Christ, imputing righteousnesse unto them without workes.
And where as it is said, that they obeyed God with their whole heart and with a perfect heart, this is to be understood of an entire or upright heart. The hebrew words Tham, Thom, T•…•…min, and Shalem, which sig∣nif•…•…e perfect or perfection, are synonyma or words of the same sence with •…•…ashar, Iosher, and Emeth, that is, upright, uprightnesse and truth, or sincerity, and are signified by the phrase of walking with God, or be fore God, and a•…•…e the same with the Greek words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all of them opposed, not to imperfection, but to hypocrisie. For Thom, Tham, and Thamin consider these places Psal. 35. 21. where Thom and Io∣sher are used as synonima, the latter being the exposition of the former. Let perfection and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 preserve mee. Iosh. 24. 14. Where Thamin and Em•…•…th are used promiscuously, serve the Lord in perfection and in truth. Psal. 37. 37. where Tham and Iashar are put for the same; observe the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. So Iob is commended to have been Ish Th•…•… Vejashar a perfect and upright man. The word Shalem, which in the same speech of Ezechi∣as, 2 King. 20. 3. is by the 72. translated 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, perfect is by them re•…•…dred Esay 38. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a true heart: as an upright heart is called Heb. 10. 22.
§. XVI. The phrase of performing dueties with the whole heart Deut. 26. 16 as to seeke God with all the heart, Deut. 4. 29. Psal. 119. •…•…, 10. to keepe his Commandements with all the heart and with all •…•…he soule, 2 King. 23. 3. Psal. 119. 34, 69. to turne unto the Lord with all the heart, Io•…•…l. 2. 12. importeth nothing else (where it is not legally under∣stood) but an entyre or upright heart, that is, not an heart and an heart, (as hypocrites use to speake, Psal. 12. 2.) 1 Chron. 12. 33. the phrase not with an heart and an heart, is expounded vers. 38. to be a perfect or up∣right heart. Thus to serve the Lord in truth, is to serve him with the whole heart, 1 Sam. 12. 24. and to praise God with the whole heart, Psal. 9. 1. & 111. 1. is to prai•…•…e him with uprightnesse of heart, Psal. 119. 7.
Thus to walke with God, or before God, is to bee perfect or upright Gen. 17. 1. and to bee perfect or upright is to walke with God, or before him, for to walke with God is for a man to behave himselfe as in his p•…•…e∣sence▪ and to walke before God is to behave a mans selfe in his sight, that is uprightly. Thus Hen•…•…ch, Gen. 5. 22. 24. No•…•…h, Gen. 6. 9. Abraham and Is•…•…ack, Gen. 48. 15. David, and others, are said to have walked before God. Of David it is said, that hee walked before God in truth and righteousnesse and uprightnesse of heart, 1 Kin. 3. 6, of Ezekias, 2 King. 20. 3. that hee walked before God in truth with a perfect, that is an up∣right heart. For you are not so to understand it, as if Ezekias had no imperfections. For when the Lord left him a little unto himselfe, that he might try him, and know, that is, make knowne unto him what was in his heart; he rendred not againe according to the benefits done to him, but h•…•…s heart was lifted up with pride, 2 Chron. 32. 24, 25, 31.
From this example of Ezechias, as it were, from the lesse, Bellarmine inferreth. If Ezechias walked before God with a perfect heart, who will deny it to Abraham, to whom it was said, walke before me and be perf•…•…ct.