John Trapp on Nehemiah 8:6

Verſe 6. And Ezra bleſſed the Lord] i. e. He called upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praiſed, Pſal. 18.3. He prayed before he read, and preached. So ought we to do by his example, as Lyra well noteth, & as is commonly done by all our Miniſters. Luthers uſual prayer before Sermon was this, Confirm, O God, in us what thou haſt wrought: and perfect the work that thou haſt begun to thy glory. Lord open our eyes that we may ſee the wonders of thy Law, &c. Zuinglius began his publike Lectures thus, O Almighty Everlaſting and Merciful God, whoſe Word is a light to our feet, and a Lanthorn to our paths, open and illighten our minds, that we may piouſly and holily underſtand thine oracles, and be ſo transformed thereinto, that we may not in any thing diſpleaſe thy Majeſty, thorough Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, Amen. The Platoniſts could ſay, that the light of our minds whereby we learn al[illegible: 1 letter]things; is no other but God himſelf, the ſame that made all things. This made Ezra here bleſſe the Lord, that is, ſay with David, Pſal. 119. ver. 12. Bleſſed be thou, O Lord, teach us thy Statutes.

The great God] The true Triſmegiſt, the Fortiſſimus Maximus, Opt. Max. All whoſe attributes are in the higheſt degree, yea in a degree beyond any ſuperlative.

And all the people anſwered, Amen, Amen] This word is Hebrew: but uſed in all Languages, in the cloſe of prayers. The doubling of it here importeth their aſſent, and their aſſurance. It is the voyce of one that beleeveth, and expecteth that he ſhall have his prayers granted. The Septuagint render it ſo be it, or ſo it is. The Apoſtle reckoneth it for a great loſſe, when people either ſay not Amen to publike prayers, or not heartily and affectionately, as here, 1 Cor. 14.16. Elſe, When thou ſhalt bleſſe with the ſpirit, how ſhall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned ſay, Amen? The Turks alſo when their Prieſt hath ſaid his Letany (ſuch as it is) make anſwer in manner of a ſhout Homin, that is, Amen.

With lifting up their hands] And withall their hearts unto God in the Heavens, Lam. 3.41. This, Nazianzen judgeth to be optimum opus manuum, the beſt work of the hands, ſc. in Coelos eas extendere, ad preceſque expandere, to ſtretch them towards Heaven, and to hold them out in prayer. This way David ennobled his tongue (therefore called his glory) and ſo men may their hands.

And they bowed their heads] In token of the lowlineſſe of their hearts. Theſe outward geſtures, as they iſſue from the fervency of a good heart, ſo they reflect upon the affections, and do further inflame them. Onely note, that theſe bodily exerciſes are not alwayes or abſolutely neceſſary in Divine worſhip. God looks chiefly at the heart, and hateth all outſide-ſervice, and heartleſſe devotion, Iſa. 1. and 66.3. and ſuch as is that of the Jews at this day. Their holineſſe, ſaith One, is the outward work it ſelf, being a brainleſſe head, and ſoul-leſſe body. And the like may be ſaid of the Papiſt, and of the common Proteſtant, whoſe body is proſtrate, but his ſoul bolt-upright within him.