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, because a great part of the world doth with feigned trifles corrupt and deprave the worship of God, Luke addeth for good causes that Cornelius prayed continually: whereby he doth signify, that he proved not his godliness only with external ceremonies, but that he worshipped God spiritually, when as he exercised himself in prayer. We must also note the continuance of his prayer: whence we gather, that he did not pray only coldly, after the common custom, but that he was earnestly bent to prayer, as the continual benefits of God do exhort us and prick us forward thereunto, and the force of faith ought there to show it self. Wherefore let every one of us exhort himself to persevere in prayer, by the example of Cornelius.

Moreouer, because a great part of the worlde doth with feigned trifles corrupt and depraue the worshippe of God, Luke addeth for good causes that Cornelius prayed continually: wherby he doth signifie, that he proued not his godlinesse only with externall ceremonies, but that he worshipped God spiritually, when as he exercised himselfe in prayer. We must also note the continuance of his prayer: whence wee gather, that he did not pray only coldlie, after the common custome, but that he was earnestly bent to prayer, as the continuall benefites of God doe exhort vs and pricke vs forward thereunto, and the force of faith ought there to shewe it selfe. Wherefore let euery one of vs exhort himselfe to perseuer in praier, by the example of Cornelius.

With all his house. We must not lightly pass over this commendation, that Cornelius had a church in his house. And surely a true worshipper of God, will not suffer so much as in him lieth, God to be banished from his house. For how unmeet a thing is it, for him to maintain his own right stoutly, that his wife, children, servants, and maids, may obey him: and not to regard that God is disobeyed. It shall sometimes fall out so, that a godly man cannot have even his wife to be of his ⟨p. 235⟩mind: yet he which ruleth others, must endeavour by all means to have God obeyed: and there is nothing more meet, then that we should consecrate all ours to God, as our selves. Therefore if a godly man have children, which are unlike him, or a wife of evil conditions: or lewd and wicked servants: let him not wink, ne yet suffer his house to be polluted through his slothfulness. The diligence of Cornelius is not so much commended as the blessing of God: whereby it came to pass that he had his house obedient unto him in godliness. And we must not omit the circumstance, that he instructed his family in the fear of God, setting light by the fear of danger, which did hang over his head therefore. For the Jewish religion was in great contempt: and no citizen of Rome might freely receive any strange religion as they called it. Wherefore although the sincere profession of the gospel be evil spoken of in the world: yet is it too corrupt frightfulness, if that unjust hatred hinder any man, from offering his family to God for a sacrifice, by godly instruction.