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all trees, the flate, 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 accurate 

 defcription of the cedar ; he hath left it's 

 ftrength, which is it's chief charatteriftic, un- 

 touched. But the reafon is evident. The 

 cedar is here introduced as an emblem of 

 Aflyria; which tho vaft, and wide-fpreading, 

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

 eve of deftruction. Strength therefore was the 

 laft idea, which the prophet wimed to fuggeft. 

 Strength is a relative term, compared with 

 oppofition. The Affyrian was ftrong 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 ax, 

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

 exprefles the vaftnefs of his ruin)Jpread upon the 

 mountains y and in the rallies: while the nations 

 Jhook at the found of his fall. 



Such is the grandeur, and form of the cedar 

 of Lebanon. It's mantling foliage, oijh&tow- 

 ing ftroud, as Ezekiel calls it, is it's greateft 



beauty ; 



