Have you forgotten William Farel’s old friend from his days in Paris? William certainly had not forgotten Master Faber. He loved him dearly, even though he had felt compelled to leave Paris in order to have the liberty to preach freely all the truth of God.
News of Master Faber reached William at this time. His old friend, still trusting in Christ, was greatly troubled at the path he had chosen.
“I did not dare to confess the truth before men!” he said. He remembered that many had bravely preached the truth and had been willing to give their life for it. Faber had held back much of the truth and had been given protection in the palace of the Queen of Navarre. He had a pleasant life, but now he was tormented that he had not been faithful. This thought lay heavy on his heart as he neared death at the age of 90. One day when Faber dined with the Queen, he began to weep.
“What is the cause of your sorrow?” asked the Queen.
“How can I be cheerful when I am the greatest criminal on the face of the earth?” Faber replied.
“Whatever is your crime?” asked the Queen in surprise, for she knew him to be personally a holy man.
“Others have gone bravely to their death to defend the truth of the gospel,” he replied sadly. “I, who have taught others, have run away, the cowardly teacher.”
Neither the Queen nor his Christian friends could comfort Master Faber, but at last he took courage when he thought that soon he would at least go to meet his Lord.
“I name you as my heiress,” said Master Faber looking at the Queen. “Gerard Roussel shall have all my books. All my clothes, and all my possessions besides, I give to the poor. The rest I commend to God.”
“But what will be left for me, Master Faber, seeing that I am to be your heiress?” asked the Queen with a smile.
“I leave to you,” he said, “the task of dividing all I have and giving it to the poor.”
“So be it,” said the Queen, “and I can assure you, this inheritance is more welcome to me than if my brother, the King of France, had left me all his lands.”
Soon after this Master Faber lay down to sleep, and his friends found that it was not the sleep of rest, but sleeping in Jesus.
Is there something that you and I can learn from the life of William’s old friend? If ever you are inclined to take the smoothest and easiest path instead of the path that the Lord chooses, remember that it does not lead to happiness. Only when we follow the Lord and His Word do we find that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.