# The necessity of written Scripture



## MW (Mar 11, 2010)

Samuel Rutherford (Communion Sermons, 232):



> "And He said unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful?" -- He bids John write these things about the state of the glorified, and calls them faithful and true. He would not entrust His word to man's memory and conscience -- He would have it written. Blasphemous Papists, laugh not at this, nor call the Pope's breast the Bible; here is a warrant for written Scripture. Indeed, it tells us that man's falsehood wore his conscience. Had his conscience been a faithful register, there should have been no need of a written Bible. But now the Lord has lippened [trusted] more to dead paper than to a living man's soul. Our conscience, now under sin, had not been a good Bible, because man is ready to run away from his conscience, and because what is written on our conscience (as, that there is a God -- a judgment -- a heaven -- a hell), Satan and sin come in as two false witnesses and blot it out, and write that in the fool's heart that says, "There is no God." And there are many holes in our souls; the word of God comes in and runs out again at back-spouts, except Jesus make our souls waterfast, so that "the word of God may dwell in us plentifully" (Colossians 3:16). Are not our hearts compared to a field, wherein the preacher sows the seed, and the black spirits of hell come and gather up Christ's wheat? Oh! but there are many running-out souls; and much need we have of a written Bible. Therefore make much of the written word, and pray God to copy His Bible into your conscience, and write a new book of His doctrine in your hearts, and put it in the conscience as He directs (Jeremiah 31).


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## Pergamum (Mar 12, 2010)

A great motivator for more reformed folks to become Bible translators, in order to get the Living Word out there to the thousands of Bible-less people (over 200 languages just in the country where I serve).


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