18 NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 



amongst men, especially such as daily expose 

 conscience to the wreck of opinion. And he 

 that makes a god of his belly devotes all his ser- 

 vices to his luxurious appetite. Thus, men, as 

 by machination, traduce one another into the 

 devil's school, to brazen themselves against the 

 modesty of a blush, lest sin should be thought 

 to be shame-fac'd. And others raking up the 

 embers of revenge, fire themselves by quench- 

 ing the flames. 



Thcoph. So let them. But what's all this to 

 our angling design ? 



Am. Stay a little till we come to the water- 

 side : In the meantime I have a question to 

 put, and that's this; How comes it to pass 

 that the hinge and poize of politick states move 

 and turn about with such rapid motions, that 

 kingdoms and potentates are dash'd in pieces ? 



Theoph. The naturalist, we see him consult 

 natural causes, and the judicial astrologer, pla- 

 netary events ; but the more religious devotes 

 himself to the providence of God. Is there not 

 a time for frost, and a time for hail ? a time for 

 rain, and a time for fair weather ? a time for re- 

 volution, dissolution and death ? and all these 

 times and various changes are exercised by Him 

 that holds the poize and balJance of government. 

 That naturalist, therefore, that concludes a divi- 

 nity in celestial influences, does but grope in 



