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a covenant in which He became the Surety of the elect and thus guaranteed their complete
redemption. In fact, in the covenant of redemption only the elect come into consideration. The
situation is practically the same in the case of those who distinguish two covenants, but insist
on their close relationship and represent the covenant of redemption as the eternal basis of the
covenant of grace, for in the former only the grace of God, as it is glorified and perfected in the
elect, comes into consideration.
2. Even in the history of the establishment of the covenant with Abraham, interpreted in the
light of the rest of Scripture, Reformed theologians found abundant evidence that
fundamentally the covenant of grace is a covenant established with those who are in Christ.
The Bible distinguishes a twofold seed of Abraham. The beginning of this is distinctly found in
Gen. 21:12, where we find God saying to Abraham, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called,” thus
ruling out Ishmael. Paul, in interpreting these words speaks of Isaac as a child of promise, and
by “a child of promise” he does not simply mean a promised child, but a child that was not born
in the ordinary way, but, in virtue of a promise, by a supernatural operation of God. He also
connects with it the idea of a child to whom the promise belongs. According to him the
expression, “in Isaac shall thy seed be called,” indicates that “it is not the children of the flesh
that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.” Rom. 9:8.
The same idea is expressed in Gal. 4:28, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of
promise,” and as such also heirs of the promised blessings, cf. vs. 30. This is entirely in harmony
with what the apostle says in Gal. 3:16: “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his
seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
But the seed is not limited to Christ, but includes all believers. “And if ye are Christ’s, then are
ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” Gal. 3:29. W. Strong in his Discourse of the
Two Covenants calls attention to the following subordination in the establishment of the
covenant. He says that it was made “(1) first and immediately with Christ the second Adam: (2)
in Him with all the faithful: (3) in them with their seed.”[p. 193.]
3. Still another factor should be taken into consideration. Reformed theologians were deeply
conscious of the contrast between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. They felt
that in the former the reward of the covenant was dependent on the uncertain obedience of
man and as a result failed to materialize, while in the covenant of grace the full realization of
the promises is absolutely sure in virtue of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. Its realization
is sure through the operation of the grace of God, but, of course, sure only for those who are
partakers of that grace. They felt constrained to stress this aspect of the covenant especially
over against the Arminians and Neonomians, who virtually changed it into a new covenant of
works, and made salvation once more dependent on the work of man, that is, on faith and
evangelical obedience. For this reason they stressed the close connection between the