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…

10 Because I am. This is the former reason why Paul having subdued fear, must manfully and stoutly do his duty, because he hath God on his side.¹ Whereto answereth the rejoicing of David, If I shall walk in the midst of the shadow of death I shall fear none ill: because thou art with me.² Again, If tents be pitched about me &c. The question is whether he did not perceive that God was present with him elsewhere: as he had had experience of his help in diverse places. For the promise is general,³ I am with you until the end of the world. Neither is it lawful for us to mistrust, so often as we obey his calling, but that he will be present with us. But it is an usual thing with the Lord to apply that unto certain kinds, when the matter so requireth, which he hath promised to do in all affairs, & we know that when we come to the push, then are we most desirous of help. Moreover, these two members are joined together, I am with thee, & no man shall hurt thee. For it falleth out sometimes that God doth help us, and yet doth he, to look too, suffer us to be oppressed: as he forsook not Paul even in the midst of death, & here he promiseth the peculiar defence of his hand, whereby he shall be preserved from the violence of his enemies. But the question is, whether Paul needed any such confirmation, who ought to have been willing to enter all manner dangers. For what if he had been to suffer death: should he therefore have fainted through fear? I answer, that if at any time God pronounce that his servants shall be safe for a time, that doth no whit hinder, but that they may prepare themselves to suffer death valiantly: but as we distinguish between profitable and necessary: so we must note that there be some promises, ••ch if the faithful want, they must needs faint and sink down: and that other some are added when ⟨p. 445⟩it is expedient so to be: which though they be taken away (because the grace of God doth nevertheless remain firm and sure) the faith of the godly doth not fail. After this sort Paul is commanded not to fear because his enemies shall not touch him, and if so be he should have bin oppressed, even then with their violence, yet would he not have bin afraid: