Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1836, by

D. APPLETON & CO.,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of New York.

STEREOTYPED BY REDFIELD & LINDSAY,

No. 13 Chambers street, New York.

INTRODUCTION.

FEW religious writings of the present age have been more acceptable to the Christian public, or more useful, than those of the Rev. ROBERT PHILIP. His small treatises on "Manly Piety," &c., which have been recently collected and published under the head of "The Young Man's Closet Library," have already been extensively circulated in England, and in this country. The treatises which compose this volume have been hitherto separately issued under the name of "Guides," and have been not less successful than the former. Probably they are adapted to be more generally useful, from the fact that they will be likely to find more readers. They are exclusively addressed to Christians; and they so obviously meet the wants of Christians under various circumstances of life, that, even were the execution less able, they could scarcely fail of being highly appreciated by large numbers of the Christian community.

The happy thought seems to have occurred to the mind of the Author to issue a succession of small books, similar in their character and tendency, that should be adapted to comfort the hearts, relieve the perplexities, and promote the spiritual advancement of Christians."