Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker volume 3.djvu/287

274 an article on Saturday, we spoke in general terms of the remarkable religious interest now existing in this city and in other localities, and expressed some opinions in regard to the dangers to which such seasons of religions awakening are liable, and the blemishes which sometimes disfigure them and mar their usefulness. We had no hesitation in thus commenting publicly on this matter, since it seems, to be the fashion to noise the thing abroad, and some of our contemporaries go even so far, and we think it a great deal too far, in such a case, as to parade before the public in the papers the names of the individuals who speak and pray at these meetings. At the least it may be assumed that the cause of truth and of pure and undefiled religion will receive no detriment from a little plain speaking in relation to what we call the excesses of the revival movement. There are many things incidental to these seasons of religious interest which we cannot approve; men under the influence of excitement of urgent appeals, or even admonished by an awakened conscience, make a thousand absurd statements, and equally absurd promises and prayers. They see with great distinctness the mote in their brother's eye, and fondly imagining that the beam has been cast out of their own, they seem to suppose that a brief period of unusual devotion, of increased fervour, of abandonment of ordinary duties in order to give their whole energies to the work of regenerating individual souls, will make up for years of coldness, selfishness, and neglect of God and duty—not that they are conscious of entertaining such notions, but that they do the sequel proves; they act as though personal religion and vital piety could be accomplished by the job; they forget that the injunction, "Fear God and keep His commandments," besides comprising the whole duty of man, is of binding force and constant application