These Childish Dissipations

These childish dissipations!(John Newton's Letters)

Writing to a worldling, John Newton says--If you were to send me an inventory of your pleasures; how charmingly your time runs on, and how dexterously it is divided between the coffee-house, play-house, the card-table, and tavern, with intervals of balls, concerts, etc.; I would answer, that most of these I have tried over and over, and know the utmost they can yield, and have seen enough of the rest, most heartily to despise them all. I profess I had rather be a worm crawling on the ground, than to bear the name of 'man' upon the poor terms of whiling away my life in an insipid round of such insignificant and unmanly trifles! Alas! how do you prostitute your talents and capacity, how far do you act below yourself--if you know no higher purpose of life than these childish dissipations!

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