all trees, the ftate, in which they are moft 

 perfect and moft beautiful : and this is the 

 ftate of Ezekiel's cedar. 



But tho Ezekiel hath given us this accu- 

 rate defcription of the cedar > he hath left it's 

 Jtrength, which is it's chief char aft erijlic^ un- 

 touched. But the reafon is evident. The 

 cedar is here introduced as an emblem of 

 Afiyria; which tho vaft, and wide-fpreading, 

 and come to full maturity, was in fa6t, on the 

 eve of deft.ru 6tion. Strength therefore was the 

 laft idea, which the prophet wi(hed to fuggefh 

 Strength is a relative term, compared with 

 oppolition. The AfTyrian was llrong compared 

 with the powers of the earth ; but weak, com- 

 pared with the arm of the Almighty, which 

 brought him to deftruclion. So his type, the 

 cedar, was ftronger than any of the trees of the 

 foreft : but weak in comparifon with the axe, 

 which cut him off, and left him (as the prophet 

 expreffes the vaftnefs of his rrim)fpreadupon the 

 mountains ^ and in the rallies : while the nations 

 flook at the found of his fall. 



Such is the grandeur, and form of the cedar 

 of Lebanon. Its mantling foliage, or fiadow- 

 ingjhroud, as Ezekiel calls it, is it's greateft 



beauty ; 



