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…

CHAP. IIII.

1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the governor of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 Taking it grievously that they taught the people, and preached in Jesus name, the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and they put them in prison until the morrow. For it was now eventide. 4 And many of those which had heard the word believed: and the number of men there was about five thousand.

1 ANd as they spake vnto the people, the priestes, and the gouernour of the temple, and the Sadduces came vpon them, 2 Taking it greeuously that they taught the people, and preached in Iesus name, the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and they put them in prison vntill the morowe. For it was now euentide. 4 And many of those which had heard the word beleeued: and the number of mē there was about fiue thousand.

1 In this narration we must consider three things chiefly. That so soon as the truth of the Gospel doth once appear, Satan setteth himself ⟨p. 85⟩against the same on the other side so much as he is able, & attempteth all things that he may smoulder the same in the very first beginnings. Secondly that God doth furnish his children with unuincible force and strength, that they may stand steadfast and unmoveable against all assaults of Satan: and not yield unto the violence of the wicked. And last of all we must note the event and end, that howsoever the adversaries seem to bear the chiefest swing, & they themselves do omit nothing which may serve to blot out the name of Christ: and on the other side howsoever the ministers of sound doctrine be as sheep in the mouths of wolves: yet doth god spread abroad the kingdom of his son, he fostereth the light of the gospel which is lighted, & he is the protector of his children. Therefore so often as the doctrine of the Gospel ariseth, and divers motions do rise on the other side, and the course thereof is letted divers ways, there is no cause why godly minds should faint or quail as at some unwonted thing: but they ought rather to remember that these are the ordinary endeavours of Satan, so that we must think upon this well, before it come to pass, that it cannot otherwise be, but that Satan will spue out all his might & main, so often as Christ doth come abroad with his doctrine. And therewithal let us consider that the constancy of the apostles is set forth unto us for an example, least being overcome either with any perils, or threatenings, or terrors, we leap back from that profession of faith which the Lord requireth at our hands. And moreover, let us comfort our selves with this, that we need not to doubt but that the Lord will give prosperous success when we have done our duty faithfully.