John Trapp on Nehemiah 8:10

Verſe 10. Then he ſaid unto them, Go your way] A friendly diſmiſſion. We muſt ſo reproove or admoniſh others, as that we ever preſerve in them an opinion of our good will unto them: for this is that ſugar, that ſweetneth all ſuch tarter pilles.

Go your way, eat, &c] One being asked whether a good man might not feed upon ſweet and delicate meat; eat the fat, and drink the ſweet, even the choyſeſt Wines and chiefeſt viands? anſwered, Yes: except God made bees onely for fools. God freely permitteth to his beſt children the uſe of his beſt creatures, even to an honeſt affluence (on Thankſgiving-dayes eſpecially) provided, that they feed with fear, and keep within the bounds of ſobriety.

And ſend portions to them for whom nothing is prepared] That is, to the poore, the fatherleſſe and the widdowes, Deut. 16.14. Who have not their ſet meales: nor certain diſhes: but as hard fare for their holy-day chear, as Chriſts Diſciples had once for their Sabbath-dayes dinner, Matth. 12.1.

For this day is holy unto the Lord] An holy convocation Lev. 23.24. a day of blowing Trumpets, a feaſt-day, See Zach. 8.19. with the Note. A more liberal uſe of the creature dilateth and exhilarateth the heart, and ſo diſpoſeth it to thankfulneſſe, Jam. 5.13. Pſal. 92.2, 3. Eat, that thy ſoul may bleſſe me, Gen. 27.19. The idolatrous Iſraëlites ſat down to eat, and drink, and then roſe up to play. Gods people ſhould much more rejoyce in the Lord, when refreſhed by the creatures, ſpeaking good of his Name, and ſerving him with cheerfulneſſe in the abundance of all things, Deut. 28.47.

Neither be ye ſorry] No not for your ſins now, leaſt it prove a ſinful ſorrow, See ver. 9.

For the joy of the Lord is your ſtrength] Or, your fortification, Bernard. and place of defence againſt ſin, and al the ill fruits of it, Lati igitur ſitis, ſed non ſecuris gandeatis in Domino, ſed caveatis a recidivo. A merry heart (grounded upon a good conſcience) doth good like a medicine, Prov. 17.22. It is as marrow to the bones, as oil to the wheels, as a bait by the way to a generous horſe: as a back of ſteel to a bended bow, &c. Surely, as true gold ſtrengtheneth the heart, (that Alchymy-gold, doth not) ſo doth ſpiritual joy much more making a man inſuperable under ſufferings, and unſatisfiable in performance of duties. It is ſuch a precious commodity, as that no good can match it, no evil overmatch it. It beareth all things, beleeveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, as St. Paul ſaith of charity, 1 Cor. 13. ver. 7. And as a man that hath plenty of good blood and freſh ſpirits in his body, being well-lined within, (as we ſay) can better endure heat and cold, &c. then another that hath not ſo: in like ſort he that hath his heart full of Heaven, his conſcience full of comfort, is in caſe to do and ſuffer much for, and from God and men. The peace of his conſcience will appear in his countenance, as Stevens did: and as the Martyrs in Severus the Emperour his dayes, who being releaſed for a time ſeemed to come è myrotheca, non ergaſtulo, out of a perfumed palace,Divinum neſcis quid in valtibus ipſis praeferentes, Euſeb. lib. 5. cap. 12. and not out of a ſtinking priſon; looking more like Angels of Heaven, then men on Earth, as in Euſebius relateth. The croſſe to ſuch is anointed, as Bernard hath it: and by the joy of the Lord (that oil of gladneſs) it is made not only light, but ſweet: not onely tolerable, but deſireable, and delectable.