A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

From that, [the vengeance of eternal fire] The wicked¹ Sodomites were not only burnt up by that temporal judgement, but cast into Hell, which is here called Eternal fire: Hell is set forth by two notions, a Worm that never dyeth, and a fire that never goeth out, Mark 9. 44. In both which expressions there is an allusion to the Worms that breed in dead bodies, and the fire wherewith they were wont to burn their dead in former times. And the one implieth the Worm of Conscience, the other the fire of Gods wrath. 1. The Worm is bred in the body its self, and therefore fitly representeth the gnawings of Conscience; the Worm of Conscience consisteth in three things, there is memoria prae•eritorum, sensus praestutium, & metus futurorum. First, Conscience worketh on what is past the remembrance of their former enjoyments and past pleasures Luk. 16. 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time, &c. so of time wasted, opportunities of grace slighted, the folly of their own choice, &c. all which are sad reflections to them. Secondly, There is a sense of the present pain; here when they were corrected they were senseless, like stocks and stones; but then there being nothing to mitigate their grief or beguile the sense of it, no carnal pleasures wherein to steep conscience: there must needs be sense and feeling joined with a bitter discontent at their condition. Thirdly, For the future their condition is hopeless; despair is one ingredient into their torment, Heb 10 27. there remaineth nothing but a fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the Lord. Thus for the Worm.

From that, [the vengeance of eternal fire] The wicked¹ Sodomites were not onely burnt up by that temporal judgement, but cast into Hell, which is here called Eternal fire: Hell is set forth by two notions, a Worm that nev•r dyeth, and a fire that never goeth out, Mark 9. 44. In both which expressions there is an allusion to the Worms that breed in dead bodies, and the fire wherewith they were wont to burn their dead in former times. And the one implyeth the Worm of Conscience, the other the fire of Gods wrath. 1. The Worm is bred in the body its selfe, and therefore fitly representeth the gnawings of Conscience; the Worm of Conscience consisteth in three things, there is memoria praeeritorum, sensus praestutium, & metus futurorum. First, Conscience worketh on what is past the remembrance of their former enjoyments and past pleasures