Now for the understanding of this, we must consider to what this refers,* 1.1 what King of Israel this was, and when this was fulfilled. For that if you reade 2 King. 17. it hath reference to the story there; and this King of Israel that is here spoken of, is Hoshea that was the last King of Israel, and therefore it's said,* 1.2 That he shall be utterly cut off: For he, and all his family was utterly cut off, there was an end of the Kingdom of Israel that had continued so long provoking God; saith he, I have forborn the Kings of Israel a long time, but now they shall be utterly cut off in H••shea.
This King of Israel his spirit was stout enough against God and his Prophets,* 1.3 and he would, and he would. My Brethren, It is not the stoutness of the greatest men upon earth to say, They will, and they will, and they will ven∣ture their Lives, and Kingdoms. Why, if they Will, God Will too, he hath a Will as well as they, at length Gods Will grows as strong as theirs, and proceeds against them, and against their very families: The King of Israel shall be utterly cut off.
Kings of the Earth they suffer little from men. What a brave business i•• it for a man that he shall be able to go up and down in Countries, and rend, and tear, and oppress, and bring thousands into woful miseries and extremities, and yet be afraid to suffer nothing at all Himself, therfore it is fit for God to take in hand those men that are above the power of men; when men cannot deal with them, it is the Lord himself he takes them into hand, and they are so much the more under the imediate Justice of the Infinite God.