William was now an old man. At the age of 75, he heard that his young friend, John Calvin, was dying. William set off for one last time to Geneva and reached the city in time to have a last visit with Calvin. They spoke together of the One they loved, and a few days later, Calvin was with the Lord.
William’s labors were almost done as well. He made one last trip, still at the peril of his life, to Metz. After one of his sermons here, he sank down exhausted. His beloved friends in Christ carried him home to Neuchatel. Many who loved him for his work’s sake came to see him during the last days of his life. On September 13, 1565, William fell asleep in Jesus. On earth he had reproach, toil, danger, hatred and shame, but in heaven he will have the reward planned for him by the Saviour he served.
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Even now in Christian circles, many have heard of the names of John Calvin and Martin Luther, but very few know about William Farel and the great work he did in leading souls out of the darkness and into the light of God’s Word.
“There is not a man upon the earth,” said William at the end of his life, “nor is there an angel in heaven, who can truthfully say that I have drawn disciples to myself and not to Jesus.”
Although there are even today many Lutherans and Calvinists, it seems that God Himself has set a sign of His favor upon the work of William Farel: there never was a Farelite!