Here, 1. We are allowed a sober and moderate use of the delights of
sense: Hast thou found honey? It is not forbidden fruit to thee, as it
was to Jonathan; thou mayest eat of it with thanksgiving to God, who,
having created things grateful to our senses, has given us leave to
make use of them. Eat as much as is sufficient, and no more. Enough is
as good as a feast. 2. We are cautioned to take heed of excess. We must
use all pleasures as we do honey, with a check upon our appetite, lest
we take more than does us good and make ourselves sick with it. We are
most in danger of surfeiting upon that which is most sweet, and
therefore those that fare sumptuously every day have need to watch over
themselves, lest their hearts be at any time overcharged. The pleasures
of sense lose their sweetness by the excessive use of them and become
nauseous, as honey, which turns sour in the stomach; it is therefore
our interest, as well as our duty, to use them with sobriety.