Marriage was instituted in the garden of Eden, and it vividly displays the nearness of relationship into which believers are to be brought, as the Church and bride of Christ, to Himself. Moreover, the familiarity of our minds with the relationship makes us understand better the place to which we are brought in the gracious affections of Christ. There are many things which are the blessed and substantial revelations of God, that we cannot so well understand; for example, the reign of Christ in glory, and our association with Him in that reign, however blessed it may be, can hardly be definitely familiarized to the mind. But everything around the Christian in this world serves to illustrate what this blessed relationship is between Christ and the Church.
Eve was to Adam the companion of his home, and the depositary of his affections. So "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it"; and the fact that she becomes the depositary and witness of His affections, is a thought more deeply touching than all the glory which will be her endowment as allied to Christ.
The purpose of Christ's ministry toward His Church is "that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word"; and the end of that ministry is "that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." Just as Eve was for Adam himself, so is the Church to be for Christ Himself.