The Covenants

by Robert Boyte Crawford Howell

None but a divine person could do this, who joining himself to our nature, could bear Almighty wrath, and "magnify the law" by a perfect obedience. Angels could not, for the same reasons, have been parties to this covenant. They excel men in the spirituality of their essence, and the extent of their powers. Still, like men, their nature is too limited. And, besides, they belong to another class of beings, who never could, either by incarnation, or in any other manner, become so related to us as to accomplish the design proposed. Who then were the parties covenanting? They were, I answer, the same who in the beginning said, "Let usmake man in ourimage, and after ourlikeness." They were God,as he has made himself known to us, in the exalted persons of the Father, the Son,and the HolyGhost.Truly, "The Lord our God is one Lord," and "besides him there is no other." But it is equally true that, for the purpose of redeeming us, he has revealed himself in the form of a glorious Trinity, all the persons of whom are "the same in essence, and equalin divine properties." To one of these sin was in every sense as offensive as to another. The honor of each was alike engaged to demand its rebuke and punishment. The concurrence of all was, therefore, alike necessary to any expedient by which the penalty might be averted from those by whom sin should be committed.

The covenant of redemption is an intra-trinitarian covenant between the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost from eternity. No other parties existed who could have participated in the covenant.