And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Ver. 10. Sweet as honey] The word is so to the spiritual palate; whereas to the carnal it relisheth no better than the white of an egg or a dry chip. Luther said he would not live in paradise without the word; at cum verbo etiam in inferno facile eat vivere, but with the word he could live even in hell itself. See Psalms 19:10; Psalms 119:103; Jeremiah 15:16 .
My belly was bitter] By reason of the trials and tribulations that usually follow upon the faithful preaching of the word. Opposition is Evangelii genius, saith Calvin. And, Praedicare est nihil aliud quam derivare in se furorem mundi, saith Luther; To preach is to get the ill-will of the world.