20. Your dear father was an humble, watchful, pious, wise man. Whilst his sickness would suffer him to talk with me, his discourse was chiefly about your education. He knew the benefits of humility, he saw the ruins which pride made in our sex; and therefore he conjured me with the tenderest expressions, to renounce the _fashionable ways_ of educating daughters in _pride_ and _softness_, in the care of their _beauty_ and _dress_; and to bring you all up in the _plainest_, _simplest_ instances of an humble, holy, and industrious life. He taught me an admirable rule of humility, which he practised all the days of his life; which was this, to let no morning pass, without thinking upon some _frailty_ and _infirmity_ of our own, that may put us to _confusion_, make us _blush inwardly_, and entertain a mean opinion of ourselves. Think therefore, my children, that the soul of your good father, who is now with God, speaks to you through my mouth; and let the double desire of your father, who is gone, and me, who am with you, prevail upon you to love God, to study your own perfection, to practise humility, and, with innocent labour, to do all the good you can to all your fellow creatures, till God calls you to another life. *Thus did the pious widow educate her daughters. And a very ordinary knowledge of the _spirit_ of _Christianity_, may convince us, that no education can be of true advantage to young women, but that which trains them up in _humble industry_, in _great plainness_ of life, in _exact modesty_ of _dress_, _manners_ and _carriage_, and in _strict devotion_. For what should a Christian woman be, but a _plain_, _unaffected_, _modest_, _humble_ creature, averse to every thing in her _dress_ and _carriage_, that can draw the eyes of beholders, or gratify the passions of lewd and amorous persons? 21. *These considerations may teach you to let no day pass, without a serious application to God, for the _whole spirit_ of humility: fervently beseeching him to fill every part of your soul with it; to make it the ruling, constant habit of your mind, that you may not only feel it, but feel all your other tempers arising from it; that you may have no thoughts, no desires, no designs, but such as are the true fruits of an humble, meek, and lowly heart. That you may always appear poor, and little, and mean in your own eyes, and fully content that others should have the same opinion of you. That the whole course of your life, your _expence_, your _house_, your _dress_, your manner of _eating_, _drinking_, _conversing_, and doing _every thing_, may be so many continual proofs of the humility of your heart.