The Grace of God is too much for him. . .

There is a wonderful scene in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited that is done rather well in the movie.  Lord Marchmain has spent his whole life opposed to religion and as he lay frail and near death an argument ensures about whether or not a priest should be called.  Charles Rydeer insists:  "all his life, what he thought of religion. They’ll come now, when his mind’s wandering and he hasn’t the strength to resist."  But the priest is called.  He leans down to ask Lord Marchmain if he will confess all his sins and if he will pray the Lord that he is sorry from them.  And there is nothing -- no sign that he has confessed or that he was repentant.  The priest absolves "Ego te absolvo..." and makes the sign of the cross.  As the family gazes at this event it is Charles who prays for a sign, something small, for the sake of his wife.  But there is nothing small about it.  When it seems the Lord so angry with religion will take his anger to the grave, his arm goes up to his forehead and to each shoulder.  In what has taken a lifetime, the Lord has come to death in the veil of grace and in the clothing of Christ's righteousness.  It is the redemptive sign that steals the end for everyone in the family and the future of Brideshead.

As the priest leaves, he recounts:  "Not that was a beautiful thing to see. I have seen it happen that way again and again... the devils resists but the grace of God is too much for him..."  Every pastor has warmed at these words for we know them not as the scripted prose of literature or a movie script but the truth of so many bedsides and so many dying folks.  Death is mysterious to us but there is hidden in the mystery the grace of God that bids, calls, and woos the sinner even to the last and final breath.  I learned early on that you must be careful about what you say around those who seem lost to the moment.  They can hear more than we presume.  I have witnessed from my own experience just such a response from the dying.  It is not the simple tinge of memory or some final gasp of strength but the grace of God, the gift of God to the mourners and the comfort and peace that have too often eluded the dying in life. 

Many times I have prayed the Commendation of the Dying and the final words heard in the ear of the person were the wonderful words of Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart. It was a beautiful thing to see.  It always is.  Only God can take the horror of death and transform it into the gate of eternal life.  Only God can take the moment of our greatest weakness and transform it into strength by the victory of Christ.  Only God can enter the mystery of death with the greater mystery of life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ,
My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. - See more at: http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2013/10/then-at-last-thine-angels-come.html#sthash.2Xihix7A.dpuf

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ,
My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without...

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my Fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ,
My prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end. - See more at: http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2013/10/then-at-last-thine-angels-come.html#sthash.2Xihix7A.dpuf

You can watch it here. . .