8am, not only for local residents, but also for Members of Parliament.
The preachers here included Edmund Staunton, Philip Nye, Stephen Marshall, Herbert Palmer, Charles Herle, Jeremiah Whitaker and Thomas Hill.
[2] After the Civil War the Morning Exercises were continued, with many collected by Samuel Annesley being subsequently published in six volumes.