Was there no one who was sad when William left Geneva? Yes, we are told there were many, for the work that God had done there was a real work. The opposition of Satan only proved that it was a true work of God. Farel said simply that the thought of Geneva was one that he must cast upon the Lord. He wrote from time to time to the little flock and entreated them to humble themselves and cast themselves upon the Lord that He might restore and bless them.
William arrived at the city of Basle and for the first time in his life, he felt the need of a rest.
His rest was short.
Soon a letter arrived from his old friends at Neuchatel asking him to come and live with them. Their cheery letters comforted his heart, and he agreed to go with the condition that he would always be free to go and serve wherever the Lord led him. For the rest of his life, Neuchatel was his home — as much as he could ever be said to have a home.
After three years, John Calvin was called back to Geneva and he soon became not just a preacher, but the ruler of the republic. He was honored and obeyed by all of the decent citizens.
Farel traveled on to Metz where he preached to 300 at a time. Monks rang the church bells and raised riots to silence him, but his old voice of thunder rose above it all. The plague broke out in this city and many people fled from it, but Farel found it the more reason to stay and serve the people.
Next we know that Farel ventured back to the city of Geneva where his friend Calvin was becoming famous. When the council saw Farel’s old suit, torn and faded, they ordered a new suit to be made for him. But Farel desired to be free from the council so that he might be free to stand for God’s Word, whatever the cost. So it is pleasant to think of William, still the shabby old preacher, going out to serve the Lord with none to meet his needs but the Lord Himself.
Calvin tried to convince Farel to stay in Geneva, but William knew he had more work to do for the Lord. Since Calvin was not successful in this, he arranged for William to be made a professor at Lausanne. But William would not hear of it. The world’s honors were not for him. He was the Lord’s servant and nothing more.
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“The only title I desire,” he said, “is preacher of the gospel of God.”
Later another storm arose in Geneva and the Libertines so pushed the city council that a letter was sent to Neuchatel to demand that Farel come to Geneva for a trial. His “crime” had been, again, simply standing for the truth of God’s Word. Calvin sent word to Farel to escape, for the Libertines desired to sentence him to death.
God’s faithful servant set off immediately in the middle of a storm, not to escape, but to appear in Geneva and answer for himself. The old man was allowed to speak and his words of power so reached the hearts of those present that even his enemies listened with awe and respect. The chief enemy admitted that Farel was right and shook his hand.
In the Lord’s goodness, better days for Geneva were ahead. The light had dawned in many hearts, and the city even became a place of refuge for other believers who were persecuted.