John Trapp on Ezra 9:8

Verſe 8. And now for a little ſpace] Heb. point, or moment of time. God let looſe his hand for a while, and gave them ſome little liberty, to make them inſtances of his mercy, who had been objects of his wrath: but nothing would mend them and make them better.

And to give us a nail] that is, ſome ſettlement, ſome ſubject of hope, and ſupport of faith. He ſeemeth to allude to ſuch nailes as wherewith they faſtened their tents to the ground (Jael drove one of thoſe Tent-nails thorough Siſera's Temples, and laid him ſafe enough) or elſe to thoſe nailes that, driven into pales, do faſten them to their nailes.

That our God may lighten our eyes] Id eſt, Chear up our hearts, and ſo clear up our eyeſight: which, when the ſpirit is dejected, grows dim, for want of ſpirits. Profectò oculis animus inhabitat, ſaith Pliny; Truly ſo it is, that the heart dwelleth in the eye: there it ſitteth and ſheweth it ſelf pleaſed or diſpleaſed with whatſoever occurrences. And as a looking-glaſſe is the eye of art: ſo is the eye the looking-glaſſe of nature.Lib, 2. cap. 32.

And to give us a little reviving in our bondage] Not light onely, but heat alſo by the beames of his pleaſed countenance, which is better then life. The life of ſome kinds of creatures is meerly in the Sun; In Winter they lie for dead: in Summer, they revive. So it is with the Saints: all their comfort conſiſts in Gods grace and favour. They look unto him and are lightened, Pſal. 34.5. he hideth his face and they are troubled; their breath is taken away, they die and return to their duſt, Pſal. 104.29. Theſe captives in Babylon lay for that time as dead and buried, Eſay 26.19. God opened their graves, and cauſed them to come up cut of their graves, and brought them to the land of Iſrael. Ezek. 37.13. For his favour is no empty favour: It is not like the Winter-ſun that caſts a Goodly countenance when it ſhineth, but gives little comfort and heat. He is the Father of lights, and the God of all grace and conſolation, &c. he gives all things needful to life and godlineſſe, ſo that to have ſinned againſt ſo good a God, to kick againſt ſuch tender bowels, was a further aggravation of their ſinne: and ſo it is here uſed and urged.