John Calvin worked till he died

It is a fact that John Calvin worked till he died. Calvin felt unwell with a fever in late 1558. He forced himself to work because he was terrified he might die before finishing the final version of the Institutes. Calvin referred to the final edition as a new work because it had been significantly expanded. The increase from 21 to 80 chapters in the previous version was due to a more in-depth analysis of existing content rather than the addition of new topics. Shortly after his recovery, he strained his voice while preaching, resulting in a strong coughing spell. He ruptured a blood vessel in his lungs, and his health rapidly deteriorated. On February 6, 1564, he delivered his final sermon in St. Pierre.

On April 25, he made his will, leaving minor sums to his family and the collège. A few days later, the church's ministers paid him a visit, and he said his final farewell, which was documented in Discours d'adieu aux ministres. He recalled his life in Geneva, often bitterly recalling some of the trials he had endured. Calvin died on May 27, 1564, at the age of 54. His body was initially laid in state, but because so many people came to see it, the reformers were fearful of being accused of promoting a new saint's cult. He was buried the next day in an unmarked grave in the Cimetière des Rois. The exact site of Calvin's grave is unknown; a stone was erected in the nineteenth century to identify a grave supposed to be Calvin's.