The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

And to increase therein, they know how God of his infinite mercy and lenity giveth all men here time and place of repentance. And they see how the wicked (as Job ¹writeth) abuse the same to their pride, & therefore do the godly take the better hold of the time, to redeem it out of such use as it is spoiled in by the wicked. They which have this wisdom of God, can gather by the diligent and earnest study of the worldlings of this present life, how they wait their times, and apply them selves to every occasion of time to get riches, to increase their lands & patrimony. They see the time pass away, and therefore take hold on it, in such wise, that otherwhiles they will with loss of their sleep & ease, with suffering many pains, catch the offer of their time, knowing that that which is once past, can not be returned again, repentance may follow, but remedy is none. Why should not they then that be spiritually wise in their generation, wait their time to increase as fast in their state, to win & gain everlastingly? They reason what a brute forgetfulness it were in man endued with reason, to he ignorant ⟨p. 464⟩of their times and tides, when they see the Turtle dove, the Stork, & the Swallow to wait their times as Jeremiah saith: The Stork in the ²air knoweth her appointed times, the Turtle, the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming: but my people knoweth not the ³judgement of the Lord. Saint Paul willeth us to redeem the time, because the days are evil. It is not the counsel of Saint Paul only, but of all other that ever gave precepts of wisdom. There is no precept more seriously given and commanded, then to know the time. Yea christian men for that they hear how grievously God complaineth, and threateneth in the scriptures them which will not know the time of his visitations, are learned thereby, the rather earnestly to apply them selves thereunto. After our saviour Christ had prophesied with weeping ⁴tears of the destruction of Jerusalem, at the last he putteth the cause: For that thou hast not known the time of thy visitation. O England, ponder the time of Gods merciful visitation, which is showed thee from day to day, & yet wilt not regard it, neither wilt thou with his punishment be driven to thy duty, nor with his benefits be provoked to thanks.