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<p>Here is, I. The inculcating of those precepts of the law which were of the greatest consequence, and by which were of the greatest consequence, and by which especially their obedience would be tried, <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.1,Lev.26.2" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.1,Lev.26.2"><span class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.1">Lev. 26:1</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.2">2</span></a>. They are the abstract of the second and fourth commandments, which, as they are by much the largest in the decalogue, so they are most frequently insisted on in other parts of the law. As, when a master has given many things in charge to his servant, he concludes with the repetition of those things which were of the greatest importance, and which the servant was most in danger of neglecting, bidding him, whatever he did, be sure to remember those, so here God by Moses, after many precepts, closes all with a special charge to observe these two great commandments. 1. “Be sure you never worship images, nor ever make any sort of images or pictures for a religious use,” <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.1" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.1">Lev. 26:1</a>. No sin was more provoking to God than this, and yet there was none that they were more addicted to, and which afterwards proved of more pernicious consequence to them. Next to God’s being, unity, and universal influence, it is necessary that we know and believe that he is an infinite Spirit; and therefore to represent him by an image in the making of it, to confine him to an image in the consecrating of it, and to worship him by an image in bowing down to it, <i>changes his truth into a lie</i> and <i>his glory into shame</i>, as much as any thing. 2. “Be sure you keep up a great veneration for sabbaths and religious assemblies,” <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.2" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.2">Lev. 26:2</a>. As nothing tends more to corrupt religion than the use of images in devotion, so nothing contributes more to the support of it than <i>keeping the sabbaths</i> and <i>reverencing the sanctuary</i>. These make up very much of the instrumental part of religion, by which the essentials of it are kept up. Therefore we find in the prophets that, next to the sin of idolatry, there is no sin for which the Jews are more frequently reproved and threatened than the profanation of the sabbath day.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. Great encouragements given them to live in constant obedience to all God’s commandments, largely and strongly assuring them that if they did so they should be a happy people, and should be blessed with all the good things they could desire. Human governments enforce their laws with penalties to be inflicted for the breach of them; but God will be known as <i>the rewarder of those that seek and serve him</i>. Let us take a view of these great and precious promises, which, though they relate chiefly to the life which now is, and to the public national concerns of that people, were typical of the spiritual blessings entailed by the covenant of grace upon all believers through Christ. 1. Plenty and abundance of the fruits of the earth. They should have seasonable rain, neither too little nor too much, but what was requisite for their land, which was watered with the dew of heaven (<a class="bibleref" title="Deut.11.10,Deut.11.11" href="/passage/?search=Deut.11.10,Deut.11.11"><span class="bibleref" title="Deut.11.10">Deut. 11:10</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Deut.11.11">11</span></a>), that it might <i>yield its increase</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.4" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.4">Lev. 26:4</a>. The dependence which the fruitfulness of the earth beneath has upon the influences of heaven above is a sensible intimation to us that every good and perfect gift must be expected <i>from above</i>, from the <i>Father of lights</i>. It is promised that the earth should produce its fruits in such great abundance that they would be kept in full employment, during both the harvest and the vintage, to gather it in, <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.5" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.5">Lev. 26:5</a>. Before they had reaped their corn and threshed it, the vintage would be ready; and, before they had finished their vintage, it would be high time to begin their sowing. Long harvests are often with us the consequences of bad weather, but with them they should be the effects of a great increase. This signified the abundance of grace which should be poured out in gospel times, when the <i>ploughman should overtake the reaper</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Amos.9.13" href="/passage/?search=Amos.9.13">Amos 9:13</a>), and a great harvest of souls should be gathered in to Christ. The plenty should be so great that they should <i>bring forth the old</i> to be given away to the poor <i>because of the new</i>, to make room for it in their barns, which yet they would not <i>pull down to build greater</i>, as that rich fool (<a class="bibleref" title="Luke.12.18" href="/passage/?search=Luke.12.18">Luke 12:18</a>), for God gave them this abundance to be laid out, not be hoarded up from one year to another. <i>He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Prov.11.26" href="/passage/?search=Prov.11.26">Prov. 11:26</a>. That promise (<a class="bibleref" title="Mal.3.10" href="/passage/?search=Mal.3.10">Mal. 3:10</a>), <i>I will pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it</i>, explains this, <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.10" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.10">Lev. 26:10</a>. And that which crowns this blessing of plenty is (<a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.5" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.5">Lev. 26:5</a>), You shall <i>eat your bread to the full</i>, which intimates that they should have, not only abundance, but content and satisfaction in it. They should have enough, and should know when they had enough. Thus <i>the meek shall eat and be satisfied</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.22.26" href="/passage/?search=Ps.22.26">Ps. 22:26</a>. 2. Peace under the divine protection; “<i>You shall dwell in your land safely</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.5" href="/passage/?search=Lev.26.5">Lev. 26:5</a>); both really save, and safe in your own apprehensions; you shall lie down to rest in the power and promise of God, and not only none shall hurt you, but none shall so much as <i>make you afraid</i>,” <a class="bibleref" title="Lev.26.6" hr
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