Let us chide our cold unfeeling hearts and pray for a coal of fire from the heavenly altar to send us home in a flame of love to him who has thus lov… - John Newton

John Newton was born in London on July 24, 1725,

Courtship is indeed a pleasing part of life when there is mutual affection, the consent of friends, the reasonable prospect of an eventual fulfillment, and when it is conducted in obedience to
the will and worship of God. But when these concomitants are absent, what we call love becomes the most tormenting and destructive passion that can be named.

"Afflictions quicken us to prayer. It is a pity it should be so; but experience testifies, that a long course of ease and prosperity, without painful changes — has an unhappy tendency to make us cold and formal in our secret worship. But troubles rouse our spirits, and constrain us to call upon the Lord in good earnest — when we feel a need of that help which we only can have from his almighty arm. Afflictions are useful, and in a degree necessary, to keep alive in us — a conviction of the vanity and unsatisfying nature of the present world, and all its enjoyments; to remind us that this world is not our rest, and to call our thoughts upwards, where our true treasure is, and where our heart ought to be. When things go on much to our wish, our hearts are too prone to say, "It is good to be here!