The beginning of our Lord's entrance into the terrible jaws of this second death may be justly dated from those affecting words, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death; tarry ye here with me and watch." See here the Lord of life reduced to such distress as to beg the prayers, watching and assistance of His poor disciples! A plain proof that it was not the sufferings of this world, but a state of dreadful dereliction that was coming upon Him. O holy Redeemer, that I knew how to describe the anguishing terrors of thy soul, when thou wast entering into eternal death, that no other son of man might fall into it!
William Law: An Appeal.
Why does Law describe this death as "this second death"? Jesus had not died before, and surely he only died once for our sins, and that was enough.
Posted by: Lewis | April 11, 2011 at 08:51 AM