Let us bless God, not only for revealing His will in His Word, but for revealing it by writing
Before the time of Moses, God disclosed His will by immediate revelations from heaven. But we have a surer word of prophecy (2 Pet 1:19). Surer than a voice from heaven, for the devil (says the apostle) transforms himself into an angel of light. He has his apparitions and revelations, he is God’s ape, and in imitation of God, he appears to his disciples and makes them believe that it is God that appears, and not the devil. Thus he appeared to Saul, in the likeness of Samuel. And if God should now at this day disclose His way of worship and His divine will by revelations, how easily would men be deceived and mistake diabolical delusions for divine revelations.
Therefore let us bless God for the written Word, which is surer and safer than an immediate revelation.
There are some that are apt to think that if an angel should come from heaven and reveal God’s will to them, it would work more upon them than the written Word, but I would have these men to study the conference between Abraham and Dives (Luke 16:27-31). “They have Moses and the prophets”; if they will not profit by them, neither would they profit by any that should come out of hell or down from heaven to them, for it is the same God that speaks by His written Word, and by a voice from heaven. The difference is only in the outward clothing; and therefore if God’s speaking by writing will not amend us, no more will God’s speaking by a voice.
O bless God exceedingly for the written Word!
Let us cleave close to it and not expect any revelations from heaven of new truths, but say with the apostle (Gal 1:8-9): “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
—Edmund Calamy
The Godly Man’s Ark, 58-59.
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