18. *Aspire after nothing but your own purity and perfection, and have no ambition but to do every thing in so religious a manner, that you may be glad God is every where present, and sees all your actions. The greatest trial of humility, is an humble behaviour towards your equals in _age_, _estate_, and _condition_. Therefore be careful of all the motions of your heart towards these people. Let all your behaviour towards them be governed by unfeigned love. Have no desire to put any of your equals below you, nor any anger at those that would put themselves above you, if they are proud, they are ill of a very bad distemper; let them therefore have your tender pity, and perhaps your meekness may prove an occasion of their cure; but if your humility should do them no good, it will however be the greatest good to yourself.
Remember that there is but one man in the world, with whom you are to have perpetual contention, and be always striving to excel him, and that is yourself.
The time of practising these precepts, my child, will soon be over with you; the world will soon slip thro’ your hands, or rather you will soon slip thro’ it; it seems but the other day since I received these instructions from my dear father, that I am now leaving with you. And the God that gave me ears to hear, and a heart to receive what my father said unto me, will, I hope, give you grace to love and follow the same instructions.