But the text leads us further to consider, II. The extent to which he has accomplished it —
" He has come, that we might have life more abundantly." And, the very instant we believe in him, we have life,
1. With more abundant evidence than was enjoyed under the Mosaic dispensation —
[The promises given to the Jews were mostly temporal. It is surprising how little is spoken of eternal life in the Old Testament, and especially of the resurrection of the body to a participation of it. And the access which men had to God was very distant. No one could offer sacrifice, except through the instrumentality of the priest; nor could any one but the High Priest go into the holy of holies ; and he only on one day in the year ; nor could even he go then, without the blood of his sacrifice. But the Lord Jesus Christ has " opened a way for us, a new and living way, into the holiest of all," with his own blood ; and, the vail, having been rent in twain from the top to the bottom, the way is made quite plain, and all his people, as " a royal priesthood," may go, every one for him- self, into the very presence of his God Moreover, " a
spirit of adoption" is now given by Christ to his believing people ; and every one of his true followers is authorized to claim God as his Father, and to consider himself as possessed of an inheritance which, in body as well as in his soul, he shall
enjoy to all eternity Yes, in this sense are "life and
immortality brought to light by the Gospel :" nor has any believer now any more doubt respecting either the present acceptance of a saint, or of his future reign with Christ in glory, than he has of the existence of a God. All this, though very partially and indistinctly known under the Mosaic dis- pensation, is now so clearly revealed, that a little child may see it, and " he who runs may read it" ]
2. In a more abundant measure than it would ever have been enjoyed, if man had never fallen —
[By the Prophet Zechariah, God says, " Turn ye to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope : even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto theeb:" so Christ here offers to us a double measure of life. Man, if he had never fallen, would have possessed but a creature-righteousness ; whereas, through faith in Christ, he becomes possessed of a divine righteousness, and is entitled to address the Saviour himself as " Jehovah, our Righteousness" Moreover, if man
b Zech. ix. 12.