The great Quaker mystic Rufus...
Illustration
The great Quaker mystic Rufus Jones tells the following story. Before going to town, his mother admonished him to have his chores finished by her return. Seeing her carriage wind past the mouth of the road, he took off running for his friend's house to romp and play. So immersed was Jones in frolic that he forgot the time, and as he tussled in the grass of the front yard with his friend, his mother's carriage suddenly appeared at the gate. With a stern stare, she pointed her finger to the house and silently ordered him to his room. Jones knew he was in for the whipping of his life as he sat beside in fear and trembling and "sickness unto death." Entering the room, she grabbed his hand and they knelt by the bed in prayer. "Whatever you do, Lord, just make a man out of Rufus. Just make a man out of him and teach him to be a responsible person." The love and mercy he received that day made a wholesome impression on the young Jones. He had thought many times since how great is God's mercy and benevolence. Knowing we are deserving of harsher punishment, we often receive instead a severe grace: a love and kindness that reproves, soothes and envelopes us in its tender mercies. -- Stewart
