In days gone by most of us can remember gospel preachers closing their sermons by extending a stirring invitation to sinners to accept salvation upon the terms of the gospel. This exhortation was followed immediately by what we have been pleased to call an invitation song. A sermon had earnestly been preached, the people had been taught the truth on some vital subject and the lesson was closed by a stirring appeal to every sinner present to "Come, believing in your hearts that Jesus is the Son of God; Come, sincerely repenting of your sins and turn to the Lord-, Come, confessing Jesus as your Lord, and be baptized unto the remission of your sins, and the Lord will wash you clean in the blood of the Lamb, plant the hope of eternal life in your hearts and gently lead you day by day in faithful service to God." It was not unusual for ten, twenty, thirty, forty, seventy-five or a hundred people to obey the gospel in a single meeting. They were not over persuaded, but they came knowing what they must do to be saved, rejoicing in the knowledge of the truth. And there is no reason why men will not come today when they are told in no uncertain terms what they must do to be saved.

Have we forgotten the terms of salvation as announced by the apostles.? (Acts 2:38) Are we ashamed to quote the great commission? (Mark 15:15, 16) Do we no longer believe that baptism is essential to salvation? Paul was not ashamed to preach the whole counsel of God. Why should we be? When Ananias came to Paul in Damascus and found him praying, he said, "Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." (Acts 22:16)

Brethren today are talking about a crisis and the fact that the church is not growing as it did a few years ago. It is well that we do note these things. But let us get back to preaching the gospel with a clear ring and in no uncertain terms tell people what to do to be saved according to the gospel, and let us preach it with power and in such a way that the world will know that we believe with all of our hearts that this is what men must do, or be lost eternally. (2 Thess. 1: 7-9)

Walter Scott was a young man and a warm friend of Alexander Campbell in the early days of the Restoration period in America. Many generally think of him as the first of those noble preachers of that early day who began to announce the simple terms of salvation as he extended the invitation. Immediately the people sensed the simple truth and came by the hundreds and even thousands over the country to obey the gospel as other preachers also began to call upon men to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Men no longer depended upon some mysterious miraculous working of the Holy Spirit to save them. They heard the simple gospel, they believed it and obeyed from the heart the commandments of the Lord, and no religious body in America has ever enjoyed the success as did the church in the early days of the Restoration Movement.

Today thousands upon thousands of people living in America are walking in ignorance of the simple truth, and we are apparently ashamed to preach the truth and lead them into the light of the gospel. Thousands upon thousands in our land are being baptized every year, not unto the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38), but because they think they have already been saved. Thousands of little babies are carried by their proud parents to a preacher that he might sprinkle a few drops of water on their heads, declaring them to be baptized into the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Thousands upon thousands of young people in our land are being taught that once they become Christians they are eternally saved and cannot possibly be lost, regardless of the sins they commit in days to come. But what are we doing to counteract these false doctrines? Is it not time that we wake up to our responsibilities? If we are not going to extend an invitation, why have an invitation hymn?