The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28
DR. M'KENZIE'S ADDRESS
TALKS ON "LIVING BY THE HEART''
 TO THE MEMS CLUB.

Says That the Heart Should Govern In the Affairs of Life-Cuban and American
 Questions Matters for the Heart-The Proper Sphere of Reason.
 The Mems club at the United church last evening was addressed by the Rev. Dr. Alexander Mckenzie of Cambridge. Mass. The church was crowded to hear the preacher, who always has helpful and inspiring words for his hearers. He spoke on Living by the Heart-A Study on Results" in part, as follows: 'We ought to be able to sep arate man from his reputation and judge him apart from it. You recall the gospel account of the woman who broke an elaborate box of ointment of spikenard and anointed the head and the feet of Jesus. She did it to express her feeling for the Master. man who , stood by. a flnancier, rebuked her, say- ing that she ought not to have done 1t, as it might have been sold and the money given to the poor. Why is it that we do not accept this mans opin- ion as to what it was rght for the wo- man to do. If we look into the circum- stances we will find that Jesus had been constant visitor at the woman's S house and that on one occasion He had raised her brother Lazarus from the grave. Mary bringing the alabaster box of ointment and breaking 1t on the feet of Jesus was a very brave thing to do in the face of the frowning men. Only a woman could do it. She dis solved her love of Jesus in the oil of spikenard. One of the gospel writers tells us plainly that it was Judas who ,, reproved her.
 l Let us consider whether or not Ju- das was not right after all. He was doubtless cool clear headed business man and realized the box of ointment. The box was probably worth $50, enough to have supported a person ill that country and at that time for a year. Would it not have been better after all to have followed the suggestion of Judas and sold the ointment for the benefit of the poor. But in spite of all these arguments which appeal to the reason, Jesus broke the alabaster box. The alabaster box was not to be found which would hold that spikenard when that feeling was in the heart of many. l do not see why Jesus Christ did not deserve some kindness. Why should he not have his sorrow and lonlinesS com forted by woman's devotion? I do not know the reason she did what she did. She defied all the principles of political economy of her own time and of our time. This is by no means the only incident of its kind, there are many others.
 WeN do not know what to call that which prompts to act like this. It is not conviction which causes one to act thus, for conviction is as heavy as lead. No one does a thing like this from condition. Neither was 1t exped- iency. The word that most nearly ex- presses what it is. is impulse. We do things under an impulse, for which we could not give a reason, but which we feel is right. The Holy Spirit has little to do with the understanding. When man reasons he is on the top of his life and above his life. The nearest expression of this action of our hearts ' is what is meant by the common ex- pression I feel it down in my heart
 But you ask is it safe to follow the impulses of the heart? No, it is not entirely safe to live by this rule. Moth ing is absolutely safe. The charm ot life is in its variety, the danger. To follow the impulses of the heart is as safe as anything else. Your reason makes two mistakes where your heart makes one.
 If we give we are apt to be mis- taken in our charity sometimes. The only way of being absolutely sure o1 not making mistake is not to give al all. But why not give our hearts 2 chance to tell what to do with oul money and fling political economy aside? What shall we do with discre. ton? If reason acts as the rudder o1 the heart to steer it it is all that il should expect. Paper will iflutter in 6 breeze where a bird will fly because il has weight. Your heart will go where your reason will fa1ter because it is weighted. There are some men te whom you cannot mention a subjec but what they will attach commer. cial value to it. some man were go ing to heaven would he unhappily be. cause of the cost of the funeral ex. penses. It seems as though should the blood of such a, man drop on marble 1t would ring like coin.''
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