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…

Moreover, the Lord meant not only by the sleep, but also by the death of this young man to awake & stir up the faith of his, that they might more ⟨p. 475⟩joyfully receive Paul his doctrine & might keep it deeply rooted in their minds. It was in deed at the first no small temptation, but such as might have shaken even a most constant man full sore, for who would have thought that Christ had bin chief governor in that company, wherein a miserable man through a fall became dead? Who would not rather have thought this to be a sign of Gods curse? But the Lord by applying a remedy, doth forthwith rid the minds of his of all perturbation.

Moreouer, the Lord meāt not only by the sleep, but also by the death of this yong man to awake & stir vp the faith of his, that they might more ⟨p. 475⟩ioyfully receiue Paul his doctrine & might keep it deeply rooted in their minds. It was in deed at the first no small temptation, but such as might haue shaken euen a most constant man full sore, for who woulde haue thought that Christ had bin chiefe gouernor in that company, wherein a miserable mā through a fal became dead? Who would not rather haue thought this to be a signe of Gods curse? But the Lord by applying a remedie, doth forthwith rid the minds of his of all perturbation.

10 He lay down upon him. We know that the Apostles in working miracles did sometimes use certain external rites, whereby they might give the glory to God the author. And now whereas Paul doeth stretch himself upon the young man, I think it was done to no other end, save only that he might more stir up himself unto prayer. It is all one as if he should mix himself with the dead man. And peradventure this was done for the imitation of Elisha, of whom the sacred history doth report the same thing. Yet the vehemency of his affection did more move him, that the emulation of the Prophet. For that stretching of himself upon him, doeth more provoke him to crave his life with all his heart, at the hands of the Lord. So when he embraceth the body of the dead man, by this gesture he declared that he offered it to God to be quickened, and out of the text we may gather that he did not depart from embracing it, until he knew that the life was restored again.