Category Archives: Petrus Van Mastricht

May 13, 2020 · 3:30 pm

“He is our entire good” by Petrus Van Mastricht

“Let us love God, I say:

(1) By desiring, panting after, and diligently seeking the presence, possession, union, communion, and enjoyment of Him (Ps. 42:2; 63:1), so that we may be as it were cemented to Him (Ps. 63:8; 1 Cor. 6:17), just as He desires and seeks us (Ps. 119:176).

(2) By hanging all our good on Him (2 Cor. 8:5).

(3) By removing all the evil of sin from His sight (Isa. 1:16), that we may please Him (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:18), and that by His goodness He may remove every evil from us (Ps. 103:3).

(4) By resting in His infinite goodness, as in our sole and entire good (Ps. 16:5-6; 73:25-26), that thus we might not desire Him to be more good or less just, for in both we would deny His infinite goodness (Ex. 34:7).”

–Petrus Van Mastricht, Theoretical-Practical Theology: Faith in the Triune God, Volume 2, Trans. Todd Rester, Ed. Joel Beeke (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2019), 2: 337.

“Why would we not celebrate God for His greatest greatness?” by Petrus Van Mastricht

“The infinite greatness of God supplies an argument for us to make Him great with infinite praises (Luke 1:46).

For He is (1) great, and therefore, greatly to be praised.

Indeed, He is (2) most great, infinitely great: ‘and His greatness is unsearchable.’

And also (3) He is the only One who is such (Isa. 40:12; 15, 17).

Indeed, (4) great in so many ways; great, in fact, in all ways: in His essence, His presence, His duration, His wisdom, His strength and power, His grace and mercy (Ps. 147:5).

And in this greatness He is (5) above the gods, whether earthly, such as kings and magistrates, or heavenly (at lease in the opinion of the pagans), the false gods; and above all gods (2 Chron. 2:5; Ps. 135:5).

For if, then we celebrate the sun for its great greatness, and the heavens for their greater greatness, why would we not celebrate God for His greatest greatness, for His infinite greatness?

Let us therefore make Him great (1) in our heart (Ps. 103:1; Luke 1:46), by always thinking of Him great things, indeed the greatest of things, for He is the One who is infinitely greater than all our thoughts (Eph. 3:20); by esteeming as great, indeed, as most great, both Him and all that is His– His presence, favor, promises, worship– in such a way that we approach Him and all things of His with an infinite (that is, an insatiable) appetite and desire (Ps. 84:1-2).

(2) In our mouth, that with a great voice, in the presence of others, we celebrate Him who is infinitely great (Ps. 103:8), indeed that we call others to celebrate Him with us (Ps. 103:20-22).

Finally, (3) in our work, that we do it (a) with profound reverence for the infinite deity, and with fear of offending Him, even in the least things, because He is the most great King (Mal. 1:14; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 1:5; Dan. 9:4). (b) By a careful zeal for obeying and pleasing Him (2 Cor. 5:9). (c) By an infinite desire or concern for possessing and enjoying Him (Ps. 73:25).”

–Petrus Van Mastricht, Theoretical-Practical Theology: Faith in the Triune God, Volume 2, Trans. Todd Rester, Ed. Joel Beeke (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2019), 2: 190.

“In this consists every bit of our blessedness” by Petrus Van Mastricht

“Saving faith is nothing other than the act of the whole rational soul by which it receives God as the highest end and Christ as the one and only Mediator, for this purpose, that we may be united with Him, and being thus united obtain communion with all His benefits…

The end or fruit of this faith or reception, namely, union and communion with Christ, is contained in that one word ‘adoption,’ since by the reception of Christ we who have been made His brothers are rendered heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. And in this consists every bit of our blessedness.”

–Petrus Van Mastricht, Theoretical-Practical Theology: Faith in the Triune God, Volume 2, Trans. Todd Rester, Ed. Joel Beeke (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1698/2019), 2: 5-6.