898 !fi:sa, Chap. 42. an Expofition upon the Bookof J o s. Verf. 8. reafonwhy the underfiandingand faithfulfervants of God are fo ffriet, or (as the world accounts it) precife and fcrupleous, that they will not turn alide, no not in thofe things which arc called fmall matters, and of which many think God will take no notice. Theydefire to be accepted of God in every thing, and becaufe they know (in force meafure ) what is acceptable to him, there- fore they would donothing, no, not the leaf+ thing, which is un- acceptable to him (Pray. ro. 32.) The lips of the righteous know what' is acceptable. The lips are organs or infiruments of fpeech, not of knowledge ; the underfianding knowetb,the lips only (peak t Yet here Solomon afcribes the work of the un- derfling to the hps; and this he doth, becaufe there is or fhould be great cognation, between the underfhanding and the lips; we fhould ¡peak nothing but what we underhand, we fhould fpeak only what we know, and according to our knowledge. The lips of the righteoushave fuch an intercourfe with their underhand- ing, that their very lips may bePaid to know what is acceptable, and therefore they (peak what is acceptable. It is Paid of David, that he guided the people with the sk:lfulnefs (faith our) with the difcrerion (faith another tranflation) with the, underflandingof bis hands, faith the original (Pfal. 78. 72.) The hand hathno more under1 anding, skill, or difcretion felted in ir, than the lips ; yet becaufe David confulted with his underfianding, in what he did with his hand, it is faid, He guided them by the skilfulnefs,or dif- cretion,or underfíandingof his hand. Thus the lips of the rigbte- osts underhand and knowwhat is acceptable; and they know that unlefs they have anaime to honour God in fmall matters, yea, in all matters, they greatly difhonour him, and fo cannot be accept- ed with him at all. The excellency of a gracious heart, appears greatly when he rnaketh confcience of doing the leafs thing which he knows, ye, only fears, will be unacceptable toGod, or where- in he may run the hazard of thispriviledge, his acceptation with. him. There are three things, which Phew why it is fo greata privi- ledg,tobe acceptedwith God, and why his fervantsare fo careful not to do any thing that is unacceptable unto him. Fir(}, Becaufe, Once accepted with God and always accepted, For though poffibly aperfon accepted may have force frowns from God
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