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…

3 Come out of thy country. God useth many words, to the end he may the more wound the mind of Abraham, as if it were not a thing sharp enough of it self to be banished out of his own country. And that served to try his faith: even as that other thing also, that god assigneth him no land wherein he may dwell, but maketh him stand in doubt & wait for a time. Wherefore the obedience of Abraham was so much the more to be commended, because the sweetness of his native soil keepeth him not back from going willingly as it were into exile: & in that he doubteth not to follow God, although there appear no certain resting place, but is commanded to wander to & fro for a time. Whereas the showing of the land is deferred, it differeth not much from deceiving of him Furthermore we learn continually by our own experience, how profitable it was for Abraham thus to be exercised & as it were trained by little & little. Many men are carried with a godly affection to attempt great things. but by & by so soon as their heat is waxen cold, it repenteth them of their purpose, & they would gladly slip their necks out of the collar. Therefore least Abraham should faint when he was in the midst of his course, through the remembrance of those things which he had left behind him, god sitteth & trieth his mind throughly, immediately after he had begun, least he take any thing in hand lightly, & unadvisedly. To this purpose serveth the parable,¹ which Christ setteth before us concerning the building of the tower. For he techeth that we must first cast the charges, least with shame we be enforced to leave off building after we have begun. And though this were a particular thing in Abraham, in that he was commanded to go out of his own country, & to go into a far country: in that God carried him from place to place, yet notwithstanding there is in these words some figure of the calling of us all. We are not all simply commanded to forsake our country, but we are commanded to deny our selves: we are not commanded to come out of our fathers house, but to bid a due to our own will, & to the desires of our own flesh. Again, if father and mother, wife & children hinder us from following God, we must forsake them all. The commandment is given simply to Abraham to flit: but we are commanded to do the same upon condition.

3 Come out of thy countrie. God vseth many wordes, to the end hee may the more wound the mind of Abrahā, as if it were not a thing sharpe enough of it self to be banished out of his own countrie. And that serued to trie his faith: euen as that other thing also, that god assigneth him no land wherin he may dwel, but maketh him stande in doubt & waite for a time. Wherfore the obedience of Abrahā was so much the more to bee commended, because the sweetnes of his natiue soyle keepeth him not back frō going willingly as it were into exile: & in that hee doubteth not to folow God, althogh there appear no certain resting place, but is commanded to wander to & fro for a time. Whereas the shewing of the land is deferred, it differeth not much frō deceiuing of him Furthermore we learne continually by our owne experience, how profitable it was for Abraham thus to be exercised & as it were trained by little & little. Manie men are carried with a godly affection to attempt great things. but by & by so soone as their heat is waxen cold, it repenteth thē of their purpose, & they would gladly slip their necks out of the coller. Therfore least Abraham shuld faint when he was in the midst of his course, through the remēbrance of those things which he had left behind him, god sitteth & trieth his mind throughly, immediatly after he had begun, least he take any thing in hand lightly, & vnaduisedly. To this purpose serueth the parable,