Or, take the message which the angels brought down to earth on the
occasion of the Saviour's birth. They told the shepherds that they
brought good tidings of great joy to all people. What, then, about the
uncounted millions of our race who had departed this life without ever
having heard of a Saviour? If they were either in hopeless torment, or
in extinction, how could the Saviour's coming be good tidings to them?
And what about the millions that were then living in heathenism, and
would die in heathenism? How could the Saviour's coming be good tidings
to them? And what about the millions that are living now, and the other
millions that will be born who will die without hearing of a Saviour?
How could His advent be good tidings to those? And what about the other
millions in Christian lands, who will live and die without any saving
power being brought into their life? How could the Saviour's birth be
good tidings to any of these myriads of our race?
Only on the theory that the benefits of His coming extend into the next
life, could the words be true. If these uncounted millions are in
endless torment, or if they are annihilated, the words could not be
true. But they are gloriously true if there is a future state of
probation. In that case the benefits of the Saviour's life and death
extend beyond human life to those myriads who never heard of Him here.