the provision of a partner for the son. It was the father's desire with respect to the son that all led to Rebekah's after-dignity. It is happy to see this. Happy to see how the Church's security and blessing stand inseparably connected with Christ and his glory. "For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." (1 Cor. xi. 8, 9.) So it is in the beautiful parable of the marriage-supper; "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son." (Matt. xxii. 2.) THE SON is the grand object of all the thoughts and counsels of God: and if any are brought into blessing, or glory, or dignity, it can only be in connection with him. All title to these things, and even to life itself, was forfeited by sin; but Christ met all the penalty due to sin; he made himself responsible for every thing on behalf of his body the Church; he was nailed to the cross as her representative; he bore her sins in his own body on the tree, and went down into the grave under the full weight of them. Hence, nothing can be more complete than the Church's deliverance from all that was against her. She is quickened out of the grave of Christ, where all her trespasses were laid. The life which she has is a life taken up at the other side of death, after every possible demand had been met. Hence, this life is connected with, and founded upon, divine righteousness, inasmuch as Christ's title to life is founded upon his having entirely exhausted the power of death; and he is the Church's life. Thus the Church enjoys divine life; she stands in divine righteousness; and the hope that animates her is the hope of righteousness. (See, amongst many other scriptures, John iii. 16, 36; v. 39, 40; vi. 27, 40, 47, 68; xi. 25; xvii. 2; Rom. v. 21; vi. 23; 1 Tim. i. 16; 1 John ii. 25; v. 20; Jude 21; Eph. ii. 1-6, 14, 15; Col. i. 12-22; ii. 10-15; Rom. i. 17; iii. 21-26; iv. 5, 23-25; 2 Cor. v. 21; Gal. v. 5.)