Meanwhile Farel found his hands more than full. Not only had he the city of Geneva laid upon his heart, but in many other places was his presence needed. Christopher Fabri, who was fighting the Lord’s battles at Thonon, entreated his help. For awhile he went there, but was recalled by the Council of Geneva, who said there was no one to take his place in their city. There was work enough there and elsewhere for an army of evangelists and teachers.
During that spring Farel had been reading a book just published in French: It was called “The Christian Institutes.” The writer of this book was a young man from Picardy. Do you remember that Robert Olivetan had a cousin, to whom he had preached the gospel at Paris some years before? This was the same young man; he had been within the last few years truly turned to God. Farel read his book with great interest. This young man’s name was John Calvin.
One evening in the month of July of that year (1536) a young Frenchman, who lived at Geneva, came in great haste to Farel’s lodging. “John Calvin is here!” he said. “He has just arrived in the coach from France, and is staying at an inn for the night. Tomorrow he is going on to Strasburg.”
Farel started up, and went to the inn. He found there a young man, twenty-seven years old, pale, and thin, and grave-looking; he seemed to be in bad health; he seemed also shy, and timid, and reserved.
“Do not go to Strasburg,” said William Farel. “Stay here and help me.”
The young man at once refused. He had many reasons to give for doing so. He was not a teacher, but needed to learn; he wanted to study; his health was bad—he required rest; he was naturally of a fearful and timid disposition; he was not at all the man for active work.
Farel looked sternly at the young man. “Jonah also,” he said, “wanted to flee from the presence of the Lord, but the Lord cast him into the sea.”
But John Calvin replied, “I cannot stay. I need quiet. I must study where I am not disturbed. I can do that at Strasburg, but not at Geneva.”
Then Farel “fixed his eyes of fire on the young man,” and, placing his hands on his head, he spoke, in his voice of thunder: “May God curse your rest, and curse your studies, if for their sake you flee from the work He would have you do!”
Calvin trembled, and sat speechless. He says it appeared to him “that the hand of God was stretched down from Heaven, that it lay hold of him and fixed him, whether he would or no, to the place he was so impatient to leave.” At last he spoke: he said, “I will remain at Geneva,—I give myself up to the Lord’s good pleasure.”
Was Farel right in all that he had done in this matter? If it was indeed the Lord’s purpose to bring Calvin to Geneva, did it need threats and curses on the part of Farel to bring it about? And if it was the will of Farel which kept Calvin there, far better had he buried himself in his study at Strasburg, or anywhere else.
Alas! there is not one of us who when weighed in the balance will not be found wanting. Farel, who had trusted in God for the deliverance of Geneva from the armies of Savoy, could not refrain from putting forth his hand to drag, as it were, into the Lord’s work, one who seemed to him to be needful in fighting the Lord’s battles against sin, the world, and the devil, in the city he loved so much.
Was it that Geneva had taken a place in the heart, which should have been emptied of all things, to be filled with Christ alone? For years back Geneva had been, next to Christ, his dearest thought. He had prayed and toiled for Geneva; he had risked his life again and again, and borne reproach and suffering and shame for this beloved city.
And do we not find how easily even the Lord’s work can thus become to us a snare and a stumbling-stone? We are few of us willing, like the prophet Jeremiah, to do the Lord’s bidding, without seeing any fruit of our labors, and to say as the One perfect servant, “I have spent My strength for naught, and in vain: yet surely My judgment is with the Lord, and My work with My God.” Farel saw the need of Geneva: he believed that in John Calvin he saw that which met the need. He has hitherto been to us a bright example, but he too, like Peter and John—like all, except One only—must serve us also as a warning, and especially as a warning to those to whom the souls of lost sinners are precious. It needs a strong faith to stand still and trust to God for those for whose blessing we would lay down our lives, when an opportunity comes which to our eyes seems to be just the thing required; and we are less on our guard against the flesh when it shows itself active in the things of God.
Calvin did leave Geneva for a short time, as he had promised to take one of his relations as far as Basle. On returning to Geneva, he was ill for a time. His work, therefore, had scarcely begun before a great event happened, which I must now relate to you.