The commentaries of M. John Calvin upon the Acts of the Apostles, faithfully translated…The commentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the Actes of the Apostles, faithfully translated…

Therefore forasmuch as they did pull down God from heaven that they might make him an inhabitant of their city: it was meet that they should be thrust down into the nethermost hell. Howsoever it be, the vanity of mans wisdom is here marked with eternal infamy by the Spirit of God: because where it was principally resident, there was the darkness more thick: idolatry did reign most of all there: and satan carried mens minds too and fro more freely by his mocks & juggling. Now let us come unto Paul. Luke sayeth, forasmuch as he saw the City so given to Idolatry, his Spirit waxed hot or was moved: where he doth not attribute unto him indignation only, neither doeth he only say that he was offended with that spectacle, but he expresseth the unwonted heat of holy anger, which sharpened his zeal, so that he did address himself more fervently unto the work. And here we must note two things. For in that Paul was wroth when he saw the name of God wickedly profaned, & his pure worship corrupted: he did thereby declare that nothing was to him more precious than the glory of God. ⟨p. 419⟩Which zeal ought to be of great force among us: as it is in the Psalm,¹ The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. For is is a common rule of all the godly, that so soon as they see their heavenly father blasphemed, they be sore vexed: as Peter teacheth that the godly man Lot, because he could not cure most filthy facts, did vex his heart. And teachers must above all other be fervent: as Paul saith,² that he is gealous that he may retain the church in true chastity. And those who are not touched when they see and hear God blasphemed, & do not only wink thereat, but also carelessly pass over it, are not worthy to be counted the children of god, who at least do not give him so much honour as they do to an earthly father. Secondly we must note that he was not so grieved, that being cast down through despair, he was quite discouraged, as we see most men to be far from waxing hot or being moved, when they see the glory of God wickedly profaned, that in professing and uttering sorrow and sighing, they do notwithstanding rather wax profane with others, then study to reform them. Nevertheless they have a fair cloak for their sluggishness, that they will not procure any tumult when they are like to do no good.