The Word of God Compared to Honey

    THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO HONEY

    "Sweeter than Honey, and the Honey-comb, to my taste," Ps 19:10.

    "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than the Honey unto my mouth!" Ps 119:103.

    "But it shall be in thy mouth as sweet as Honey," Re 10:9.

    SWEETER than Honey, or the Honey-comb; not only the most fine and delicate Honey, but all things which be delightful and pleasant to the taste, by a Synechdoche. Because nothing is so precious and pleasant as gold and Honey, thence comparisons are taken from these rather than other things, to express the very great worth and sweetness of God's Word. Wilson.

    SIMILE

    I. Honey is exceeding sweet to the taste; "What is sweeter than Honey?" Jg 14:18.

    PARALLEL

    I. So the Word of God is very sweet and pleasant to the taste of gracious souls. What is more desirable to a sincere believer, than the sacred precepts and promises of the Gospel?

    SIMILE

    II. Honey, if it be added or put into other things that are bitter, it will take away, in a great measure, the bitterness thereof, and so cause a man to receive it down with less difficulty.

    PARALLEL

    II. So if the soul be under affliction, temptation, persecution for Christ's sake, which are bitter things in themselves, yet if God be pleased to add or put into this bitter, but some of the sweet promises of the Word, how wonderfully is the bitterness abated, and with what ease can a Christian bear up under them!

    SIMILE

    III. But notwithstanding Honey is so sweet and pleasant, yet there are some men that do not care for it: "The full soul loatheth the Honey-comb."

    PARALLEL

    III. Though the word of God is so precious and desirable, yet there are many wicked and ungodly ones, that cannot endure it. A vile Papist, in the massacre of Ireland, took up a Bible and cursed it, saying, "that hath done all the mischief." Sinners are so glutted with the filthy trash of this world, that they loathe the Honey-comb.

    SIMILE

    IV. Naturalists affirm, that Honey is good to dissolve and dissipate tumours and swellings, and to molify hardness; and that it is of an healing nature, and serveth for an infinite number of uses.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The "Word of God is of most sovereign virtue to dissolve and dissipate all spiritual tumours of the soul, and to mollify and break in pieces the hardness of the heart. How did it mollify the hearts of the three thousand Peter preached unto, Ac 2:36-37. See Hammer.

    SIMILE

    V. Honey is also of a purging quality.

    PARALLEL

    V. The Word and Spirit of God, when they operate together in the soul, are the best spiritual purgation in the world: "Now, are ye clean, through the word that I have spoken unto you," Ps 119:9; Joh 15:3.

    SIMILE

    I. There are several hurtful qualities in Honey, which may be prevented by taking the advice of the learned physician.

    DISPARITY

    I. There are no hurtful qualities in the Word of God; that needs no human skill to correct or clarify it.

    SIMILE

    II. There is much dross in Honey.

    DISPARITY

    II. There is none in the word of God: "Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it." Ps 119:140.

    INFERENCES.

    Hence let us learn, with the industrious bee, to gather some Honey out of every flower of God's word. How doth that little creature labour in the summer, to store herself with food against winter! Let every Christian learn of them, but more especially the ministers of God's word, that their lips may drop like the Honey-comb. And let examine, whether we ever as yet experienced the word sweet as Honey to our taste?