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Man is a creature of manifold desires. These desires may be divided into two grand classes —

1. Those that can never go too far. Such are the desires for knowledge, holiness, assimilation to God.

2. Those that often run too far. Such are the desires for wealth; the desire for power, which often runs into tyranny; the desire for pleasure, which often runs into licentiousness. Here is running too far —

I. THE DESIRE FOR ANIMAL PLEASURE. "It is not good to eat much honey." It is not good for the body. It is not good for the intellect. The rise of the animal is the fall of the mental. It is not good for the soul. The pampering of the senses is the death of the soul. "It is not good to eat much honey." Here we have running too far —

II. THE DESIRE FOR HUMAN PRAISE. " So for men to search their own glory is not glory." The word "not" which is here in italics, is not in the original; it has been supplied by our translators. In doing so they have evidently expressed the idea intended. A desire for the praise of our fellow-men is natural, innocent, and useful. It is very true that the praise of corrupt society is seldom of much worth, and often indeed contemptible. There are men whose desire for human praise becomes a passion; popularity is the god at whose shrine they are always paying their devotions. Be master of your desires.

(D. Thomas, D.D.)

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KJV: It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

WEB: It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.